'^•i .'•"■\ / k..^ i..'ivi5ion i-cction ( LJ e.T~ m 5nr\ 5 ^ircin-, bald? lY| ivtqoov^ tr THE SPTRTTUAL ILLUMIXATTON OF THE GENTILES, COEVAL IViTH THE CONVERSION OF THE JEWS. A SERMON, ^ D THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH WAS DELIVERED, ON SfciPTLMBER la**'. 1814, BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AND MEMBERS or Wishawtown District of the Biftle Association, IN THE PARISH OF CAMBUSNETHAN, AND PUBLISHED AT THEIR DESIRE. By ARCHIBALD MASON, MIKISTEa OF THE CONGRECATION OF OLR DISSENTERS AT WISHAWTOWK. ^ A light to lighteo the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." LuK£ iL 52. GLASGOW: Printed bt/ Jack Sc GalUe, lfO& M. OGLE, 8, WILSON-STREET; JOHN OGLE, OLIPHAWT, WAUGH AKD IN1J5S. «DINBtJRGH; OGLES, DUNCAN, AND COCHRANE, LONDON; O. CUTHBERTSON, PAISLEY; W. SCOTT, GREENOCK; ANB R. MATHIE, CILMARNOC£. 1814. A MINUTE OF COMMITTEE. The Members of the Sub-committee, of Cambusnethan Bible Association, appointed for Wisbawtown District, feel grateful to their Preses, the Rev. Archibald Mason, for the interest- ing and appropriate Sermon delivered by him, on the evening of the 13th September, at their desire; and cordially join with the Audience of that night, in requesting him to allow the Sermon to be prmted, for the promotion of the cause in which we are engaged. ARCHIBALD MORTON, Sec. WiSHAWTOWN 21 th Sept. 1814 ;.} A SERMON, ifee. Isaiah xxx. 26. *< Moreaoer, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfoldy as the light of seven daySy in the day that the Lord bindcth up the breach of his people^ and healeth the stroke of their uoound.^' An exceeding great and precious promise of God to the children of men, and a description of the time when he will accomplish it to them, are con- tained in this text. The promise is recorded in the beginning of the verse. " The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days." These words may be considered either as a promise or a prediction. As a divine promise, they exhibit to us an unspeakable blessing, which the Lord has graciously engaged to bestow on the nations, at the appointed season. As a divine prediction, they foretell a glorious change, which the Lord shall produce among men, at the latter day. These expressions are metaphorical. As spiritual bless- ings are often represented, in Scripture, by the light of the sun, and the moon; so the natural li^ht of this world is employed in the text, to re- present the spiritual light of the gospel, which brings salvation to men. This light is promised, not to the Jews only, but to the Gentiles also. \^ hen this promise shall be accomphshed, Jesus will be a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as he will be the glory of his people Israel. This promise has a peculiar respect to the (ientiles. As the sun and the moon are the ordinance of God, for enlightening the whole world ; so when Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, shall arise on men, in the glory of his gospel and grace, he will diffuse his radiant beams, over all the nations of the Gen- tiles. These nations are divided into two classes — the nations who are destitute of the word and gospel of Christ, and are in gross darkness; and the nations that are in possession of those pre- cious blessings. Both of these are the objects of this promise. On the former, this light shall be bestowed, and to the latter, it shall be greatly in- creased. 1 he meaning of the promise, or predic- tion, appears to be this. \\ hen this promise is fulfilled, there shall be as great a change produced on the religious and moral world, as there would be in the natural world, were the moon, in the season of the night, to blaze like the meridian sun, and the sun, during the day, to shine with seven- fold brightness, concentrating, into one day, the light and splendour of seven. '1 he tin)e when this promise shall be fulfilled, is dcbcribed m the end of the verse. " In the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.'* The people whose breach the Lord binds up, and the stroke of whose wound he heals, are the people of the God of Abraham, the posterity of Jacob, who were formerly his peculiar people. I'his title, his5 people, generally signifies, in the Old Testament Scriptures, the chosen nation of Israel, in oppo- sition to all the other nations of the world, which are usually called, the people, the nations, the Gen^ tiles. For the happy time in which those things shall be fulfilled, we are not to look, either to the day when the army of Sennacherib, in the reign of Hezekiah, was, by the power of God, miraculously destroyed; or to the day when the captives of Judah were delivered from their bondage in Ba- bylon. The expressions in the text are too grand and sublime, to have their accomplishment in these events, or in their consequences. We can- not look for the accomplishment of this prediction, even to the days of the apostles. After the re- surrection of our Redeemer, who is over all God blessed for ever, such a change indeed was efiected in the church, that the light of the m.oon was as the light of the sun, and the Hght of the sun was sevenfold, as the light of seven days. The gospel was preached to the Gentile nations, and multi- tudes embraced the faith of Jesus. The people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them who dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, did light spring up. At this most eventful day, however, the Lord did not bind up the breach of his people, nor heal the stroke of their wound. It was rather the day, when the Jewish nation, for their iniquity, was broken with this dreadful breach, and received the stroke which produced that wound, under which they have languished for near eighteen hundred years. We are, there- fore, constrained, for the complete fulfilment of these things, to look forward to those blessed days which are promised to the church, when, to use the words of the apostle, the natural branches shall be grafted into their own olive; when, through the mercy of the Gentiles, the Jews shall obtain mercy, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and when all Israel shall be saved. The day, in which the Lord shall bind up this breach, and heal the wound of his ancient people, shall be the time, when the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, to the Gen- tile nations. The text, therefore, unfolds to our view this interesting truth,-— All the nations of the Gentiles shall be spiritually enlightened, at the conversion of the Jews. In discussing this subject, it is proposed, I. To illustrate the nature of the spiritual change, which shall be produced on the nations, as it is repre- sented by the metaphor that is used in the text ; II. To mention some of the blessings that are contained in this promise ; III. To describe the manner in which it shall be accomplished; and IV. To explain the character of that day, when this promise or prediction shall be fulfilled, in the day when the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. I. It is proposed to illustrate the nature of the spiritual change which shall be produced on the Gentile nations, when the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days. Ist, This metaphor represents the spiritual change, that is signified by it, to be new and un- precedented. The moon's shining as the sun, and the sun*s shining with sevenfold more brightness than ordinary, would produce phenomena in nature, which would be altogether singular and extraordinary. The blessed change, in like man- ner, which the church shall then experience, will be unexampled, and without a parallel. The sin- gularity of the case does not consist in the shining of the sun and the moon ; for they have shone on the earth from the beginning; but it consists in the extraordinary degree of their shining. So this extraordinary change does not consist in the shin- ing of spiritual light upon men, for this has at all times been the church's enjoyment, but it consists in the peculiar degree of spiritual light, which shall then break forth on the nations. When the bless- ing signified by this metaphor, shall be conferred on men, the Lord will create a new thing in the earth. The glory of that light shall transcend all former examples. As far as the light of the moon, when shining like the sun, would exceed the light she has always reflected on the earth; so far will the light of the church, at that time, excel any of her enjoyments of this kind, in former ages. As far as the light of seven days combined into one, would excel the light of an ordinary day; so far must the spiritual light of that season exceed the light of any of the past ages of the church. If it is not a change that is without a parallel in past times, there is neither propriety nor truth in the metaphor. Though the Lord will never produce such a change in the world of nature, as that which is mentioned in the text ; he will certainly accom- plish that alteration in the world of grace, of which he has made that natural change the similitude; and when it takes place, it will introduce the church into a situation, which shall be entirely new and extraordinary. 2cl, This metaphor represents the change that is signified by it, to be productive of pecuhar emo- tions in the minds of men. Were the moon to shine as the sun, and the sun with the light of seven days, men would be filled with fear, sur- prise, wonder, and astonishment. This spiritual change, which shall be produced upon the nations, will also fill the minds of christians with very ex- traordinary emotions, and lead them to special exercises of soul. This change will fill their hearts with holy fear and reverence. This they will express in their song of adoration, " Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art holy," Rev. xv. 4. It will fill them with surprise and astonishment; they shall then cry out, " V\ hen the Lord turned again the 9 captivity of Sion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing." Psa. cxxvi. 1,2, It will produce in them holy admiration, and cause them exclaim, " Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" Exod. xv. 11. On this extraordinary occasion, they will abound with the high praise of the Lord, This is ascribed to them, Rev. vii. 10, " And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb." O how vehemently will they utter such praise as that, Psa. cxxxvi. 4. " To him who alone doeth great wonders ; for his mercy endureth for ever." They shall also be employed in giving thanks to God for his wonderful works. In the summary ac- count of this change on the nations, which is con- tained in the eleventh chapter of the Revelations, this part of the church's employment is mentioned in verse 1 7th ; " We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned." They will then be constrained to say, " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people." Luke i. 68, The christians of those times will also over- flow with joy and gladness. To this they are called. Rev. xviii. 20. " Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her." To this exercise they will invite one another. Rev, xix. 7. " Let B 10 us be glad, and rejoice, and give honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.'* Nor will these spir- itual emotions, though carried to their highest pitch, be found existing in the souls of believers, without a sufficient cause. This change, when it shall be accomplished, will be so glorious in itself, so beneficial to men, and so conspicuous to all, that it will prove an abundant reason for the most enlarged exercises of this kind, in the members of the church. If it is a divine rule in the duty of christians, to render to the Lord, according to the benefit done unto them, and nothing can be more reasonable, the church, in those days, receiving from her God such special mercies, will be laid under obligations peculiarly strong, to bring the sacrifice of praise, and of every other religious duty, into the house of the Lord. For these ex- ercises, the Members of the church, in her en- larged state, will be perfectly qualified; for the external change which shall be produced in the church, at the accomplishment of this promise, will be accompanied with a proportionate altera- tion in the inward spiritual condition of the saints, which will make them all fire, zeal, and life, in the service of the sanctuary. Sd, This • metaphor represents the spiritual change that is signified by it, to be a glorious man- ifestation of God, as he is the God of grace. The change in nature, mentioned in the text, would brightly display God's glory, as he is the God of providence. He is the Creator of the sun and 11 moon. " And God made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.'* Gen. i. 16. " He giveth the sun," saith the prophet Jeremiah, "for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by right.'* Whatever these great lights are in themselves, whatever are their mo- tions and revolutions, whatever beneficial effects they produce on the face of the earth, and what- ever services they do to the creatures below, all these things are of Him who hath appointed the moon for seasons, and from whom the sun know- eth his going down. Were these great lights to shine as it is expressed in this metaphor, the glory of their Creator and Preserver would be brightly displayed. It must necessarily follow, therefore, that when this great spiritual change shall be ac- complished on the church of Christ, which this metaphor represents, the glory of the God of grace and salvation will be manifested abundantly. At that desirable period, these words of Isaiah, xlv. 5, shall be fulfilled, " And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.'* The revelation of the divine glory, consists in the dis- play which Jehovah will make of himself and of his attributes, by his operations of grace among men ; and all flesh seeing it together, signifies the church's perception and acknowledgment of this glory J both the one and the other shall, at that time, prevail in the world ; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. How will he display the 12 glory of his sovereignty, in fixing the time of this happy state of the church, and in choosing the persons who shall enjoy it! How will the glory of his wisdom be seen in ordering the means, and bringing forward the instruments, of introducing and maintaining it! How brightly will divine power appear, in overcoming opposition, and in raising his church to the height of her prosperity and glory! How will the faithfulness of God shine forth, in fulfilling his promises to his people, in executing his threatenings on his enemies, and, in both, doing as he has said! And how will the di- vine love, grace, and mercy, be illustrated, in be- stowing on the church and her members, in an extraordinary degree, and freely, for Christ's sake, all spiritual blessings in heavenly places! The glory of each divine person shall then conspicuously ap- pear. At that time, all shall be convinced, that " grace and peace," in whatever degree they may be enjoyed, " come from him which is, and which v^as, and which is to com.e; and from the seven spirits which are before his throne ; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, the first- begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth." Rev. i. 4, 5. As this glory shall be revealed, so also shall it be discerned and ac- knowledged; for of them it is said, "And they sung the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying. Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.'* IS 4///, This metaphor represents the spiritual change which is signified by it, to be a peculiar display of Christ's glory, and a great increase of beauty and lustre to his church. Were the sun and the moon to shine as it is stated in the text, a glory would be drawn around the sun, and a lustre would be added to the moon, far superior to any thing that has been seen about them, since the beginning of the creation of God. In the Holy Scriptures, Christ is compared to the sun. " But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise, with healing in his wings." Mai. iv. 2. The church of Christ is also compared to the moon. " Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon ?'* Song vi. 10. By this metaphor, therefore, the enlarged manifestation of Christ's glory, and the increased lustre of his church, may be represented. At this season, his glory will be brightly displayed to the nations. If he manifested forth his glory, at the beginning of his miracles, in Cana of Gali- lee; will he not also display his glory, when all dominions shall serve and obey him? If he re- ceived from God the Father, honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him " from the excellent glory, This is my beloved sen, hear ye him;" shall he not also receive from him honour and glory, when he shall give him the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost ends of the earth for his possession ? The brightness of his glory will then appear to the nations, by means of his word and ordinances, rendered effectual through 14 the operation of the Holy Spirit, for regenerating, justifying, and sanctifying all them who are saved. Christ will then appear in the glory of his divine person, and in the glory of his divine and human natures in his one person, as our Mediator. Op- position to this great mystery of godliness shall then be silenced. He will appear in the glory of his eternal engagements, to be the head and surety of the covenant of grace, and the Redeemer and Saviour of his people. He will be manifested in the glory of his offices, with which, by his Fa- ther's appointm.ent, he is invested. He will then be universally known and acknowledged in his glory, as the great Prophet of the church, as the great High Priest of the christian profession, and as the alone King and Head of his church. The glory of Jesus in his mediatorial righteousness, for the justification of the ungodly — in his communi- cated fulness, for the supply of his people's wants — and in his everlasting salvation, which he bestows on his people on earth and in heaven, shall then be exceeding bright, and extensively known. The church shall then be enabled to utter these words, in a very peculiar manner, " We beheld his glory, as tl e glory of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." In consequence of these discoveries of his glory, they will be constrained to say, with singular impressions on their spirits, " Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." 15 At the accomplishment of this promise, the church also, who is bright and glorious by the light of the Sun of Righteousness shining on her, and is comely through his comeliness put upon her, will appear with a lustre and beauty to which she has never formerly attained. In the purity of her doctrine, the spiritual simplicity of her ordinances, the scriptural form of her government and censures, the number of her members, the zeal and spiri- tuaHty of her ministers, the holiness of her saints, and the feigned submission of her enemies, the church shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of her God. II. Head of this Discourse, was to mention some of the blessings that are contained in this promise or prediction — " The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days." 1st, This promise contains the blessing of a greater degree of knowledge in divine things. This is the plain import of the metaphorical lan- guage of the text. The increase of light is the metaphor, an increase of knowledge is the blessing signified by it. Though all true believers, in every age, have had a sufficient and saving know- ledge of divine truths; yet there must have been a great difference in the degree of that knowledge, of which, in these different periods, the members of the church were possessed. In the days of the patriarchs, and under the Mosaic dispensation, the 16 knowledge of divine mysteries, concerning our salvation by Jesus Christ, was comparatively small. As that dispensation advanced, and the church enjoyed the ministry of the prophets, the light of the knowledge of the way of salvation would gradually increase. When the Son of God had appeared in our world, and had finished the work which the Father had given him to do, the gospel of the kingdom was preached, the former dark- ness was dissipated, the Jewish ceremonies were set aside, the spiritual ordinances of the gospel were brought into operation ; and he who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shined into the hearts of many, to give them the light of the knowledge of his glory, in the face of Jesus Christ. As spiritual light increased, under the former dis- pensation; so we have reason to believe in its increase, during the evangelic economy. The path of the church, as well as that of every be- liever, shall be as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The people ■who shall live in the church, when this prediction shall be fulfilled, will enjoy, in a very high degree, the knowledge of divine truths. They will clearly understand the prophecies of Scripture, by having the accomplishment of them before their eyes. Their knowledge of these things will greatly in- crease their acquaintance Vvith both the doctrinal and practical truths of the gospel. Great activity will be exerted to propagate among men this divine knowledge ; for Daniel was informed, that, " at the time of the end, many shall run to and 17 fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. xii.^. The elaborate researches and discoveries of gospel doctrine, in former generations — the number of those who shall then be employed in biblical studies — and the happy unanimity in the faith of Jesus> which will prevail in those days — shall greatly ac- celerate their progress in the knowledge of divine truths. The wonderful works of grace and pro- vidence, performed by the Lord, for introducing and establishing this happy state of the church, be- ing deeply impressed on their mind, will excite them to accomplish a diligent search into the words of eternal life, which, by the blessing of God and the working of his Spirit, will cause them attain extraordinary degrees of knowledge in the mysteries of God. 2d, This promise contains the blessing of a more extensive communication of the light of the gos- pel to the nations of the world. This blessed light shall be confined no more to a few of the gentile nations; but it shall spread comparatively over all the earth. The prophet Isaiah proclaims this truth, chap, xi 9. '• They shall not hurt nor de- stroy in all my holy mountain ; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." The prophet Habakkuk confirms this, chap. ii. 14. " For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.'* Isaiah also foretells the will- ing subjection of all the nations of the earth to the sceptre of Christ ; chap. ii. 2. " And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the C IS Lord*s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.** The same thing was represented to John, Rev. xi. 15. " And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever." If the knowledge of the Lord, and of the glory of the Lord, shall cover the earth, as the waters co- ver the sea ; if all nations shall flow to Christ ; and if the kingdoms of this world shall become his kingdoms, a great extension must certainly be given to the gospel of divine grace among the na- tions, when " the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days." Nations the most ignorant and barbarous — nations the most remote, — and nations the most hostile to Christianity, shall then yield subjection to the Re- deemer, and shall wait for his law. If barbarians and Scythians were found among the subjects of Christ's kingdom, in the apostolic age, persons and nations of that description will certainly be ranked among his followers, when this promise shall be accomplished. The great multitude which no man could number, and v.'hich were clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands. Rev. vii. 9. represented the members of the mallennial church, as the sealed company symbolized professing Christians, while the church abode in the wilder- ness. If this great multitude comprehended per- 19 sons of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, then nations the most remote, and the most hostile, will receive the gospel of Christ, stretch out their hands unto God, and stand be- fore the throne and before the Lamb. Sf/, This promise contains the blessing of a more powerful efficacy of the gospel on the souls of men. If the moon should shine as the sun, and the sun emit sevenfold more light and heat than usual, their influence on the inhabitants and pro- ductions of the earth would be greatly increased. When the religious and spiritual state of things shall be introduced which is signified by those metaphors, the efficacy of the gospel on mankind must be inconceivably enlarged. The rod of the Redeemer's strength shall then be sent out of Sion, and will make many willing to submit to him in this day of his power. The weapons of the gospel warfare, which are not carnal but spiritual, shall then, in a most wonderful degree, be mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. The work of convincing sinners of their guilt and misery, by the precepts and threatenings of God's holy law, shall then be general and powerful among the inhabitants of the earth. The glorious work of converting sinners to Christ, shall then prevail wonderfully among men. Multitudes, in many nations, shall be turned from darkness to light, and from the pow- 20 er of Satan to God, that they may receive forgive- ness of sins, and inheritance among them who are sanctified, by faith that is in Christ. In that day, the work of building up christians in their most holy faith shall so prosper in the church, that they shall be enabled to keep themselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. When all nations shall flow unto the mountain of the Lord's house, in the last days, the Prophet represents the language they shall utter, Isaiah xi. 3. " And many peo- ple shall go and say. Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.'* No such causes shall then exist, as now are, and have been, for the ambassadors of peace to weep bitterly, and to say, " Who hath believed our report, and to w^hom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" for then, the power of the Lord being present to heal, the earth shall bring forth in one day, and nations shall be born at once. 4///, A greater degree of fruitfulness among the members of the church, is another blessing which this promise contains. AV^ere the sun and the moon to shine in the way stated in the text, accompanied with a proportionable quantity of rain, the fertility of the earth would probably be increased. Whatever may be in this, we are as- sured, that, when this prediction shall be fulfilled, christians shall attain extraordinary fruitfulness in every good work, and unexampled increase in the 21 knowledge of God. The fruitfulness of believers consists in their holiness and comfort. In the former part of the 1 9th chapter of the Revelation, ■which describes the condition and employment of the church at this blessed day, their fruitfulness in these things is clearly stated. At the begin- ning of the chapter, John heard " a great voice of much people in heaven, saying. Alleluia ; Salva- tion, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God." After describing the causes of their joy, in their deliverance from their anti- christian enemies, it is said, verse, 4th, " The four and twenty elders, and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God, that sat on the throne, say- ing. Amen ; Alleluia." In the 5th verse, a voice comes out of the throne, calling them to the ex- ercise of praise. In the 6th verse we find them saying, " Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." In the 7th verse, they encourage one another in this delightful work; " Let us be glad and rejoice and give honour to him ; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." All this indicates a most joyful and comforted state of the church. In the 8th verse, the perfec- tion of her justifying robe, and the purity of her garments of sanctification are described ; *•' and to her was granted that she shall be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." The 9th verse, which concludes this part of the chapter, declares the feli- city of those who shall enjoy such attainments in 22 holiness and comfort. " And he saith unto me, write. Blessed are they who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." The fruitfulness of the church, at this season, is described also in the Old Testament predictions. Respecting this day, Isaiah, chap. Ix. verse 2 1st, declares, " Thy people shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that 1 may be glorified." In these words, extraordinary degrees of sanctification, great spiritual privileges, and much holy joy and enjoyment are foretold of the church. The same happy condition is predicted, Isaiah xxxv. 1. 2. " The "wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing." When this season shall commence, the darkened nations, which were a wilderness, a solitary place, and a desert, being fertilized by the word, the Spirit, and the grace of God, shall bring forth fruit as Leb- anon, Carmel, and Sharon; " and they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of .our God." The christians of those ages shall be fruit- ful in their profession, and in their practice — in their profession, for Christ's Father's name shall be written on their foreheads — and in their prac- tice, because they shall follow the Lamb whither- soever he goeth. As the church and her true members will still be in a state of imperfection, even under all these enjoyments, it is vain to sup- pose that the former will be freed from nominal 2S professors and hypocrites, or that the latter shall be delivered from the operations of indwelling sin, or from those trials and sorrows which are inci- dent to them who are yet in the body. III. Head was to describe the way in which this promise or prediction shall be fulfilled. 1st, It shall be fulfilled by the grace and power of God the Father. Every spiritual blessing, that is enjoyed by the church, or by any believer, is bestowed by the grace and power of God. This gi'eat blessedness, therefore, which the church and her members shall then enjoy, must flow from the same fountain. Ail those who come to Christ, must be drawn by the Father, and must hear and learn of him. Those who are the children of the church are all taught of God. These operations of grace and power must be performed by the Father, on the nations, when they submit to the sceptre of the Redeemer, and on the numerous individuals in them, who believe in him to the salvation of their souls. The cause of all spiritual good to men is unchangeably the sam^^-'in God, who is the Father of lights, the Author^ ©f every good gift, and every perfect gift, and with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. The displays of the grace and power of God are great, in proportion to the magnitude and number of their eflects. These perfections of (lod are manifested in every situation of the church ; but when this prediction is fulfilled, they will be more brightly displayed j for when the Lord 24 shall build up Sion, he will appear in his glory. The grace of God freely provides the blessings which he hath in store for his church; and his power, at the appointed season, effectually bestows them on her. It is by grace that the church, at that time, shall be saved. This wonderful deliv- erance shall not be bestowed on them, by works of righteousness that they have done; but it shall be according to his mercy that they shall be saved. The accomplishment of this promise to the nations shall be such a display of the riches, sovereignty, and freedom of divine grace, that, when the head- stone of this building of mercy for the church shall be brought forth, it shall be with shoutings, cry- ing, Grace, Grace unto it! In the accomplish- ment of this prediction, the power of God will also be manifested; for at that time, " the Lord shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." Is. Hi. 10. The obstruc- tions to this change are so great and many, that nothing but divine power can remove them ; and the bleiisirtgs to be conferred are so numerous and important, that divine power alone can bestow them. As this perfection of the divine nature was exercised at the church's deliverance out of Egypt, so it shall be illustriously exerted when the prediction of the text shall be accomplished. Re- specting the enemies of Israel,the Lord said, "And in very deed, for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth." Con- 25 cerning Israel themselves, it is declared, Neverthe^ less, he saved them for his name's sake, that " he might make his mighty power to be known." Ex. ix. 16. Psal. cvi. 8. When the Lord de- livered his people from spiritual Sodom and Egypt, from Babylon the Great, and from all her other enemies, and when he shall advance his church to the enjoyment of her promised prosperity and glory, his power will be signally displayed ; for at the time of executing this purpose, the millennial church, will peculiarly celebrate his praise, as " the Lord God omnipotent, who reigneth." Kev. xix. 6. Whatever mountains of opposition, there- fore, may seem to obstruct the performance of this glorious work, the faith of the saints is war- ranted to answer every doubt that may arise in their mind about it, as Christ replied to the Sad- ducees* objections to the resurrection of the dead, " Ye do greatly err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.'* Matth. xxii. 29. 2d, This prediction shall be fulfilled by the mediatorial agency of Christ, It is he who gath- ers his sheep out of every fold, and draws men to himself. " Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice." John x. 16. " And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." John xii. 32, To John in the visions that he saw, the mediatorial agency of Christ, in this great work, was frequently represented. This was pointed out to him in the very first vision he had of Christ, when he saw him walking in the midst D 26 of the seven golden candlesticks, and holding in his hand the seven stars. Rev. i. 13, 16. This was unfolded to him also at the opening of the first seal, chapter vi. 2. " And I saw, and behold a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given to him ; and he went forth conquering and to conquer." This was likewise set before his view in the vision of the harvest of the earth, which may be the symbol of the church's deliverance, as that of the vintage is, of her enemies destruction. This is recorded, chapter xiv. In the 14th verse, the Redeemer is described: " And I looked, and, behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat, like unto the Son of Man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.'* His agency is represented in verse 16. " And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth ; and the harvest of the earth was reaped." His agency in these things is also mentioned in the victory he obtains over his enemies, when this prediction is accompHshed, Rev. xvii. 1 4. " These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them ; for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." We have another most magnificent exhibition of his mediatorial agency, in fulfilling the predictions which introduce and establish the church's deliverance and prosperity, in chapter xix, from the beginning of the 11th verse to the end of the chapter; which deserves the careful consideration of every Christian. To the ancient 27 prophets also, this agency of Christ was revealed. Isaiah, when speaking of him as the Father's Servant in the work of our redemption, who shall be exalted, and extolled, and be very high, and whose visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men, says, " So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider." To the prophet Zechariah, his agency in these mighty and merciful works of God was declared, chapter vi. 12, 13. " Behold the man whose name is the Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord : even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both." In the execution of his offices, the divine Mediator, as glorified at his Father's right hand, will exercise this agency; and those who interfere with the prerogatives of his offices shall be broken in pieces, while those who yield themselves to him shall be saved. He will at that day so manifest his glory, by his operations among the nations, as will determine them to beUeve his gospel and submit to his law. Since Jesus has purchased all blessings for his church and children, it must be a display of God's wisdom and righteousness, when he commits all judgement to the Son, lays the government on his shoulders, and gives him 28 power over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to as many as he hath given him. As our Medi- ator is the Sun of Righteousness, the Light of the world, and the Bright and the Morning Star; it must be necessary, as well as suitable, that he have a special agency in fulfilling, to his church, such a promise as this, " The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days." 3d, This prediction shall be fulfilled by the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit. It is by his personal influence, that the whole scheme of grace, in the application of eternal life to them who are saved, is carried on and perfected. At this blessed day, the Spirit shall be poured on men from on high, and the wilderness shall become a fruitful field. As a more abundant communication of the Spirit to the church is one of the peculiar characters of gospel times, so at this brightest period of that dispensation, the Spirit shall be poured out in a most extraordinary manner, and the effects produced by his influence, shall be most beneficial and extensive. The prophecy of Joel, which was so remarkably accomplished in the days of the apostles, Acts ii. 16, shall also have at this time, an eminent fulfilment. " And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy; your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see vi- sions. And also upon the servants, and upon the handmaids, in those days, will I pour out my 29 Spirit." Joel ii. 28, 29. The great gift of God to men is his Holy Spirit, which he will communi- cate to them. The subjects of this gift are all flesh, persons of all nations. These subjects are more particularly described, — sons, daughters, old men, young men, servants, and handmaids ; including persons of every age, sex, rank, and relation among men. The effects which this gift of the Spirit shall produce on them are also stated — pro- phesying, dreaming dreams, and seeing visions. These expressions are taken from the scriptural accounts of the way in which the Spirit formerly influenced and guided the holy men of God, who spake as they were moved by him ; and they sig- nify the Spirit's work on the souls of men, by which he will bestow on multitudes spiritual knowledge, saving grace, gospel holiness, and mi- nisterial and christian gifts, for glorifying God and edifying the church. The personal agency of the Spirit of God in fulfilling this prediction, is also declared in the Revelation of John. In chap. 1, verse 4th, He is called " the seven Spirits, which are before his throne." In chap. iv. verse 5. it is said " and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." In chap. v. verse 6, when speaking of the seven eyes of the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, they are said to be " the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth." The Holy Spirit, who is one in his per- son and office, receives the name of the seven Spirits of God, that the perfection and variety of so his relations to believers, and of his influences on them, might be made known to the church. From these representations of the office and work of the Holy Spirit, we may be assured, that his operations are connected with Jehovah's throne o'* grace; that he acts on the souls of men like fire, purifying, enlightening, and warming their hearts; that he is intimately connected with the Mediator and his kingdom in all his work ; and that he is sent to the church to take the things of Christ, and to show them to the children of men. As he came unto the apostles like a mighty rush- ing wind, in communicating to them extraordin- ary gifts, and, on various occasions, and in different nations, fell on all them that heard the word, that the gospel kingdom might be established in the earth ; so he will exert a peculiar and powerful agency upon the children of men throughout the world, that the promise in the text may be fulfiL led, and that these wonderful changes, in the moral and religious state of the nations, may be accomplished. If any should ask, how these grand changes shall be produced? The answer may be given in the v/ords of Jehovah himself: " Not by might; nor by power; but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Zech. iv. 6. 4//i, This prediction shall be accomplished, by the instrumentality of the word and ordinances of God. No spiritual or saving blessing will be con- ferred on any person or people, without the use of those means. When the Lord shall heal the na tions, he w ill send his word and heal them. When he brings sinners to the Saviour, he magnifies his word above all his name, and gives testimony to the word of liis grace, by making it effectual for turning the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. When the Lord gives spiritual reviving to his people, it is by his word that he quickens them. For their spiritual illumination, the word of God must enter the nations, and either go before or accompany the preaching of the gos- pel. Inspired men, as in the days of the apostles, might be instrumental, before the canon of Scrip- ture was completed, in preaching the gospel, in converting sinners, in edifying believers, and in planting churches, before the written word was put into the hands of the members of the church. But, after the canon of Scripture is finished, and useful inventions are discovered, under the direc- tion of divine providence, facilitating greatly the communication of the words of eternal life to the nations; it seems necessary, that the preaching of uninspired men, as in our own times, should either be preceded by the u^ord of God, or accompanied with it, that their labour may not be in vain in the Lord. The written word, the preaching of the gospel, religious conference, prayers and praises, are the principal means by which the na- tions of the earth shall be constrained to bow to the Redeemer's sceptre of grace. These are the weapons of the gospel warfare, which shall be mighty, through God, for making the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. These constitute the rod of his strength, which shall be employed, when he accomplishes his promise to Christ, in the last days, — " I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth, for thy possession." When Isaiah predicts, in lofty strains, the flowing of all nations, in the last days, into the kingdom of Christ, he states the means by which this great work will be accom- plished; chap. ii. 3. " For out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Whatever has been done already, in any part of the world, or in any age of the church, for propagating the religion of Jesus in a land, and for maintaining its existence in it, has been accomplished by these, and the like means. When " the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven- fold, as the light of seven days," the word and ordinances of God shall be the means of producing it. When this happy time arrives, the Lord will furnish the nations with his word, and send his commissioned ambassadors to preach it to them ; for this blessed promise shall be accomplished by the written word, and by the preaching of the gospel, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. IV. The last branch of this subject was to ex» plain the character of that day, mentioned in the text, when all these things shall be fulfilled — " In the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound." S3 Isf, The Lord will accomplish this predictioti to the nations, in the day that he bindeth up the breach that subsists between himself and his an- cient people. For the space of almost eighteen hundred years, a great breach has subsisted be- tween God and the Jewish nation. The ground of the controversy that God has with them, is their great sin in despising Christ while he dwelt among them, in crucifying the Lord of glory, in rejecting the gospel when the apostles preached it to them, in persecuting the ambassadors of Christ and the professors of his name, and in their ag- gravated immoralities. With these acts of wick- edness they were chargeable, both in their national and personal capacities. By this condiict, the Jewish nation committed great trespasses against the Lord, contracted much guilt in his sight, and subjected themselves to grievous punishment. For these causes, the holy and righteous Judge, ac- cording to Christ's prediction, " brought great distress into that land, and wrath upon that people; so that they fell by the edge of the sword, were led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem was trodden down of the Gentiles." This breach between God and the Jews is so exceeding great, that all the breaches between him and them, while they dwelt in the land of promise, were but faint shadows of it. The time of binding up that breach shall come. The binding it up is the Lord's work; for the *' Lord bindeth up the breach of his people." Of himself he says, " I kill, and I make alive j I E wound, and I heal.'* Deut. xxxii. 39. Of him we may therefore say, " He maketh sore, and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole.** Job V. 18. God shall be reconciled to them, and they shall be reconciled to God. There are several expressions of Paul, Rom. xi. chapter, which confirm to us the healing of this breach between God and his ancient people. In verse 1 Ith, the Apostle says, " Have they,*' the Jews, " stumbled, that they should fall ?'* that is, finally and forever. To which he answers, '- God for- bid.'* This imports that they shall be recovered from their stumbling, and that their fall is but for a time. In the 12th verse, he speaks of the fall and the diminishing of the Jews, and also of their future fulness. This proves, that as they have fallen and have been diminished by their breach, and by the stroke of their wound ; so they shall yet enjoy a blessed spiritual fulness, in the binding up of the one, and in the healing of the other. In the 15th verse, he mentions the casting away of the Jews, and also the receiving of them ; which shows, that as they have been cast away from their church state and privileges, so certainly shall they be received in again to the enjoyment of them all. In verse 24th, the healing of this breach is also secured : *' For if thou wert cut out of the olive-tree, which is wild by nature, and wert graffed, contrary to nature, in a good olive-tree, how much more shall these, which be the nat- ural branches, be graffed into their own olive- tree?** The apostle here represents the future 33 conversion of the Jews, to be equally certain as the calling of the gentiles, at the beginning of the gospel-dispensation ; and that it is more reason- able to expect the former, than to have looked for the latter. The Apostle also expressly says, verse 26th, " And so all Israel shall be saved." The last proof to be m.entioned is contained verse 31st, which is remarkable for ascertaining, both the conversion of the Jews, and the causes and means by which it shall be accomplished: " Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain m.ercy." The bless- edness which is reserved for God's ancient people is stated in these words, " they shall obtain mercy.*' When Paul represents the goodness of God to him in the day of his conversion, he says, " But I obtained mercy.'* 1 Tim. i. 13. As the breach was made up between God and Paul, who had been before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious, when he obtained mercy ; so the breach shall be bound up between God and his ancient people, who have been long in a state of rebellion against him, when they shall obtain mercy. It is through the mercy of the Gentiles that they shall obtain mercy. The holy word of God, the preaching of the gospel, and the other ordinances ; a revelation of Christ, of God in Christ, and of salvation through him; the gift of the Spirit to the church, and of divine grace and spiritual bles- sings to her members — all these belong to the mer- cy of the gentiles. It will be by these causes and meansj that the Lord will bind up the breach be- 36 twesn himself and his ancient people, and cause them to obtain mercy. By these he will convince them of their sin and misery; he vill humble them to the dust on account of their wickedness, and the iniquity of their fathers in rejecting the Saviour, and co-:tinuing in unbelief; he will manifest to them the Lord Jesus, as the Author of eternal sal- vation to all them who obey him; and he will bring them to embrace and submiit to him, as their Prophet, Priest, and King. At this happy time, tlie promise in the text shall be fulfilled to the Gentiles. 2(J, The Lord will accomplish this prediction to the nations, in the day that he bindeth up the breach betv^een the kingdoms of J udah and Israel. 1 his breach began in the days of Rehoboam, by the defection of the ten tribes from his govern- ment, and rhe instituted worship of God at Jeru- salem. It was occasioned by the folly of the king and his juvenile counsellors, in rejecting with pride, harshness, and insult, the reasonable proposals of the people. This breach was consum.mated, in the choice which the congregation of Israel made of Jeroboam to be their king — in his erecting a- monji; them, for political purposes, a religious sys- tem of will worship and idolatry — and in the sub- jection given by that deluded people to this eras- tian and wicked establishment. This breach was si ill continued, notwithstandirg the means that were used, by the ministry cf some of the pro- phets, and by the judgments of God upon them, to reclaim thcni from their rebellion and idolatry. 37 This breach produced the most dismal consequen- ces: — it involved the far greater part of God's an- cient people, whom he had brought out of Egypt and settled in the land of Canaan, in the great sin of total apostacy from him, by worshipping the golden calves at Dan and Bethel ; — it was infinite- ly dishonouring to the God of Israel, provoked him to anger against them, and procured the en- tire ruin of that people. This breach became wide as the sea in the reigns of some of their kings, when bloody and revengeful wars were carried on between the two kingdoms: and this breach was rendered, in all human probability, irreparable, in the total captivity of the ten tribes by the king of Assyria, and in their settlement in the towns on the river Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. From their dispersion, that people has never yet returned J and this breach has not yet been bound Scattered as the posterity of the ten tribes may be, in the land of the children of the cast, they shall be gathered together, converted to Christian- ity, embodied with their brethren the Jews, and restored to their ovv^n land, in the day that the pro-, mise of the text will be fulfilled to the nations. This recovery of Israel, as well as Judah, seems ta be evident from the words of Paul, Rom, xi. 26. " And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written. There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." The people who shall be delivered and saved, are called " all Israel and Jacob.'* The posterity of the ten S8 tribes, as well as the Jews, are included in those names. The posterity of Judah and Benjamin are not all Israel, nor all the descendants of Jacob j this salvation, therefore, cannot be confined to them, but must be extended to the whole house of Israel, and to all the sons of Jacob. But we have a very clear prophecy concerning the Lord's bind- ing up this breach between Israel and Judah, Ezek. xxxvii from the 15th verse to the end of the chapter. The symbolical actions which the prophet is commanded to perform, are mentioned verses 16, 17. " Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it. For Judah and the children of Israel his companions; then take another stick and write upon it. For Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions ^ And join them one to another into one stick, and they shall become one in thine hands.'* The mean- ing of these symbols is explained, verse 19th: *' Say^ unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Be- hold I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hands." In the following part of the chapter, the Lord condescends to amplify this explanation, to write the vision, and to make it plain upon tables, that he may run who readeth it. In those verses, the gathering the whole posterity of Jacob, the close union of the two kingdoms, their return to the land where their fathers dwelt, their subjection to him who is the Root and the Offspring 39 of David, their covenant-relation to their God, their happiness in that condition, and their con- tinuance in it to the end of the world, are all par- ticularly foretold. As no dispensation of provi- dence has taken place, for this divided people, that can be considered as an accomplishment of this most minute prediction ; we may assuredly look for it at the latter day, " when the Lord will bind up the breach of his people, and heal the stroke of their wound." There is another prediction of the same event, Jer. xxxiii. 24, 26. " Considerest thou what this people have spoken, saying. The two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even cast them off?'* In answer to this reproach cast upon his people, he assures them he will never cast off the seed of Jacob and David his servant, and expressly says, " for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy upon them.'* This promise has a respect to both the families of his ancient people ; and, when it is accomplished, he will heal the breach that subsists between them, and gather the dispersed of Israel into one. 5d, This prediction shall be accomplished to the nations, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach which has subsisted, between the Jews and the Gentiles. This breach took place be- tween those parties, before the coniing of Christ. The gentiles, through their ignorance and idolatry, despised the peculiar people of God, and opposed their holy religion. In the times of their degen- eracy, the Jews also, by an abuse of their peculiar privileges, did often treat with supercilious con- m tempt the gentile race. The ceremonial law, that middle wall of partition between them, was the occasion, and the corruption of their hearts, which produced enmity at each other, was the cause, of this breach. Though the wall of partition was taken down and abolished by the death of Christ, and though access was administered to both Jews and gentiles, by faith in Jesus, into a state of re- conciliation to God, and to one another; yet this breach, by the Jews rejecting Christ and his gos- pel, did mournfully continue. It was very great, in the days of the apostles. The account of it may be given in the words of Paul. In 1 Thess. ii, 15, 16, when speaking of the Jews, he says: *' Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not (lod, and are contrary to all men ; forbidding us to speak to the gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sin alway; for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.'* This breach has remained to the present day. Though ming- led with all nations, the Jews are not incorporated with any. By their stubborn attachment to the antiquated system of the Mosaic dispensation, they are contrary to all m.en, and are equally at variance with heathenish, Mahometan, and christianized gentiles. But this breach shall be healed and bound up. They shall be cordially reconciled to the Gentiles, and the Gentiles shall be brought into a state of real friendship with them. The time shall come, when the same God in Christ shall be the object of 41 the worship of them both — the same Spirit shall animate them all — the same gospel shall be believed and received — the same ISaviour shall be the foun- dation of their confidence, — and the same salvation shall be enjoyed by them both. All these things are signified and secured by the words of the Apos- tle, in which he represents both Jews and gentilts as branches graffed into one and the same olive- tree. He introduces this most beautiful and sig- nificant metaphor in Rom. xi. 16. and finishes his consideration of it in verse 24th. The nature of the privilege of both Jews and (ientiles is stated in verse 17th. " And thou,'* speaking of the gentiles, " being a wild olive-tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree." I'he way of the restoration of the Jews to their gospel-privileges is mentioned verse 23d ; which is by the power of God, and their faith in Jesus. " And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed ir j for God is able to graff them in again." The cer- tainty of the joint enjoyment of Christ, who is the true vine, by both Jews and Gentiles, as the good olive-tree, is asserted, in verse 24th. " For if thou wert cut out of the olive-tree, which is wild by nature, and wert graffed, contrary to nature, into a good olive-tree; how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive-tree." Jews and Gentiles shall be branches of the same olive-tree, and shall mutually partake of its root and fatness. This expressive metaphor teaches us, that both F 42 Jews and Gentiles shall be the property of the same husbandman, shall grow in the same fruit- ful soil, shall be supported by the same root, nourished by the same fatness, covered with the same leaves, shall yield the same blossoms, and shall bear the same fruit, which shall be unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. When all this shall be performed by the Lord, the breach betwixt Jews and Gentiles shall be completely bound up. Nor are the Scriptures of the Old Testament silent on this delightful theme. In Isaiah xix. 23. 24, 25, the same blessedness is foretold; and He who confirmeth the word of his servant, and per- formeth the counsel of his messengers, will fulfil it in his season. " In that day shall there be an highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria; and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt, and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my peoples and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.'* This remarkable prophecy, in which Egypt and Assyria represent the gentile nations, foretells a time, in which the most delight- ful peace, friendship, and intercourse, shall subsist between Jews and gentiles, and among the gen- tiles themselves ; and when all of them, having been brought to the faith and profession of the gospel, shall be the objects of the di%ane favour and blessing. This can be fulfilled only when the 43 " Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.'* 4//z, This prediction shall be fulfilled to the nations, in the day that the Lord healeth the stroke of the wound of his ancient people. He will not only bind up their breach, but he will also heal the stroke of their wound. God has smitten them in his holiness and justice, with a mournful stroke, of which, all the former strokes of his anger on them were imperfect representations. The wound which they have received by this stroke, has been a grievous wound indeed. The destruction of their civil polity — the subversion of their chtirch- state in the land of promise — the desolation of their city and temple — their extermination from the land of Canaan — their total dispersion among the nations — the great sufferings which they have endured by the unjust and cruel conduct of the gentiles to them — and, above all, their exclusion from the favour, service, and enjoyment of God, through their unbelief — constitute that distressing wound which is inflicted on them for their sin, by the stroke of the Lord's anger. The Lord will heal this wound, by restoring them to their own land, by making them a glori- ous church on the earth, and by enriching them with temporal and spiritual blessings. Their wound, and the healing of it, were predicted by Hosea, chap. iii. 4, 5. " For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and with- out a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without te- 44? raphim. Afterward shall the children of Israel re- turn, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his good- ness in the latter days.'* We have seen the pre- diction in the fornier verse most minutely fulfil- led, in their low estate under the stroke of their wound ; and the blessing foretold in the latter verse shall be as distinctly accomplished, when (iod shall fulfil his word to them, "• 1 am the Lord that healeth thee.'* The Ix. chapter of Isaiah contains a prophecy corcerrirg this day and the events of it, which are menticned in our text. Both the wound, and the Lord's healing it, are foretold in verse 15th. " \V hereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many genera'ions." As the expressions of this verse, and indeed of the whole prophecy, are too grand to receive their accomplishment in the Jews' return from Babylon, we must therefore look to the latter days for its fulfilment. "^1 he same things are predicted, in chap. Ixii. 4. " 'Ihou shalt no more be termed, Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed. Desolate: But thou shalt be called, Hephzibah ; and thy land, Beulah; for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.'* '1 his verse refers to the things of which we are now speaking ; for it is their last, and mc^st grievous desolation, unquestionably, to which the words relate. No more were they to be termed, Desr.late, nor their land any more termed Jborsaker), after their restoration j it must. 45 therefore, signify their present calamitous condi- tion. While they lay under the stroke of their wound ; the name of their nation was. Forsaken; and the title of their land was, Desolate ; but when they shall be healed, they shall be called by a new name, which the mouth ot the Lord shall name ; verse 2d. For their nation, the name shall be " Hephzibah, for the Lord delighteth in thee;" and for their land, the name shall be, '^ Beu- lah, for it shall be married.'* The greatness of the misery which Israel now suffers under their bleed- ing wound, shall be exceeded completely by their glory and prosperity, when the Lord their God shall heal the stroke of their wound. An Improvement of the subject, in some infer- ences, shall conclude this discourse. If/, Our duty, in improving the gospel light we enjoy, is evident from this doctrine. We are pos- sessed of the same light which has enlightened the church in former ages, and which she shall enjoy afterwards in a superior degree. It is therefore our duty to walk while we have the light, lest darkness come upon us. Jesus hath said, " I am the light of the world; he that follow- eth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,'* John viii. 12. Let it, there- fore, be our great endeavour to embrace Christ, and to rest on him, in his obedience, and sufferings, and death ; so shall we be delivered from the dark- ness of our natural state, from the darkness of a 46 sinful course, and from the blackness of darkness for ever ; and shall be brought to enjoy the light of eternal life, both in grace and in glory. Though the light of the moon is not like the light of the sun in our day, nor the light of the sun sevenfold; yet this gospel-light of salvation shines on us as really as ever it did shine at any former time, or ever will shine on any future period, to the end of the world. We enjoy the whole word of God, re- vealing law and gospel, precept and doctrine, threatening and promise. We enjoy all the insti- tuted ordinances of divine grace, both the word and ministry of reconciliation, exhibiting to us God as on a throne of grace, willing to bless us with all spiritual blessings — Christ the one Media- tor, able to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by him — the Holy Spirit ready to apply to our souls the blessings of salvation — the grace of faith, which is the mean of interesting us in Christ, and in that everlasting salvation which is in him — and the life of holiness; for those who who have believed in Jesus " must be careful to maintain good works.'* O, how great are our privileges! Though the time of the church in which we live is a day of small things, yet it is really a day of salvation to saints and sinners. Woe shall be unto all those who despise it; but blessed shall all those be who improve it to the Redeem- er's glory and their own salvation. Endeavour, O Christians, to consider daily your responsibility to God for the use you make of your privileges — the aggravated condemnation of gospel-despisers— ^ 47 and the blessedness of all those who receive Christ and walk in him — that you may walk in the light as he is in the light, may have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son shall cleanse you from all sin. 2. The very mournful situation of the darkened nations of the earth is obvious from this subject. They have no gospel vision ; and where this is want- ing, Solomon informs us, the people perish. The church, by the enjoyment of divine revelation, is called " the valley of vision." Isa. xxii. 1 , 5. This vison signifies a revelation of the will of God to men, by which they have an opportunity of know- ing and complying with truth and duty, for their salvation. This sense of the term vision is evident from the words of the verse where it is found. Prov. xxix. IS. " Where there is no vision the people perish ; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." The want of vision, and the enjoyment of the revealed law, are here contrasted. The Lord Jesus is the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. To those who have heard of Christ, who have believed in him, and who have yielded, to his holy commandments, the obe- dience of faith, he will be the Author of eternal salvation, and to no other. The nations of the earth, that are yet in spiritual darkness, are in the same condition in which the enlightened Gentiles were, before the light of the gospel shined on them. This was mournful indeed. The best description that can be given of it is found in 48 the apostle's words, Eph. ii. 12. " That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.'* Alas! brethren, how miserable is their situation, who are strangers to Christ, the only Saviour of sinnners, to the bless- ings of eternal life which are in him, to the ever- lasting covenant which God hath made with his chosen for our salvation, to the exercise and com- forts of faith and hope, and to God himself, who is the infinite portion of his people! But this is the present state of all the unenHghtened nations. Their condition is also described, in that prayer cf the church, Psa. Ixxiv. 20. " Have respect unto the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty." By the murderous rites of their abominable idolatry which they practised, and by the barbarous conduct which they acted to one another, the dark places of the earth were full of the habitations of cruelty. It is a fact which is confirmed by satisfactory and unimpeachable evidence, that the dark places of the earth, at this day, are as full of the habitations of cruelty, in these and other particular ways, as they were in the days of David. How ought we to pity them, to pray for their dehverance, and to use every mean, competent to us, for sending to them the word and gospel of Christ ! In the days of our remote ancestors, our own land was in the same miserable state; but, in the tender mercy of our God, the day-spring from on high 49 hath visited us. Should we not, therefore, be filled with concern, that the same mercy may be extended to them, to guide their feet into the ways of peace ? 3. This subject presents to our view the low and pitiable condition of God's ancient people. They are still under the breach with which they were broken for their sin, for it is not yet bound up. They are still suffering by the wound which they have received by the stroke of the Almighty; for the time of healing is not come. That people are divided into two families ; the posterity of the ten tribes, who composed the kingdom of Israel ; and the descendants of Judah and Benjamin, who constituted the kingdom of Judah. The former, it is now supposed, inhabit some regions in the East; and the latter are wanderers among all na- tions. In their miserable lot, the Lord has raised and maintained, for his glory, and for warning men, a monument which proclaims the greatness of the sin and punishment of those who reject di- vine institutions, and despise divine grace. For de- parting from divine institutions under the former dispensation, and despising Moses* law, the off- spring of Israel have existed under the judgments of the Lord two thousand five hundred years. On account of their rejection of Christ, and the revelation of divine grace in him, the Jews have suffered the displeasure of God about eighteen hundred years. O that those warnings would produce a proper effect on professed Christians! G ;o Contemplating the peculiarity and magnitude of their former privileges, and the greatness and sin- gularity of their present distress, our minds should be filled with compassionate concern for their restoration. Fix your attention on them, O Christians, when they triumphantly marched out of Egypt, passed through the Red Sea, traversed the wilderness by the direction of the pillar of fire and the protection of the pillar of cloud, stood be- fore the Lord at Horeb, walked through Jordan, conquered and possessed the land of promise, en- joyed the tabernacle and the temple of the Lord in the midst of them, assembled before the Lord in their solemn feasts, were fed to the full in the land flowing with milk and honey, and were of- ten miraculously delivered from the hand of their enemies — and say if the words of Moses were not verified in them, " Happy art thou, O Israel ! Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the Shield of thy help, and who is the Sword of thine excellency.*' Deut. xxxiii. 29. Consider them also in their present state, banished from their own land, wandering among the nations, despised and persecuted by many, proverbially prophane, deceitful, and avaricious, blaspheming that divine Saviour to whom all their prophets gave witness, despising that atonement which all their sacrifices typified, turning away from him whose day their religious progenitors desired to see, and existing under all that temporal and spiritual misery which is the effect of their forefathers' imprecation, when they killed the Prince of Life, " His blood be upon 51 us, and on our children," — and you will see the reason they have to adopt that lamentation, " Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by ? behold, and see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger." Lam. i. 12. 4. From this subject we may see, that no very remarkable revival will be bestowed on the gentile churches, nor any general diffusion of gospel light will be made to the darkened nations, till God's ancient people shall be converted to Christianity. Our text informs us, that the " light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven-fold, as the light of seven days, in the day," at the veiy time, " when the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound." From this we may conclude, that this promise will not be accomplished to the nations, till the breach of the Jews is bound up, and their wound is healed. Great exertions may be made, with encouraging success, and such are made m the present time, for edifying Christians who reside among the heathen, and for converting some of the heathen themselves; but all this will be like the morning twilight only, which will be the harbinger of the approach of this bright meridian day of gospel light. Till this happy season come, there is reason to fear, that the gentile churches may continue un- der the judgment of division; errors may prevail 52 in the doctrine of some, human inventions may be retained in their worship, unscriptural forms of government may be practised, partiality and unauthorized usages in her censures may conti- nue, and the papal interest may preserve its ex- istence, prevalence, and influence in many lands. But this is not all : there is also reason to believe, that there will be a time of calamities to the gen- tile churches, and to the nations of the earth, till that great and notable day of the Lord shall come. The prophecy contained in the seven vials, which foretells the last judgments on the church's ene- mies, is not completely fulfilled. It is probable, that the fourth vial, under which the sun of the papal world scorched men with fire, is now pour- ed out. There remain three other vials of the Lord's wrath to be poured on m.en — the fifth, which shall be poured upon the seat of the secular or papal beast — the sixth, which shall overturn the Turkish empire — and the seventh, by which the awful scene of judgments shall be completely finish- ed. Those persons, therefore, who now look for a very long period of undisturbed tranquilHty among the nations, may perhaps have reason to say, " We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!" 5. We may see from this subject, that, at the time of the conversion of the Jews, the darkened nations shall be enlightened with the gospel, and the gentile churches shall be exceedingly revived. This is evidently contained in the text. At the S3 time of the binding up the breach of Israel, and the healing of the stroke of their wound, the nations that have not the gospel, shall be visited with this invaluable blessing; and the nations that are possessed of it, shall be favoured with a clearer view, and a deeper experience of its saving truths. Respecting the gentile churches, the apostle de. Glares, Rom. xi. 12. " Now if the fall of them Le the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the gentiles, how much more their fulness." From these words we see, that there was a time when the Jews fell from being a church of God, and were diminished, and the gentile nations, who had been in spiritual poverty, were then enriched with the unsearchable riches of Christ ; and that ♦■.here is a time to come when the Jews shall enjoy the fulness of the blessings of the gospel of Christ, which shall be the mean, much more than their fall, of increasing the spiri- tual riches of the gentile churches. In the 1 5th verse, the apostle says, " For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead." As the season in which the Jews were cast away, was the time chosen of God for reconciling to himself multitudes of the gentile world; so the blessed day of his receiving them again, shall be, to the gentile churches, as life from the dead. When this day shall come, the gentile churches will be low and languishing, and will be in great need of a revival. The change which will then t;^ke place on them, will be so great and salutary^ 54 that it is compared to a resurrection, even to life from the dead. The conversion of the Jews will be both the occasion and the mean of the gentile churches' glorious revival. The spiritual illum- ination of the darkened part of the gentile world, at the conversion of the Jews, is also, in this chap- ter, revealed to the church. " For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mys- tery, least ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part has happened to Israel, un- til the fulness of the gentiles be come in ; and so all Israel shall be saved." Verses 25, 26. The day of the conversion of the Jews, as it is the time of enrichins: and revivins; the 2:entile churches, so it shall be the season of bringing in the fulness of the gentile nations, to the knowledge of the way of salvation, by the grace of God reigning through the righteousness of Christ, unto eternal life. At this happy time, the Lord will say to his ancient people, to the gentile christians, and to the dark- ened nations, " From this day will I bless you.** Hag. ii. 19, 6. That there is a particular time fixed by the Lord, for performing this glorious work among men, is evident from this subject. The text mentions a day in which the Lord will act the part of a Physician to his ancient people, by bind- ing up their breach, and healing their wound; and in which he will cause light to arise upon the gentile nations. Several descriptions of this day are contained in the word of God, from whick 55 we may obtain some knowledge of it. In Dan. xii. 7. we have two of these descriptions. In verse 6th, this important question is proposed to the man clothed with linen: " How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" And in verse 7th we have his answer: " And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." A numerical statement of this day, and a characteristic sign of it, are here, by the highest authority, and in the most solemn man- ner, made known to the church. The person whose voice Daniel heard, was the Son of God. The description he gives of this person at the be- ginning of chapter x. where this vision commen- ces, accords so exactly with that given of Christ, in Rev. chapter i, as constrains us to believe, that he was the same person who was seen in vision, both by the Prophet and the Apostle. The way in which he confirms his answer, is by a solemn oath, with his hands lifted up to heaven. The numerical statement of this day is given in those words, " it shall be for a time, and times, and an half." This refers to the same day which those of John describe, Rev. xii. 14. "A time, and times, and half a time," which fixes the duration of the season of the woman's abode in the wilder- ness. The same period is mentioned, Rev, xi. 5& 2. " And the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months :" and verse Sd, " And they shall prophesy a thousand and two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth." These three designations of time relate to the same period. The second and third enable us, with certainty, to fix the duration of the first. The time of forty- two months, allowing thirty days to each month, agrees exactly with twelve hundred and sixty days ; and each of these numbers contains precisely one year, two years, and half a year. As a day is the prophetic symbol for a year, the time of the church's sufferings, and of her enemies' prevalence in the world, will be one thousand and two hun- hundred and sixty years. The most probable and satisfactory opinion concerning the beginning and termination of this time, is that which dates its commencement in the year six hundred and six, and brings it to a conclusion in the year eighteen hundred and sixty six. Then shall the precious promises of our text, if this calculation is correct, be fulfilled to the Jews, and to the enlightened and darkened parts of the gentile world. The characteristic sign of this day, which is given in this verse, is contained in the last clause, " And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." By the holy people we must understand the posterity of Jacob. The Lord's accomplish- ing to scatter the power of that people, signifies his bringing his work of judgment upon them to an end, his closing up the period in which they 51 were dispersed among the nations, and his finish- ing the season in which their political and ecclees- astic power was totally suspended. — Another characteristic sign of this day is found, Dan. xii. i. " And there shall be a time of troubles, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." This character of that day, which consists in great judgements from God, and griev- ous calamities on men, agrees exactly with the representation which was made to John, when the seventh angel poured out his vial. Rev. xvi, 17, 18. " And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a voice out of the temple of heaven, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great.'* The effects of this earthquake are detailed in the three following verses, which signify great moral, political, eccle- siastic convulsions among the nations of the earth. There is another characteristic sign of this day mentioned by Christ, Luke xxi. 24. " And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the gentiles, until the times of the gentiles shall be fulfilled." The fulfilling those times, signifies the finishing the season in which the gospel and the ordinances of it are to be the peculiar privilege of the gentiles, and in which the poster- ty of Japheth shall have the exclusive posses- H 58 sion of the tents of Shem. The Lord of the church has appointed her to exist in the world, through the whole course of time, in four grand periods. The first is that time in which the true religion was revealed unto all nations, which be- gan at the giving of the first promise, and ends at the settlement of the Israelites in the land of Canaan. The second is that period in which the true religion was confined to the posterity of Is- rael; which began with their enjoyment of the land of promise, and ended in the days of the apostles. The third is that season when the true religion was exclusively enjoyed by the gentiles; which began at the rejection of the Jews, and shall end when they shall turn to the Lord. The fourth period is that in which the true religion shall be the common enjoyment of all nations; which shall take its rise on the day mentioned in the text, and shall continue to the end of the world. The times of the gentiles shall be fulfilled at the end of the third period ; when the gospel shall be no more the peculiar privilege of the gentiles, but all Israel shall also enjoy the word and ordinances of eter- nal salvation. Another characteristic sign of this very day was made known to the church as early as the days of Noah : " God shall enlarge Japh- eth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant." Gen. xix, 27. The posterity of Ham, whom Canaan seems to repre- sent, inhabited the vast regions of Africa and some parts of Asia. The period of time mentioned in this verse, is that in which the descendants of .59 Japheth, or the gentiles, succeeded the posterity f of Shem, or the Jews, in the enjoyment of the privileges of the church. During this time the posterity of Ham are doomed to a state of servi- tude to the gentiles; but when that season shall expire, they shall be delivered from this bond- age. At this glorious era, they also shall be con- verted to Christianity; for, of two of the princi- pal kingdoms of that race, the Scriptures foretell, that " Princes shall come out of Egypt, and Ethi- opia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.** Psal. ixviii. 31. The African slave-trade is the last, the worst, the most degrading and wicked species of that bondage which that unhappy peo- ple have suffered. While its partial abolition in- dicates the approach of this day; its total aboli- tion, among all nations, will be accomplished when this light shall shine. 7. This subject presents to our view the happy state into which the church shall be introduced, when this day of light to the Gentiles, and of heaUng to the Jews, shall come. Many Scripture prophecies have a principal respect to it, and shall obtain the highest accomplishment which they can have on the earth, at this eventful era. The last prediction concerning it is recorded, Rev. xx. 1. — 6. In these verses, the following things are foretold. — Christ* s glorious viclori/ over Satan, He who has the keys of hell and death, shall descend from heaven, in a bright display of his justice and power, shall lay hold on Satan, bind him with his eo great chain, cast him into hell, shut him up in his prison, and place his seal on the door of it. — The restraint that shall be laid on *his enemy : " He shall deceive the nations no more." The influence he has exerted in leading the nations to false reli- gion, tyrannical government, abominable idolatry, inhuman cruelty, gross immorality, barbarous war, and the hke, shall come to an end. — The dignity and happiness of the subjects of Christ* s kingdom: " I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judge- ment was given unto them : And they lived and reigned with Christ." These words express the power which the saints shall enjoy and exercise at that blessed day. Both civil and ecclesiastic power shall be in their hand; and they shall be directed, supported, and comforted, in an uncommon de- gree, with the word, the Spirit, the presence, and the blessing of Christ. — The character and principles nj the subjects of Christ* s kingdom : " And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God." The Christians of that time will be the true suc- cessors of the most holy and faithful m.em.bers of the church, who have lived in the preceding ages. — The lim' condition oj the subjects oj Satan* s kingdom: " The rest of the dead lived not again." The men who are of the same principles and spirit with the wicked generations, who have lived in former times, shall be few in number, and reduced in their influence. — The spiritual employment of believers at that lime : " They shall be priests of 61 God and of Christ." They shall be holy, spirit- ual, devoted to God, and Christ, and religion, and examplary in all things. — The duration of tJtis hap- py time, " a thousand years.'* As this number is used six times in seven verses, and as no other number is mentioned to represent the continuance of this season ; there is reason to believe, that its duration will be one thousand years. Such shall the time be, which the accomplishment of the promises in the text shall introduce, and establish in the earth. This clear revelation of such a joyful day should have a practical effect on us, by influencing us to the exercise of an assured faith and hope of its coming; of ardent desire, patient waiting, and diligent preparation for its approach; for in its season it will come, as the effect of every vision. Since the Lord has been pleased to foretell and promise such a day ; since its coming will glorify his name, honour Christ, and bring unspeakable blessings to men ; your warrant is clear, and your encouragement great, O Christians, to cry might- ily to God, at his throne of grace, that he may speedily cause Babylon to fall, and the kingdoms of this w^orld to become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. Contemplating the quickening and purifying life that shall be infused into the gentile churches, considering the glorious light that shall arise on the darkened nations, and meditating upon the wonderful deliverance and enlargement that shall be wrought for the people of the God of Abraham at that day, we may ex- claim, in the words of the Psalmist, " Blessed be (52 the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous works. And blessed be his glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen.** 8. From this subject we may be informed of our duty, respecting the important matters that are contained in the text; and that is, to do every thing in our power to promote their accomplish- ment. Bear with m.e a little, my Christian Breth- ren, v/hile I address you on this necessary duty. God, in his holy providence, has put in inoiion a great work, in our day, for conveying the know- ledge of his word and gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. In the erection of the British and Foreign Bible Society at London, which is now existing in its eleventh year; and in the e- rection of a great number of Bible Societies and Associations, both at home and abroad, we recog- nise this wonderful work of God. This general combination of Christians, for propagating the word of God, presents to our view one universal Society, which is entirely new, in its constitution, object, mode of operation, and extensive range. The grand design of the radical Society, and its auxiliary branches, is to furnish a more liberal supply, to the poor and others at home, of the authorised version of the Holy Scriptures ; to give pecuniary and other assistance to Societies, having the same object, in other parts of the world; and to translate the Scriptures into foreign languages, to print them in these languages, and to circulate them among the people by whom these languages are spoken; languages which have never formerly been the vehicle of conveying to the human un- derstanding and heart, the words of eternal life. If these exertions are continued, with the blessing of God, they may, in a few years, be the mean of bestowing the holy oracles of God, upon many nations, where they have never been known. Of the nations who may be thus privileged, we may say, with a little variation, as was said in the se- cond chapter of the Acts, concerning the people, from different nations, v/ho were at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, when they were addressed by the Apostles, after these ambassadors of Christ had received the gift of tongues; They were all amazed and marvelled because they did read in their own language, and in their own tongues wherein they were born, the wonderful works of God. As the miraculous gift of tongues was a dispensation of God, which was most suitable to the Apostohc age ; so the translating and printing the Scriptures in foreign languages, are equally congenial to the present state of things. The latter, as well as the former, we hope, is a grand operation of God, which will, in due time, pro- mote his glory, and the salvation of men. It matters not with whom this august scheme originated, or by whom it is conducted ; sufficient it is for us to know, that it is the work of Him who does what he will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth. God is sovereign, wise, and holy in the choice of his in- 64 struments; and, therefore, it becomes us in this« as in many other things, to be still, and know that he is God. By giving these societies their most cordial support. Christians are by no means obliged, either to relinquish any of those principles of religion, which, by divine authority, they deem themselves bound to maintain; or to approve of any of those sentiments or practices in religion, against which, by the same authority, they feel themselves bound to testify. As there can be no valid objection, so their should be no distressing scruple, to prevent them who delight in the law of the Lord from giving assistance to a scheme, which is so scriptural in its object, and which has produced already such salutary effects. The ex- traordinary success that has attended the exertions of the parent Society, and others, as it should en- courage those who have already contributed to continue their support; so it should excite those who have not yet countenanced this work, to come forward speedily to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. As the former have put their hand to the plough, let them beware of looking back ; and, as the latter are solicited to assist, let them be on their guard lest they be found caring for none of those things. It is impossible to read the correspondence be- tween the radical Society of London, and some of the foreign Societies, without being deeply af- fected and even, in some instances, shedding tears. These will be tears of mingled emotions; tears of joy and wonder at the magnitude, extent. 6^ and efficiency of the exertions ; tears of praise and thanksgiving to God, for his exciting grace, and superintending providence; and tears of faith and hope of glorious results. The holy Scriptures are the mean of humanizing mankind, by making them live like rational creatures ;— they are the mean of civilizing them, by making them taste the sweets of social order, and of a more improved state of things ; — they are the mean of evangel- izing rational creatures, by causing them under- stand the doctrines of the gospel, the blessings of salvation, and their own moral and religious duties ; — and the sacred Scriptures are the mean of spi- ritualizing men, by bringing them out of their na- tural state, endowing them with the image of God, clothing them with the righteousness of Christ, introducing them into fellowship with God, and enabling them to live a life of faith and holiness; the consequence of which shall be, that, to mul- titudes an entrance shall be ministered abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Impressed with these con- siderations of the necessity, importance, and utility to men, of the holy Scriptures, who would not rush forward to devote a part of that substance which the Lord has given them, to promote this wonderful work? We are met here this evening, my Christian friends, to unite more fully this district of the parish in an annual contribution, for supporting these Societies in this great work. This is a pri- I 66 vilege, and an honour, bestowed upon us by God in his providence, as well as it is a duty required at our hands. Let none be discouraged from coming forward, on account of the smallness of the sum they are able to give. Such persons should remember that the lowest contribution may be as generous in itself, and as acceptable to God, as the very highest that has been made, if the willingness of the mind, and the difference in the outward possessions of the contributors, are duly considered. Let not our love of the world, on the one hand, nor our poverty on the other, prevent us from contributing, according to our ability, for this pre- cious purpose ; but let both those classes of per- sons remember the words of Solomon, Prov. xi. 24. " There is that scattereth, and yet increas- eth; and there is that which with-holdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.'* — That we may have to give to him that needeth, and to contribute, at the same time, to the im- portant purpose of supporting Bible Societies, let us beware of every sinful extravagance, in rioting and drunkenness, in chambering and wantonness, in strife and envying. Ah! what fruit shall we have in these things? Alas! Christians, the end of these things is death. Let us, in contributing for this end, glorify God with our substance, and with the first-fruits of our increase, and consecrate part of our gain to the Lord of the whole earth. Let us accompany our contributions with the fer- vent prayer of faith, for the blessing of God on t'lie whole undertaking. Let us hope and pray^, 67 that, while we are endeavouring to furnish others with the Holy Scriptures, the Spirit of God, who is their Author, may more clearly manifest, and more powerfully apply, the doctrines, promises, precepts, and consolations of that word to our own souls. Let us daily study to embrace Christ, to believe in him, and to rest on him for our eter- nal salvation ; and, in consequence of this, deny- ing ungodliness and worldly lusts, let us live so- berly, righteously, and godly, in the present world. Let us come cheerfully forward, at the call of God, to contribi^te for spreading the knowledge of his holy word, both at home and abroad ; so shall we be found using a most eligible mean for promoting the accomplishment, to Jews and Gentiles, of the precious promises contained in the text : " The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bind- eth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. N. B.— In page 25. line 5. for delivered, read shall deliver. THE ENP. Jack & Gallie, Printers, 2tj, Bell. Street, Glasgow, CHRIST JESUSy THE MEDIATORIAL ANGELy CASTING THE FIRE OF DIVINE JUDGMENTS INTO THE EARTH. IN TWO SERMONS PREACHED ON A PUBLIC FAST, FEBRUARY, 13, i8oo. By ARCHIBALD MASON, MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT WISHAWTOWN. I From Rev. viii. 5. " And the angel took the ceufer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and caft it into the earth : and there were voices, and thunderings, and light- «jng$, and an earthquake." GLASGOW, PRINTED BY FALCONER & WILLISON. AND SOLD BY M. OGLE, WILSON-STREET; J. OGLE, PARLIA- MENT CLOSS, EDINBURGH; R. OGLE, NO 5, GREAT TURNSTILE, HOLBORN, LONDON; J. FOWLER, paisley; AND BY R. NAIRNE, KENTON. 1800, CHlillST JESUS, THE MEDIATORIAL ANGEL, CASTING TH£ FIRE OF DIVINE JUDGMENTS INTO THE EARTH. SERMON I. Rev. viii. 5. And the angel tool, the cenfei-y mid filled it ivkh fire of the altar, and caft it into the earth ; and there luere voices j and ihund-eringSy and lightningSy and an earthquake. '"pHIS book contains a variety of prophetic vifions Vv'hlch -*- John faw, u'hereby the Lord Clirift fliev/ed liiin the great events which fliould take place both in the v.-orld and in the church, from the time he received thefe difcoveries in the Ifle of Patmos, till the confummation of all things. Thefe events are principally reprefented by the opening of itvtw feals, tke founding of feven trumpets, and the pouring out of feven vials. It is generally agreed, that the period of the feals extends from the days of the apoftles, through all the heathen perfecutions of the church, and ends at the time when ChriRianity was embraced bv the Roman Em- perors, and was efbabliflied in the empire: That the period of the trumpets comprehends the time of the overthrov/ of the Roman Empire by dreadful and barbarous wars, and the rife and reign of Antichrifl in the Chriftian world: And. that the period of the vials refers to that time when the Lord would pour his judgments upon Antichrifl, upon his fupporters, and upon all the enemies of his church for their deftrucStion; which fhould be followed immediately Vi^ith the profperous period of religion in the glory of the latter day. There is, likewife, in thefe Revelations, a va- rietv of detached vifions, whereby fome of the great events under the feals, trumpets and vials are either more fumma- xily reprefentedjOrmorc largely and circumRantiailyexplain- ed. To infhance in a few of thofe; The vifions recorded in the eleventh chapter contain a fliort reprefentation of the rife, reign, continuance and ruin of Antichrifl:; with the m cjiui-ch's low condition and fpiritual employment during that '* period, her deliverance fiom his power, and profperity after A 2 his overthrow; vi^hich are fully defcribfed under fome of tht trumpets, under all the vir.ls, and in the events which fol- low them. — The tranfa£lions, which many underftand to be pointed out under the fifth trumpet, in the rife of Anti- cbrifl, are more particuliirly unfolded in the thirteenth chapter. — Tlie awful tranfa — 7. In thefe words we have an equally clear repreferitation of the medi- atorial work of Chrill, in executing the judgments of God on incorrigible finners, as that which is contained in the words' of the text; and the angel tsoh the cenfer and filled it with fire of the altar, and caji it into the earth; and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings^ and an earthquake. In fpeaking from this text and doftrine the following method is propofed. I. To fliew what kind of fire the judgments of God are, which Chrift inflidls on finful perfons, nations and churches for their iniquity. II. To ftate fome reafons why the judgments of God are called fire of the aitar. III. To confider the import of Chrifl's inflidling divine judgments on the children of men* IV. To mention fome cf th^^ effefts of Chrid's work, which are here reprefentsd by voices, thunderings, light- nings, and an carthqunke. And then to fubjoia fome inferences, for improving the fubjed. * L It is now to be fh ?wn wliat kind of fire the judgments of God are, which he inflicts upon his enemies in this world for their fin. ift, Thefe judgments are a divine nre. Tiiey are the doings of the Lord. Y/herever the fcripture fpeaks of thefc judgments coming on men, it repreients theci as the work of God. So univerfal is this, that the Prophet Micah ob- fer ves . Is there evil in the city and the Lord hath not dons ii. The fire of divine judgments, wherever it is call upon tlie chil- dren of men, is a burning which the Lord hatli kindled. Of every cafamity which is brought on perfons or focieties, it may be faid, and the breath of the Lord^ like a Jlream of brimfcone, doth kindle it. Whatever inftrumentality of the creatures he may be pleafed to ufe in thefe matters, yet the work is vvliolly his own. This neceifarily belongs unto him, and makes a part cf that glory M-hich he will not give to another. It belongs to him as the moral governor of his creatures. The caufes of thefe judgments are the creature's rebellion againfl him, and therefore it belongs to him alone to punifli them for their fin The threatnings, in which thefe judgments are revealed to men, are the threatnings of God, and therefore the execution of them mufl be his work. 2d, Divine judgments are a juft and righteous fire. They are not infiidled oa the children of men without a caufe, or without a caufe that is fully adequate to the mifery that they fufFer by their execution. The fins of nations, churches and individuals, which are an open rebellion againfl the King eternal, immortal, and invifible, the only wife God, are the procuring caufes of thefe judgments. Whatever flight thoughts men may have of lin, in its nature and prin- ciples in their fouls, or in its effects in their converfation, by the omifTion of duty and the commiflion of fin, which thoughts of it are great fins in themfelves; yet the Lord, who knows all things as they really arc, has no fuch views of it. Sin is that abominable thing which God's foul hates, it is exceeding finful in its nature, it robs God of his glory, it is a vigiation of his righteous commandments, and a con- tempt of the fearful threatnlngs by which they are fenced; and, therefore, in all the mifery he will inflid: on men for iin, either in this or in the other world, he (hall be '.-ighte- ous when he fpeaketh, and clear when he judgeth. The church difcerned this properly of the judgments of God which were inflicted on herfelf, and therefore faid, Aiid after all that is come upon us for our evil deedsy and for our great trefpafsf feeing that thou our God haji puniflied us lefs than our iniquities deferve, Ezra ix. 13. The church Ihall alfo clearly fee the holinefs and righteoufnefs of God, in the unpara- leled plagues which he ihall bring upon Antichrift, and therefore, when thefe take place, flie fliall triumphantly fl ng, Alleluia; falvationy and glory y and honour y and poiver unto the Lord our God; for true and righteous are his judg- ments ; for he hath judged the great ivhorey ivhich did corrupt the earth ivith her fornicatio7iy and hath avenged the blood of his fervnnts at her handy Rev. xix. I, 2. 3d, The judgments of God are a wrathful and vindic- tive fire. To all who are ftrangers to Chrill as a Saviour, and are in heart enemies to him, they are wrathful and vindi6live. The judgments of God which are inflicted ou wicked men in this world, whether of a perfonal or of a public nature, come on them from an angry and fin-aveng- ing God, they are poured on them as an execution of the wrathful tlireatning and curfe ©f the broken law, as the firft drops of the ftorm of eternal vengeance, and fliall be fucceeded -and perfected by their CA^erlalling ponifhment. That temporal judgments are wrathful and vindi£l:ive is evident from their being, in fcripture, frequently called the anger, the wrath, and the fury of the Lord. That thefe judgments are of this kind, will appear from the name which the Lord gives to the obje61:s of them 5 Cut off thine hairy jenfaleniy and caft it awayy and take up a lamentation on high places ; for the I^ord hath rejected and forfjJu'fi the ge- neration oj' his nvrathy'' Jer. vii. 29. This is Likewife clear from the fcriptural character of the feafon when they are executed on men, it is called a day of wrath; For the great day of his nvrath is fO?ney and luhojhall be able tofland. Rev. \i. 17. And this is further evident from what the Lord is faid to do, Vvdien he executes thefe judgments on men; He made a luay to his anger y he J pared not their foul from death, hut gave their life over to the peflilcnce^ Pftl. Ixxvii.i. 50, 10 4tli, Divine judgments are a deftroylng and confumlng fire. Fire confumes all combudible matter that is caft into it; fo the fire of God's judgments confumes the objects of them; For our God, in the execution of his judgments on the workers of iniquity, is a confunmigjire. This lire con- furr-es the wealth of its objedts. This it will do to Anti- chrift; Rev. xviii. l6, 17. Alas! alas, that great chy, that ivas clothed in line?i, a?id purple y and Jcarlet^ and decked iviih gold J end precious Jlones and pearls^ for in one hour fo great riches is come to nought. It confumes theirarmies; Ifa. xxxiv. 2. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations y and his fury upon all their armies ; he hath utterly dejlroyed iheniy he hath delivered them to the Jlaughter. It confumes their means of iafety and defence; Ifa. xxv. 2. For thou hajl made of a city an heap; of a d fenced city a ruin; a palace of flrangers to he no chy, itfJjall never be built It confumes their power and authority; of Old Teftament Habylon it is faid, Corr.e donvn and fit in the difly Q virgin daughter of Babylon^ ft on the ground; there is r.o throne.^ daughter of the Chaldeans. O'i New Teftament Babylon thete words ihall have their com- plete fulfilment; yJnd the fifth angel poured out his vial on the feat of the leaf ; and his kingdom ivas full of darknefs, and they gnaiued their tongues for pain. Rev. xvi, 10. It fliall con- fume their pleafurable enjoyments, Atid the fruits that thy foul hfleth after are departed from thee, and all things that ivere dainty and goodly o.re departed from thee, and thou fijalt find them, no more at all, Rev. xviii. 14. It fhall confume many of their perfons. Of the execution of divine judg- ments in time paft this has been the efFedt; Vv'itnefs the ge- neration in tlie days of Noah, the inhabitants of the cities of the plain, the IfraeJites in the wildernefs, and many others. We have reafon to believe that what has been done by the execution of divine judgments in time pall, will be accomplifhed likewife in time to come; for the- divine predi(ilion concerning them, which fliall be fulfiled in its feafon, is delivered in the following words; And I faiv an angel fanding in the fun; and he cried ivith a loud voice, fayifig to all the fowls that fy in the 7nid/l of heaven. Come and gather yourfehies together unto the fupper oj the great God ; that ye may eat theffJj of kings, and iheffJj of captains, and thefefj of mighty men^ and theffJ} of horfes, and of them that ft on them, and the feflj of all men, both free and hond^ both finall and great y Rev. ::ix. 17, 18. '.i 1 1 5thj The judgments of God arc an Increafing fire. When fewel is funiiflied to fire, it is fpreading'in its nature; fo are the judgments of God. They are a fpreading fi.re when they wax worfe and worfe, and bring upon men more diftrefs and mifery. When the Hame, inftead of abating, becumes more dreadful, and carries more deflruilion in its train. When it is not confined to a few of the concerns of men, or to thofe of the fmalleil im.portance; but v/hen it extends its walling influence to many of their enjoyrnoits, •and even to thofe of the greatelt neceihty and value. — Di- vine judgments are a fnreading fire when their number is increafed. When one judgment follows another, and one calamity gives birth to more. In a day of divine recom- pences on his- enemies, it frequently happens, thr.L while one judgment is fpending its force upon them., the Lord in(li(fts another, and before this is well begun a third opens to their view. As. the children of men have multiplied their tranfgrefTion againft the Lord, fo h.e, in his righteous difpleafurc, increafes their plagues- — Thev are alfo a fprer.d- ing fire when they extend to a greater number of obje£ls. When their hurtful influence is not rellrided to a few only, or to perfons occupying certain fituations in life; but when it reaches many, and afle£fs men of every degree. Vvhen the Lord's judgments are not confined to one nation, but are poured out upon many lands; fo that he is punifliing many nations at the fame time. When the days come that he infli'fls his judgments upon the}n that arc circimnlftd ivilh the unc'ircumcifcd ; Egyp^y and Jtid^J:, and Edorn, arui the children of Ammon and ivloah, and all that are in the ittniqjl corners.^ that dwell in the ivildernefs ; for all thtfe naticns are imciranncifed, and the houfe of If real are uncircuracifid in the heart, Jer. ix. 25, 26. 6th, Thefe judgments are a painful and di.T:reiTing fire. The action of firs upon men gives them pain; lo divine judgments c^cafion diitrefs to the children of men. , As the wrath of God which he will inflict upon the wicked in the place of mifery, will give them cverlailing pain; fo the judgments, with which he vifits them in this world, will bring diftrefs on them, on their perfons, relations, 2nd en- jo\ ments. This is evident fvom tlie infpired account of the judgments tjiat were infli£led on Jutlah by means of the Chaldeajis; ^hat day is a day of ivrath, a Cay of trouble and B 2 12 clijlrefsy a day of nvajinrfs afnl dtJo/aIro,'J, a Joy cf Jnrhnefs ami gloominefSf a day of clouds and ihici darhicfs. And I will hritig dijlrefs upon men, and they (Imll ivalk like blind men, hccaufe they have finned againf the Lord^ Zeph. i. 15, 17. Tins is alfo ilateti as the effect of the wrathful difpenfations of GoJ, by the Redeemer himfelf; And there f jail he fgns in the fun t and in the vioon, and in ihcfars; and upon the earth difrefs of nations ivith perplexity^ the /ea and the nvaves roaring; mcvJs hearts failing them for fear^ and for looking afer thofe things ivhich are coming on the earth; for the poivers of heaven ffjall heftiaken, Matt, xxi. 25, 26. The fame thing is men- tioned as the confequence of God's judgments upon the AntichrilHan world. The events under the fifth vial, which fliall be poured on the throne of the beaft, are reprefented in the following v.-ords; And his kingdom ivas full of dark- fiefsy and the\ gnawed their tongues iriih pain^ arid hlajphcmed the God of heaven y hccaufe of their pains and their fores ^ and repented not of their deeds y Rev. xvi. 10, 1 1. ytli, The judgments of God are an unquenchable fire. That this is a quality of thefe operations of God is evident from the words of the prophet; But if ye nvill not hearken unto me to halhiv the Sabbath-day^ and not to bear a burden^ even entering in at the gates of Jerufalem on the Sabbath-dav ; then nvill I kindle a fire in the gates there fy and it fJjall devour the palaces of Jerujalemy and it f jail not be nifoiched, ]cr. xvii, 27. The fire of judgments is unquenchable, becaufe it is impolTible for men to extinguilh them. They can no more do this, tlian«lhey can flop the fun in his courfe, dcitroy the ballaneing of the clouds, or hinder the ebbing and flow- ing of the lea. It fome times happens, that the means which creatures ufe, for removing from them the judgni.;nt5 of the Lord, caufe this fire to burn with the greater vio- lence. They are unquenchable, becaufe (iod himlelf will never Interpofe to remove their raging and deitruclivc i!i- /lueiice,till he has thereby accomplilhed his deli^TS. Though the judgments of the Almighty Hiould Tal for a time, if nations, churches and individuals continue impeiiirent in inxy the dying-like embers of that lire, being blown bv the brentli of the Lordj Ihall return upon them till they arc confumed, and driven away to that place, xvhcre the rhafFfliall be burnt with unquenchable fire. /*^ch. The judgments of Cod .-.re a pnrlfving ani.1 rennin"- "3 fire. Tliey are of this nature to all true believers, and they [ produce this efFetl upon the church of Chrifl. The fame judgments, which confume and deftroy the wicked, purify and refine the faints of God. The fame calamities which diilrefs and ruin the public enemies of Chrift, prove highly beneficial to the church of God. To the former they come from an angry God, as an executing on them the curfe of the law, from which they take occafion to fin the more, and to blafphemc the God of heaven; but to the latter th^y proceed from a reconciled God, attended with his remark- able blefling, whereby their holinefs and fplrltual exercife are increafcd, and on account of which operations of God they celebrate his praife. By thefe judgments which he brings on men for their fin, he turns his hand on his church, and purely purges away all their drofs, and taketh away all their tin. By fuch ftrange works as thefe, fliall the iniquitr of Jacob be purged, and all the fruit of them Is to take- away their fin. In a day of fore judgments upon men, this is his work toward his people, whofe fire is in Zion, and whofe furnace is in Jerufaltm. In the glorious Ifiue which the judgments of God fiiall have upon the nations of the world, they fliall prove a purifying fire even unto them. They fhall be a mean of delivering them from their igno- rance, idolatry and wickednefs, and of bringing them under Mefiiah's gracious rule; for, after thev are executed, not only fliall that cry go througli the world Babylon is fallnu but it fliall be fucceeded by that more (.delightful ibundt The kiiigdoiiu of this ivorld are herome ihe kingdoms of our Lord^ and of his Chrifl^ a?id he Puall reign for ei^er and ever. II. The reafons why the judgments of God are called fire of tlie altar are now to be Itated. ifl:. They are fo called becaufe they proceed from )::r' who is the God of the altar, and who is revealed to men h\ the gofpel, as a reconciled God in Chrift Jefus. The cxe cuting judgments on finners is the work of him, who Is noi only the God of the fpirlts of all flcfli, their creator, pre- ferver and moral governor; but who is alfo revealing him- felf to finners from the throne of grace. Not only does tht law of gofpei grace come from Zion, and the word of fal- vation from Jerulalem; but the threatning proceeds alfo from the fiuiic plnce, and tlie execution of it is the work ci him Mho dwelk-Ji tlicre. The Lord JIj all roar out of '/.ion^ M e.'id utter his voice from yci-dfalcm, and the heavens and the earth ilialljhahe^ Joel ili. \6. A fimilar declaration is made by the prophet Amos, chap. i. 2. The Lord's roaring and uttering his vcice refer bcih to his g;vi:ig and executing his threatning; and liis doing To out of Zi n and Jerufalem plainly proves, that thefc are his works who is the God of the altar. The church r.Ifo praifcs the Lord, Pfal. Ixviii. 35. faying, O God^ thou art terrible ^\\\ fulfilling thy threatning on the wicked, out of thy holy places. 'Diis truth is alfo clearly made known in the vifions of John. Rev. >;v. 6. And the fevsn angels came out of the temple.^ having the feven plagues.) clothed in pure and ivhite linen, and having their breafis girded ivith golden girdles. They came out of the temple, iignifying plainly that they werv (landing in the prefence of the God of the temple,* and had received tlieir commiflion from liim. The fame thing is further declared, chap. xvi. I. And I heard a great voice out of the temple, fa\ing to the feven angels ^ Go your luays, lUid pour out the vials of the ivrath of God upon the earth. Since the great voice, by which thefe angels were efpccially authorifed to pour judgments on men, proceeded from the tt-mple; the v/ork of judgment mufb be the doing of him. v/ho is the God of the altar. 2d, They are the fire of the altar, becaufe they are in- flicted on irran by the fpccial agency of Jefus ChriH, the church's great Iiip-h nri'ift, v/ho miniflers before the altar. It is the work of Chrill to pour the judgments of God ou his enemies. To him the Father hath committed all judg- ment, snd this lie executes not only at the lail day, when all mankind flirdl appear before his judgment feat; but al- io by his operations upon them in this world. From fe- ';erai porcions of this book, this truth may be ellablifhed. Thefe fhall make ivar ivith the L,arnh^ and the JLainb fhall over- come thetn, llev. xvii. 14. They make war with the Lamb, by oppofing his interefls in the v/crld-, and the Lamb Ihall fn'ercome them by executing on them the judgments of the Lord. Li the hitrer part of the xix. chapter, and at the clcfe of the ex. Pialm, the triumphs of the mediatorial angel over his enemies are celebrated in the loftieft llrains. Betides, from tlie words of the text, and from the vifion of Ezekiel, formerly mentioned, it is unqueflionably evident, that the mediator has a fpecial agency in executing divine threatnin52;s en tlie children of men. 'Now, it is the pe- J5 culiar work of this glorious perfon to minlfler at God's al- tar. In the days of his incarnation, he miniftered at the altar as an atoning high prieft, when he through the eternal fpi- rit offered himfelf without fpot unto God, and put away fin by the facrince of himfelf. In his iiate of exaltation, he ftill ininifters before the altar, when he, as an inter- ceeding high prieft, appears in the prefence of God for us. His mediatorial execution of his threatoing on his ene- mies belongs unto his adminiftrations at the altar, and on thefe accounts the judgments, by which the threatning is executed, are fire of the altar. 3d, Thofe judgments receive this name, becaufe tliey are inflifled upon men chiefiy for their defpifing the gol- pel of divine grace, or their conte3?ining God's altar. If the principal giounds of God's controv'erfy with perfons, churches and nations are examined, it will be found that their fins about t;he altar, or the gofpel and worihip of God, are the cliief caufes thereof. The children of men are guilty of profaning the altar, defpifing the gofpel, and neglecting the great falvation. Many, both in their per- fonal and collective capacities, are involved in the guilt of oppofing Chrill in his perfon, divinity, ofBce, grace and falvation ; in his priefthood, atonement and facrifice ; and in his royal and kingly prerogatives*, and, therefore, thofe judgments, by which thefc facrilegious abominations are avenged, are juftly called the fire cf the altar. Men's op- pofition to the truths of the gofpel, their holding errors con- trary thereunto, and their neglecting to receive and believe the word of falvation are eu.inent caufes of the Lord's judgments. Their corruptions of God's fanctuary and al- tar, by changing the ordin;mces of his worfnip, altering the Jaws concerning tl.'e" government, and cenfures of his iioufe, and fetting office bearers in his church, v^'liich Have no warrant in his word, are Handing grounds of the Lord's controvcrfy with finful churches and nations. Since fuel*, fins as thefe, which have a fpccial relation to God's altar, are the principal caufes of judgments, they may be repre- fented as fire proceedmg from it. 4th, Divine judgments are fire of the altar, becaufe they are infiiftcd on men in anfwer to the prayers, and for aveng- ing the blood of thofe who v/ere /lain for the v/ord of God^ and the teltimony they heldj Miiole fouls are under the aitv;r. i6 When the fifth feal was opened, John faiu under the altar the fouls of them that ivere fain for the luortl of God y and for the tefimony ivhich they held. And they cried ivith a loud voice ^ fayi'^gi ho-TU lo/ig^ Lord, holy arid true, dojl thou not judge and avenge our bloody on them that d-well on the earth. Rev. vL 9, I o. Thefe words afTure us, that when the Lord executes his judgments on them that dwell on the earth, it ia in anfwer to the prayers of thofe whole fouls are under the altar; and therefore it is tire of the altar by which they arc devour- ed. The prayers of the church of Chrifl;, which are like incenfe on the golden altar, caufe fire to proceed from the brazen altar, to confume their enemies. It is alfo evident from thefe words, that by the judgment of the living God, the blood of his faints, which has been flied for his names' lake, is fully avenged. Of antient Babylon the church fays, The iH'Jence done to ipe and to myfe/h he upon Babylon^ jhall the inhabitants of Slon fay ; and my blood upon the inhabit iants of ChaldeayfJjall Jerufalem fay, Jer. li, 35. In anfwer to which it is declared, ver. 49. As Babylon has caufed the (lain of Ifrael to fall; fo at Babylon fliall fall the fain of all the earth. New Tellament Babylon iliall not efcape fimi- lar retribution. The fons: of the anjrel of the waters con- firms it. Thou art righteous, O Lord, ivhlch arty and ivafl, andfJjalt be, becaufe thou hcifl judged thus; for they have fhed the blood of faints and prophets, and thou hajl given them blood to drink for they are luorthy, Rev. xvi. 5, 6. In the eigh- teenth chap, of this book we find a very detailed account of the unexampled calamities that fhall be infli^led on the Antichriftian (tate, and the lail verfe mentions one cf the principal caufes thereof ; And in her luas found the blood of prophets^ and cf faints, and of all that loere fain upon the earth. As the perfecutors of the church have cruelly flied the blood of the faints of God, and as thefe precious fons of Zion have not loved their lives unto the death, but have offered their blood, fo to fay, on God's altar, for the glory of his name, and as a teftimony to his caufe; fo the Lord will make the fire of his jealoufy, iifuing from the altar, to devour the waftcrs of his heritage, either in their own perfons or their feed, who continue to oppofe the caufe for which the blood of the faints was flied, or fupport that ill- terell for which perfecutlon v/as carried on. 5th, The judoments of God are nre of the altar, be- ^7 caufe they often begin to be executed on thofe who are, either by profeffion or in reality, Handing before the altar. The perfons who profefs to be ftanding before the altar, but are the chief corrupters of it; and thofe who fay they are apoftles and are not, but are deceitful workers, are often firfl deftro^ed by the fire of divine judgments. We have an affedllng inftance of this, Ezek. ix. 6, 7. Slay utterly old and youngy both maidsy and little childretiy and women; but come not near any upon nuhom is the marli; and begin at my fanEluary^ Then they began at the antient men nvhich were be- fore the houfe; and he faid unto them, Dejile the hoiife, and Jill the courts with thejlain, and go ye forth; and they we /tt forth aftd few in the city. In this vifion, by which the Lord re- prefented to the prophet the execution of his judgments on Jerufalem, the leaders of the people, who were chief in the trefpafs, perlflied firfl in the day of calamity. So fhall it be done in every land. When the days of Jehovah's retri- bution come, he will, in the operations of his providence by which his judgments are executed, mark out his vi£l:Ims, and caufe the leaders of a nation in apoflacy, fuperftion, idolatry and wickednefs, feel the firft and heavieil flrokes of his vengeance. It alfo happens, that even thofe, who are in reality before the altar, may fii-ft experience divine judgments. Of this dlfpenfatlon of an holy God, we have an account, i Pet. iv. I 7. For the time is come that judgment mujl begin at the houfe of God; and if it frf begirt at us, what Jfjall the end be of them that obey not the go/pel of God? On ac- count of the manifold and aggravated pi^ovocatlons of fons and daughters, the Lord brings judgments upon his church in various ways, which often are the forerunners of days of awful calamities, on thofe who corrupt and defpife the gofpel of Chriffc. 6th, The Lord's judgments are called fire of the altar, becaufe he has a facrifice to confume thereby upon the earth. Fire was taken from the antient altar for the pur- pofes either of burning Incenfe in other places, or of burn- ing certain pieces of the fin-offering without the camp. And the bidloch for the fin-offering, and the goat for the fn-ofer- ing, whofe blood was brought in to make a?t atojiement in the hvly place, f jail one carry forth without the camp, and theyfjall burn in the f re their Jkins, and their fefh, and their dung, Lev. xvi. 27. They fhall burn in the fire. What fire? The fire c i8 of the ultar, no clcubt; for it does not appear that common fire could be iawiuiiy ufcd in this folemn work, any move than it couid be employed in burning incenfe. When the congre;,-atio;! I'l.w one of the priefts carrying fire of the ahar in a cenler witliout the camp, they would know that there Vv'as a facrifice to con fume with it; fo when we hear of the great high Priefl: cafting ihe fire of the altar into the earth, we may be t'"ure he has a facrifice to confume there, by this fire of divine judgments. He has perfons to deftroy, na- tions to afHiCt, churches to punifl), and a finful generation of ills wrath in the earth, on whom he muft take vengeance. Language fimilar to this is ufed by the prophet Ifaiah, The Jkuord of the •Lord is filled iv'ith blood, it is mnde fat ivith fat fiefs y and itith the klood of lambs and goats y with the fat of kidneys of rams; for the Lord has a facrifice in Bozrahy and a great fanghter in the land of Idv.mea^ Ifa. xxxiv. 6. Of the fame import are the words uttered by the angel Itanding in the lun, relative to tlie l.dl ?xA moft fearful execution of divine judgments on Chriil's enemies, whereby lie fummons all the fowls that fly in the midfl: of heaven, faying to them, Come and gather yourf elves together imto the f upper of the great God, Rev. xix. 17. Since God has a facrifice to confume on the earth, by the execution of his judgments on his ene- mies, the fire by wliich it is accomplifhed mull be fire of the altar. 7th, Thefe difpenfations of God unto men are called by this name, becaufe they are defigned for the purification of the altar, and for the honour of thofe vA\o are conne£led with it. Jehovah is nearly connected with the altar, it is before his throne, and he is worfhipped there. For ad- vancing his honour and glcry, and for making men know that he is the Lord, are all his judgments executed on his enemies; and therefore they are the fire of the altar. Jelus Chriil, the minifter of the fanftuary and of the true taber- nacle which the Lord pitched and not man, is alfo inti- mately connedfed with the altar. That his mediatorial glory may be advanced, his fpiritual kingdom enlarged, and Ids gofpel and caufe vindicated, do thefe judgments come on men; on this account alfo are they fire of the altar. The fervants of Chriil belong to the altar, they minifter daily there, and all their work as fuch is about this holy thing. For the vindication of the meffages of grace which they have 19 delivered, the calls to duty which they have given, and the threatiiiiigs which tliey have denounced, all in the name of the Lord and according to his word, iliail days of calamity come on men; and therefore thefe viiitutions are fire of the altar. The whole believing race are allied to the altar, for they have an altar at which they have no right to eat who ferve the tabernacle. It is for the purpofe of manifciling the acceptablenefs to God of their profefTion, tefllmony, holinefs, fufFerings arul zeal that days of vengeance come on the wicked; and therefore thcfe muft be firc^ of the altar. For the purification of the alt.ir alfo are judgments executed on tliofe who profane it. That the dotlrines of the altar may be cleanftd from error, thnt the ordinances of the altar may be puriiied from human inventicns, that the fens of Levi may be refined as gold and {ilver to offer to tlie Lord ■n\ offi^ring in righteoufnefs, that the woi'fhippers at the «itar may be purged from their iniquity and be enabled to compafs Gods altar ariglit, and that every thing rehithig to tlie houfe of the God of heaven may he done according to Ijis will, fliall all thefe judgments found written in liis word be executed in their leaion; and furely all this glorious purification of tho altar can only be effedfed by its own fire. Sth, Divine judgments are called fire of the altar to fhew that God is well pleafcd with them, and that they tend to jiacify him. When the fire of the antient altar confumtti the facrifices which were offered to God, he was pleafed tlierewith, and it was a mean of reeonciiing him to the people. The judgments of God are called lire of the a'.tar, becaufe they are pieafing to him, and, after their execution, he is reconciled to the land. When divine judgments v/ere executed on Achan and on all that he had, for his tranf- greliion, on account of which the Lord was angry with ail L'rael, it is faid, So the Lord turned froin the Jiercsfufs of his ange-y Jof. vii. 26. When the threatnings were fulfilcd on Saul and his houfe, and on many of his adherants, it is de- clared, ^fter that the Lordivas intreated fcr the landy 2 Sam. xxi. 14. In the facred oracles, we have tefiiimonies to this truth, of another nature than tiiefe; teilimonies wherein the Lord reprefents the eflefl, v.-hich the execution of his judg- ments oa Ills enemies, has upon himfelf. He declares that he is eafed tlieveby. Ifa. i. 24. Therefore faith the Lord.,thc Lord of bolls, the inighty God of Ifrael; Ah, I luii'I trrfe rne of c 2 20 mine adverfaries, and avenge me of mine etiemies. The Lord of hefts, the mighty God of Ifrael, fpeaking liere after the manner of men, r-iprefents his enemies as a diftreffing burden to him, from M'hich he eafes himfelf, by taking vengeance on them. He alfo declares that he is comforted by the ex- ecution of his judgments on the workers of iniquity; Thus Jfjall mine anger he accomplifbedj and I xvill cauje my fury to reji on them, and I ixiill he comforted^ Ezek. v. 13, When the fire of the ahar, in the judgments of his hand, breaks out, and deftroys liis implacable enemies, it is a comfort unto him J and thereforewiththefe operations of his power,juftice, holinefs and truth, the eternal God is well pleafed. " Dif- peniations of this kind are alfo laid to q\iiet his fpirit; Then cried he upcn me^ and /pake unto me faying^ Behold^ thefe that go toivard the north countr\^ have quieted my fpirit in the north country., Zech. ti. 8. The execution of divine judgments, fignified by the chariot of black horfcs going forth into xhx north country, as well as the beilowal of mercies, pointed out by the chariot of white horfcs that followed them, ver. 6. quiets the Lord's fpirit, and brings- glory to his name. Seeing thefe things are fo, the judgments of God are with great propriety denominated fire of the altar. 9th, Thefe operations of God on his enemies are repre- fented by a cenferful of fire taken from the altar, to fhew that the wrath of God againft finners is only inflicted in part upon them in this world. When the miniflers of the houfe burnt the facrifices of the people without the camp with fire from the altar of burnt-offering, they did not carry away all the fire of the altar for this purpofe-, but only a fmall part of it. A cenfer full was only removed for this end, and a great quantity of fire remained burning conti- nually on the altar. When Chrift is reprefented as cafting the fire of divine judgments on the earth, it is only a cenfer full of this fire of the altar which is taken for this defign. The great mafs of fire remains burning on the altar, which fhali be caft upon them for their deftruclion and punifli- ment, through the endlefs ages of eternity. As there was far more fire left at the altar than was removed in a cenfer, lor burning fncrifices without the campj fo there is no pro- portion betwixt Chrilt's cenferful of fire which he cafts into the earth, in temporal judgments on men, and the infinite wrath of-God which is reftrved for the wicked in the place ot luikry. However awful the judgments of God may be, which tlie wicked fufFer in this world, they are as nothing when compared with that unquenchable fire that they (hall endure, in tliat place where the Lord's mercy is clean gone, where he has forgotten to be gracious, and where he will he favourable no more. AfHi£ling as temporal judgments may be to the children of men, and tedious as their fufFer- ings arc under their painful influence; yet the wrath of God that they fhall endure hereafter fliall be infinitely more dif- trefling to tjiem, and endlefs in its duration. In this world, it is only a cenferful of fire of the altar that is fcattered among them; but, in the world to come, they iliall be laid on the altar, and the infinite -mafs of fire which burns con- tinually there, fl-iall eternally coiifume them, for every one JJjall be falted -with Jire, Mark ix. 49. loth. Divine judgments are called the fire of the altar, becaufe the wrath of God, which the wicked fufFer both in this world and in the next, is the fam^e in its nature with that whicli Clirift endured and exhaufled by his fuffeiings and death, in the room of his people. Jefus Chrift ndt only (lands at the altar of incenfe, afid makes intercrffion for*' the faints according to tke ivill of God ; but he alfo ilood at the altar of burnt- offering, and' gave himfeffor us an offering and facr'fce of a f-weet fmeUlng favour unto God. As he fully executes his prieftly office, in making interceffion for usj fo he completely fulfiled that office iv'hen he appeared cnte in the end of the luorld^ to put aivayfn by the facrifce of hi mf elf. His divine nature was the glorious altar, his human nature the facrifice, and he, as God and man in one perfon, was the prieft, who offered this facrifice to God on this altar. When Jefus offered himfelf a facrifice, the fire of divine wrath, which was due to the elect whom he reprefenied on account of their fin, brake out upon him, and confumed his human nature in death. With refpect to this infinite pour- ing out of divine wrath on him, we find him faying, My heart Js like ivax, it is melted in tke nndfl of my bowels^ Ffai. xxii. 14. His liuman nature was melted and difolved -in the pains of death, by the fire of divine wrath which he endured, for the falvation of his people. When he miiii- flered at God's altar, as an atoning high prieft, tl'e fire of ihe altar took hold of liim, and he, on account r.f tlie divine dignity of his perfon as the Son of Gcd, intirely quenched 22 this vindi£live flame for all who believe in him to falvation. The judgments of God on men are called the lire of the altar, to fhew that they endure the fame wrath both here :nd hereafter, which Chrill intirely finilhcd in his fufferings and death, for tlie redemption of his people. A:id how can it be ctherwife? As they rejefl the glorious and only Savi- our, and exercife not a laving faith in his blood, their fin is not expiated, guilt remains on iliem, to the curie of the law they are liable, and they m,u(l fuffcr the vengeance of eter- nal fire, both in this world and in that which is to come. The fire of the altar mufl have a facrifice; and as they rejedl the only propitiatory atonement, r.nd r.re, by their daily re- bellion againllGcdjtreafiu'ing up wrath to themlelves againll the day of wrath, this fire will break out upon them and confume them. Thefe tlivine judgments which the wicked fufTer here, as veil as their eternal punidnnent, are an ex- ecution of the fame divine wrath on them, which Chrill fuffered for his people and for ever removed from them, when he was wounded for their tranfgreflions, aiid bruifed for their iniquities^ and therefore it is called fire of the altar. We now proceed to the III. Head, which was to fnew, U'hat is imported in Chrifl:'s infli6ling thofe judgments on the children of men; He took the cerfti'y he filled it with f, re of the altar y and he cafl it into the earth. id, Chrift's inflifling divine judgments on men imports, that all the agency which he employs about them, is in con- . fequence of a delegated power over all things, which he has received from God the Father. He could lia>c no official concern about the judgments of God, were it not given him by Jehovah. As he is the Son of God, and pofleli'ed of the divine nature and perfetlions, his neceflary concern about all divine works tovv'ard the creatures, is the fame with that of the Father, and the Holy Spirit. It is not of this, how- ever, that the text fpeaks. Concerning that employment of the Lord Chrift about tliefe works of God, efpecially his works of judgment, which is peculiar unto him, does the text give us inforjnation. It is true, the Lord Jefus could have no ability for tirls official and peculiar work about either the judgments or the mercies of God, were he r.ot pofiefTed of that original and neccfl^ary concern about them, vidiich belongs to him as a divine perfon. It is, therctorc, of that work of Chrlft about divine judgments which Is peculiar to him, and which is ofhcial in its nature, that we are now fpeaking; and this he performs by virtue of a power over all perfoiis and things, which is given him of the Father. Ample and numerous are the teltimonies of the word of God, by which this truth is coniirmed ; a few of them only {hall be mentioned. In the viiion of Daniel this truth is clearly reprefented. I fniu in the night vifions, and behold one like the Son of inan come ivith the clouds of heaven, and came to the antient of days, and the'^ brought him near before him. And there ivas given him dominion^ and glory, and a ki;;gdom^ that all people y nations, and languages fooidd ferve him, Dan. vii. 13, 14. Without particularly explaining thefe majeftic w^ords, it may be obferved from them, that the Lord Jefus, the one like the Sen of innn, has received from Jehovali, the antient of days, dominion, power and authority^ and glory, honour and renown, and a kingdom, fubje6ts to rule, that all people, nations, arid languages Jljould ferve hiin, that all mankini.1 fhould be fubjeCl to him, either in receiving the blclllngs of falvatlon from him, or in having the tire of tlie altar fcattered among them by his hand. This power is given him, and it is given to him who is like the Sou of man, to fliew that it is his official or mediatorial power, and not that divine power of which he is necdlarily polfelied. On two very remark- able occafions, Chrilt aflerts tliis truth, in the hearing of his diiciples. When the feventy returned with their joyful report, Jefus rejoiced in fplrlt, and faid. All things are de- livered to }?ie of my Father, Luke x. 22. When he gave his fervants their commilhon, after his refurre61:ion, he prefaces it with thefe v/ords, All poiver is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Mat. xxviii. 18. Our mediator is the perfou to whom thefe things are delivered, and this power is given. Thefe things are delivered to him, and this pow-er is given him, to fhew that it is an official or delegated power and charge that are here mentioned. The power that is given him is extenilve, it is all power in heaven and la earth; and the things which are delivered to him are univerfal, they are all things. The glorious perfon, who ha -i delivered all things to him, and has given him all power, is his eternal Father. Twice does the Lord Chriil ailert this truth in the fame difcourfe, For the Father judgeth no man, hut hath corn- initted all judgment to the So:;; and ag?.in, 'ZZ\.- Fiuher hc-^l 24 given him authority to execute judgrnent alfo^ hecaufe he is the Son cf many John v. 22, — 27. Jehovah the Father hath com- mitted all judgment unto the Son, and hath given him, who is the Son of man, authority to execute judgment; by ac- quitting and bleffing his people, and by condemning and punifhing his enemies, both in this v^^orld, and in that vi'hich is to come. When our Redeemer addreffes his holy and righteous Father, he ufes the following words, As thou hnji given hi/n, thy Son, power over all jlejhy that he JJjould give eternal lije to as many as thou hajl given him, John xvil. 2. From thefe words it is evident, that our mediator has a gifted or delegated power over all flefli from the Father; that the principal end of his poflefling and exercifing this power over all flefh, in reference to the creature?, is that he may bellow the bleffings of eternal life on the obje£ls of the Father's love; and that, as his power extends over all flefh, he exercifes it alfo in calling the fire of divine judgments into the earth, for the punilhment of his implacable foes. 2d, Chritl's calling the fire of the altar into the earth imports, that he infliils judgments on men in the execution of his mediatorial office. He not only does fo, by virtue of a power delegated to him of the Father; but he alio accom- pliflies this work, in his mediatorial charadler. The inferior name, the angel, by which he is here called, clearly con- firms this truth. As he is the Son of God he is never called by this name; but as he is our Mediator, God and man in one perfon, he is, in different parts of the divine word, reprefented in this manner. The calling fire of the altar into the earth, therefore, belongs unto the mediatorial work of Chrift. The works which are afcribed unto Chrifl, in the two verfes before the text, are purely mediatorial. It is only in his mediatorial character that he flands at the golden altar, like an officiating priefl, has a golden cenfer, and receives much incenfe. It is as our Mediator only that he offers this incenfe with the prayers of all faints, on the golden altar, in his prevalent interceffion for them before the throne. It is in his mediatorial charadler alone that the prayers of the faints, perfumed with his incenfe, can afcend with acceptance before God out of his hands. It is tlie fame perfon, he is called by the fame name, and is flill employed about things which belong to the fanctuary, 'vho is mentioned in the words of the text, and the angel took the cenfer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and caft it into the eartli; it muft therefore be in his mediatorial charaiSler that he performs this ftrange a£l. 3d, Chrlft's calHng the fire of the altar into the earth inaports, that judgments are ii-ifiicled on inen according, to the purpofe, and in obedience to the command of God. This work is performed by the Mediator according to the viecree of God. The unalterable purpofes of Jehovah are the rule, according to which he himfelf performs all things r.mong the creatures. All his works, whether in creation, providence or grace, are an exacl fulfillment of his decree; For he ivorhdh all things after the counfel of his own nvill, Eph. i. 1 1 . As the decree of God is ^ rule to himfelf, in all his difpenfations toward the creatures; fo this purpofe is a rule to Chrill, in all his mediatory' adminiftrations, both when he caufes thofe who love him to inherit fubitance, and when he throws the fire of divine anger upon his enemies. The purpofe of God fixxes the time, the o'ojedls, the inllruments, the meafures, and the duration of divine judgments in the earth; and from its appointments, in thefe and the like par- ticulars, tiie Mediator, in his adminillrations, will never depart. As Mediator, he is perfectly acquainted with the divine decrees, and is a faithful fervant to his Father, and, therefore, every part of that purpofe inuil be exactly fulfilled by his operations. He hath ever bcen^ and ever will be faithful as a Son over his own houfe, and faithful to hint who appointed him to his mediatory office, deviations, there- fore, from this fupreme rule in his official work, are im- pofl'ible. — As the decree of God is the rule of Ins mediatory admiiniltratlons, fo the command of God is the reafon why he actually adminiders, in the kingdoms of grace and pro- vidence. The words- of Jefus refpeft ing his death and re- furrecftion apply to every part of his otficial work; This command;ne7it have I received of my i^a//vv, John x. i S. When Chrift takes the cenfer, fills it with fire of the altar, and cafts it into the earth, he may lay, this conimandment have I received of ray Father. When Chrift performs his official works in thefe particulars, he neither runs unfent, nor a£l:s without proper powers; but he is clothed with a commifllon, and is invefted with authority from Jehovah for this pui-pofe. Every operation of Chrift, in bringing either mercies or D 26 judgments on men, is performed according to the purpofe, and in obedience to the comanand of God. 4th, Chrilt's calling the fire of the altar into the earth imports, that it is done by the power or influence of God. The mediatorial adminiRration of Jefus does not fet afide th'.; fupreme working of the three one God. The Redeemer's giv-ng eteri.al life to his people does not pr-ivent the Father's gift of et^^rnal life to tlieni j For the gift of God is eternal life through Jefus Chri/l our Lord. Chriil's judging the world, jn his mediatorial charaifler, does not contradict that truth, that. God is the judge of all. The Mediator's inflicfling divme judgm.ents on the children of men, does not hinder the bringing thefe judgments on them, to be fupremely the work of God. There: is no incouilHency betwixt the divine operations of the three one God, in governing all his crea- tures and all their a£lions, and the mediatorial adminiftra- tions of Jefus Chrifl. Thefe are conne£led together, and their confiftcncy is afll^rted by Chrift himfelf when he faid, J\Iy F ether ivorketh hitherta^ and I ivorh.^ John v. 1 7. It is impoflible that Jeliovah can furrender to any the fupreme governm.ent of all things, either in the right or in the exer- cife of if, becaufe it necefl-.n-ily and elTentially belongs to the divine nature. Tlie mediatorial power and adminiftra- tions of Jefus do net withdraw rhe fupvcme government of all things, either in the right or in the exercife of it, out of th<; liands of thc^ three on^ God. His povv^er as cur Mi-diator, and his adminiilratjons in that characSler, both iu gr.ice and providence, are eilentially dlrTercnt in their nature, flu.;; the power and operations of Jehovah, both among his fiiints and his other creatures. The latter is underived, the former is communicated; the one is effentiai, tlie other is oftinahthis is i"upr;'me; tliat is fubordinate. Wlien Chriil cafts the fire oi divine judgments into rhe earth, his Father v.'orketh hitherto, or unto tiiis end, and he alfo works. The power or influence of J-chovah, of wltich Chrid as the Son of God is elTentially pofi'eiTed, is exercifed in pouring divine judgments on men \ while the Lord Chrift, as our Mediator, has an oihcial conccrTi in cafting tliem into the earth. Now, this work is accompliflied by divine po.ver, becaufe the ex- erc'fe of that power which is official, plainly fuppofes the 5^ertion of that which is fupreme j becaufe he who is en- truftcd with m.ediatorial authority, as he is the Son oi God, 27 is poflefled of this almighty power; and becaufe Jefus in all his mediatorial adminiftrations, refpe6ling either bis people or his enemies, is upheld and fupported by the power of the three one God. 5th, The Mediator's cafting the fire of the altJ^r into the earth imports, that the treafures of wrath., as well as the tteafures of grace and falvation, are at his dii]- fal. As it hath pleafed the Father that in him all fulnefs Ihould dwell, that out of his fulnefs his people might receive and pr-'ce for grace; fo it hath pleafed the Father alfo to commie all judgment unto him) that he might have authority to execute judgment alfo upon his enemies, becaufe he is the Son of man. He not only reigns ovelr his churchy by the fceptre of his grace; but rules in the midil of his enemies, and, with his iron rod, dafhes them in pieces like a potter's veiTel, He has not only a power to forgive fins, and to exalt the law-condemned finner into a ftate of juflincation before God; but he has alfo power over fire, and can caufe it burn up his enemies. The fire of the altar is at his difpofal, and, therefore, he takes it into his cenfer and cafts it on the in- habitants of the earth. He is exalted as a prince and a fa- viour, not only to give repentance to Ifrael and the remiiTiort of fins; but alfo to avenge all the wrongs done by his incor- rigible enemies to God, to himfelf, and to his church, by- executing divine judgments upon them. That wrath by ■which God's enemies are deflroyed, is not the vrath of him only that fitteth on the throne; but it is alfo called the wrath of the Lamb. It is the wrath of the Lamb, becaufe they are the efFe£ls of the Mediator's difpleafure, as v/ell as the effedls of the anger of God, which are endured by thofd who hate and oppofe him. It is alfo the wrath of the Lamb, becaufe the wrath of God, in its terrible effetfts on his ene* mies, is inflicted on them by the agency of our Mediator, who is the Lamb in the midft of the throne. 6th, The Mediator's cafting tiie fire of the altat into the earth imports, that every thins is done by Chrift, which is iieceflary for the infliction of divine judgments on his ene- mies. Three ad^ions are afcribed to hin. in the text, rela- tive to this work; and no more is nectflary for its accom-^ piifhment. He took the cenfer,^^he filled it witi) fire of the altar,— and caft it into the earth. There was no more needful to be done, by the pr-'-fts under the former difpett- 28 fadon, to burn, without the camp, the bodies of thofe beaftsj •whofe blood was brought into the fancfhuary by the high pried for fin, than to take their cenfcr, to fill it with fire from the altar, and to apply it to the combuftible materials, by which they were reduced to afhes. In like manner, Chrifl has nothing more to do, for confuming the Lord's facrifice on the earth, or for deftroying thofe who have troden under foot the court without the temple and the holy city forty and two months, than to take the cenfer, to fill is. witii fire of the altar, and to call it into the earth-, and all thefe, the text affiircs us, the Lord Jefus does perform. It is an orderly, progreflive and complete fervice which is here reprefented. It is begun, he took the cenfer; it is conti- nued, he f^rlletl it with fire of the altar; and it is finifhed, he caft it into tlie evn-tli. This infpired reprefentation of the Mediator's work, which Jolm faw in the vifions of God, being fo particular and full, plainly proves that every thing necellary, for the execution of divine judgments on his ene- mies, Ihall be performed by the Lord ChriH:. 7th, Chriil's calling the fire of the altar into the earth imports, that all the inflruments of the Lord's anger arc under his command, and at his dire^lion. When the Lord executes his judgments on his foes, he employs the agency of his creatures whether animate or inanimate. In his en- trufting the Mediator with authority to execute judgment, he puts all thefe inferior agents under his power. Are the angels em.ployed in this work? Chr'iji is gone into hecA^etij and is on the fight hand of God, angels, authorities, and pdvtrs being made Juhjcct unto him, i Pet. iii. 22. Is the agency of men employed by the Lord in deftroying his enemies ? The Father hath given him pointer over a//jie/h, John xvii. 2. Is the in- animate creation fomctimes employed by the Lord, in bring- ing to pafs his ftrange aft of judgment? The winds and the fca obey our Redeemer, and he hath put all things under his feet., and given him to he head over all things to the church, £ph. i, 22- Whatever the creatures are whofe inltrumen- .tality the Lord Jehovah is pleafed to employ, as inferior agcaits in his works of judgment, they are all the armies ivhich are in heaven: And whom do they follow? At whofe di- rcftion do they move? TJiey follow that glorious perfon who fat on the white ]iorfe, who is called faithful and true, w])ofe eyes were as a llamc of fire, on whofe head were 29 many crowns, who had a name written that no man knew but he himfelf, who was clothed with a vefture dipt in blood, and whofe name is called the word of God. This is a glo- rious defcription of our Mediator, and it is immediately added, Arid the armies ivhich ivere in heaven follc-iued him upon white horfes^ clothed in fine linen j ivhite and clean^ Rev. xix. 1 4. They follow him to receive their orders from him, and to acl according to his will. They follow him to be ufed by him as he pleafes, in bringing judgments on the children of men. That they follow him to a work of this kind, is evident from the remaining part of the chapter, and from the next verfe; And out of his mouth goeth afharp fivordy that nvith it he fhoiild fmite the nations ; and he fl)all rule thein ivith a rod of iron ; and he treadeth the luine prefs of the fierccnefs and Kvrath of Almighty God. 3th, Chrift's cafting the fire of the altar into the earth imports, that all the effe<£l:s of divine judgments on the chil- dren of men are produced by his agency. As he cafla thefe burning coals from the altar into the earth, the effe£ls they prbduce on men are caufed by his mediatory adminifl:ration. Since the bleflings enjoyed by the church come to them through his work, as the intercecding high prieffe, (landing at the altar with the golden cenfer in his hand, and much incenfe to offer it v/ith their prayers; the evils nlfo which befal the children of men, fuffering under the judgments ol God, are brought on them by him who cafts the 'fire of the altar into the earth. The mercy and grace cf God are the fupreme foundation of the church's felicity, and his wrath and juftice are the chief caufe of the mifery of his enemies; but both are produced alio by the miniftration of the Lord Jefus. He has an immediate, minifterial and fubordinate agency in the produdlion of thefe things both to his friends and to his enemies; an agency to which he is honourably exalted becaufe he became the Son of man, and finifhed in our nature the infinitely arduous work that was given him to do. Whatever, therefore! are the effe(fls of divine judg- ments on the children of men, they are produced by the power and working of Jefus. If they fuffer by thefe judg- ments, in their perfons, in their wealth, in their honours, in their power, in their relations, or in their lives, all this accumulated woe is hujrled on them, by his hand who cafts the fire of the altar into the earth. Are they overcome ? it is th«; Lamb that overcomes them. Are they flain? It is with the fword of him tliat fat on the horfe. And are they troden in the wine prefs without the city? It is he who treadeth the wine prefs of the fiercenefs and wrath of Al- mighty God. SERMON 11. Rev. vlii. ^. And ths afigcl took the cenfer.^ and filled it ivlthfire of the altar, and cajl it into the earth; and there nuere "uoices^ and thunderings, and lightnings^ and aft earthquake. TN difcourfing on the three foregoing heads, which have ■*■ been already confidered, it has been (hewn in what re- fpe£ls the judgments of God are compared to fire, v/hy they are called lire of the a'tar, and what is the import of Chriit's inflicting livine judgments on liis f^nemles. According to the metli' ■ propi-fcd, yc ihali now proceed to the IV. Head o' the do£lrine, which v/as to mention fomft of the eijcCr.s oi Chrift's work, which are here rcprefented by voices, thundcrings, lightnings .uid an earthquake. When the mediatorial angel cafts the five of the altar into the earth, voices and thunderings fhall be heard, light- nings fhall be feen, and an earthquake (hall be felt by the inhabitants of the world. When thofe things happen to- gether, they conftitute a moll dreadful tempeft in the na- tural world. When the noife of loud founding winds and roaring thunders is heard, accompanied with frightful flaihes of vivid lightning, which ftrlke the ejCf and when thefe are attended with the fliocks of a terrible earthquake, great terror feizes the minds of men, tlie earth feems to be con- vulfed, and much devaftation is often brought upon the works thereof. By thefe outward tempefts, which are brought on men by the hand of God, he has often exe- cuted his difpleafure upon his enemies ; and Divine Provi- dence may ilill employ them to a conilderable degree for pouring his vengeance on the wicked in the day of his re- compences. In that part of the folemn tranfaclion at Sinai, which was intended to reprcftnt tl;e Lord's difplea- fure at fin, and his punifliing finncrs, and to re-exhibit to that people the covenant of works, all thefe particulars arc found ; for the alarming voice of the tiumpet and of thun- ders was heard, lightning and fire were feen, atid the 32 whole mount quaked greatly. When the kingdoms of this M-'orld fhall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Chrifl, the temple of God (hall be opened in heaven, and there fliall be feen in liis temple the ark of his teftament, for the comfort and falvation of his people ; but, at the fame time it is declared, that there fhall be, for the puniflmient gf his enemies, lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and au earthquake, and great hail, Rev. xi. 19. When God's Tudgments fliall be hniflied on Tiirk and Antichrlft, with their fupporters, we are told, there were voices^ and thun- ders^ and lightnings ,- and there ivas a great tarthquaJcey fuch as ivas not Juice men lucre upon the earth, Jo mighty an earth' quake and fo great. And there fell upon me/i a great hail cut qf heaven^ every Jlone qhout the iveight of a talent^ Rev. xvi. 18, 21. Not in the words of our text only, but in other parts of Scripture alfo, the wrath of God, which is inflidted by his judgments on men, is fet before us in thefe llriking leprefentaticns. From this it is evident, that the judg- ments of God on fnuiers in various periods of time, though they may differ in their degree and duration, are yet the fame in their caufe^, in their fub(lance, and in the manner of their e?Lecution. The voices, thunders, lightnings, and the earthquake, mentioned in the text, are metaphors taken from thefe frightful occurrences in the world of nature, to reprefent the fin-avenging judgments of the living God, and the awful difpenfations of his Providence, by which the men of the world fliall be diltrcffed, and m^ny of them deftroyed. We fliall now mention fome of thefe divine judgments, v/hich arc reprcfentcd by the voices, thunders, iightnings, and the earthquake, that arc produced amone men by Chrifl's calling the fire of the altar into the earth. I ft, Thefe reprefent the judgment of divifion. This is a fore evil which is brought on men by the hand of God, and which often extends both to their religious and civil concerns. As it is a great mercy which the Lord has pro- mifed to his people, to give them one heart and one way; fo it is a fad flroke of his anger when he divides them in Jacob, and fcatters them in Ifrael. How mournfully pre- valent -is the fpirit of divifion among the children of men, leiative to religious thiugs! Different voices are heard in the church of God. The watchmen do not fee eye to eye ill matters of religion, nor do they fing together with the 3^ voice; but Ephraim is againft ManafTeh, and Manaffeh is againft Ephraim, and thefc together are againft Judah- The Clirillran people, inftead of holding the , unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, are fplit into parties, and altar is (et up again fl: alt?ir in every corner of the land. Ecclefi- aftic teachers and rulers have been fufFered, for a long time, to purfue meafures, which have had a mournful tendency both to occafion and confirm religious divifion. We have divided away from the Lord, by turning from his truths and ordinances, and fo have broken the ft:afF of beauty; he has therefore been provoked, as a punlflnnent of our fin, by fending a fpirit of divifion amongft us, to break the fbaff of bands. The judgment of divifion refpefting our civil con- cerns is not lefs remarkable. To this token of the Lord's anger, nations are greatly fubje<3:ed. Many are found, in the fame country, rejoicing at events, which occafion to others grief and mourning. Multitudes highly applaud fome meafures of public adminiftration, which are repro- bated by a numerous and refpeftable clafs of the fame com- munity. Almoft every where, plans of government are purfued which occafion the increafe of political divifion. The fyftems which are eflablifhed in nations, as they have many who are engaged in their fupport, fo there are others found who are endeavouring to pull them down. Thefe things are mournful evidences, that the Lord has brought the judgment of divifion, in a remarkable way, upon the children of men : And a fore judgment it is ; for it prevents unity of afFediion, and of ex.ertion for the public profperity, both civil and religious; it makes every man, in fome re- fpe6ls, his neighbour's enemy; and it gives us reafon to fear, fince we are thus divided, that we cannot ftand. 2d, Thefe words contain the judgment of defolating wars. The fword of deftruftive war was often threatened by the Lord in tlie writings of the Old Teftament, bofh againft his own people, and the nations around them. By this judg- ment they were all often brought very low, and at laft totally deftroyed. It is in this calamity, that the fire of tbe altar, on many occafions, confumes the enemies of the Lord. Of tkis the inftances, both in facred and profa:\e hiftory, are innumerable. A dreadful and deftru£live period of defo- lating war is foretold, in the pouring out of the fixth and feventh vials, by which the public enemies of Chrift ihaU E 34 be overcome, and which is called the battle of Arma- geddon. All wars are in their nature a judgment of God on the children of men. Foreign wars, by which nation rifes againft nation, and kingdom againll kingdom, are great calamities inflifted by the King of nations on the inhabitants of the world. Civil wars, or the inhabitants of the fame kingdom nfmg up againft one another, and deftroying each other's perfons and property, are aho fmgular calamities from the hand of God. Long continued M'ars which are carried on by the obfbinacy and pride of both, or of one of the parties, to a diftreffing length, are great judgments on the inhabitants of the earth, Extenfive wars which are car- ried on by many nations at the fame time, and in many places of the earth, are, in a fpecial manner, divine punilh- racnts inflicted on finnei's. AVars which are profecuted with uncommon bitternefs and energy,producing frequent battles, great fiaughter, and m.uch local defolation, are particularly the eflfiSls of the fire of the altar upon the earth. Wars attended with uncommon expcnce, whereby nations and their poflerity are fubie£led to great pecuniary burdens, are a fore calamity from the righteous Judge. And above allj wars which have had for their efFetl the overturning the thrones of princes, and ftill feem to have for their objeft further alterations of this kind, are peculiarly judgments from God, and fhew that they are of the fame nature with thofe predicted in tlse ninth chapter of this book, which caufed the world change its mafters, and brought dread- ful diftrefs on men. The wars by which the nations of the earth are at prefeht fufFering, have been, and flill are of the defcription now mentioned, and therefore they muft. be the effects of the five of the altar caft into the e:;rth. 3d, The words comprehend the iudgment of famiu'" This is another difpenfation of God, by which he ofte: inflipnd multiplied her filver and gold, 'which they prepared f.r 36 Baal; therefore nv'ill I return and take away my corn vt the time thereof y ami my ivine in the feafon thereof^ and •will reco^ ver my ivool and my fax given to cover her nahednefs., Hof. xi. 8, 9. Our criminal abufe of plenty which the Lord hath formerly given us, by luxurious eating, immoderate drink- ing, vain -And expenfive clothing, and finful amufements and diverfions, has alfo procured this evil unto us. Ohf that the children of men were religiouily exercifed under this fore judgment, were not only crying what fhall v/e eat ? but alfo, what fhall we do to be favcd ? 4th, Thefe words include alfo the judgment of the pef- tilence, as another effeft of the fire of the altar. With this judgment Ifrael was threatened ; And I will bring a /■word upon yoiiy that JJjall avenge the quarrel of m\ covenant ; and luhen ye are gathered together ivithin your city^ 1 ivill fend the pefdince among you • and ye foall he delivered into the hand of the enemy ^ Lev. xxvi. 25. This judgment fometimes ac- companies war and famine, and at other times it comes by itfelf; but, in any of thefe ways, it is a moll alarming dif- penfation of divine providence. By It many parts of the world, have been at different times dreadfully diftreffed. "When the Lord fends mortal and peflilential difeafes a- mong the children of men, it is a great evidence of his an- ger gone forth againft them. By thefe mnny of them are cut off from the land of the living; and gre^t ter- ror and perplexity, inconvenience, and wordly lofs are endured by thofe who efcape. Of late years, dlfrerent parts of the eartli, and fome of the armies of the nations have been, by the righteous hand of God, fmitten with this fore judgment. The nations have not been careful to counteract the difeafe of fin, in its different appearances a- mong them, whereby God is difhonoured, and his law is broken; and therefore he may be provoked to fuffer out- ward peflilential difeafes to fpread their contagious influ- ence among men, till many of them are deilroyed. When epidemical difeafes, occafioning a flight and fhort trouble, pafs through a land, they are warnings to the inhabitants thereof; becaufe he wko has fent them, can as eafily fend the peftilence for our deflruftion. In the days of the Lord's vengeance upon men, when the fire of the altar {hiill be call into the earth, we are fure that by this judg- ment, as v^rell as by war and famine, manyfliallbe deftroy- 37 ed. If is mentioned by the Lord Jefus, in the enumera- tion he gives of divine judgments, which fhall come upon fmful nations in the times of the gofpelj And great earth- quakes JJiall be in divers places^ and pimlnesy and pejlilences^ Luke xxi, 1 1. Of the deftruftion of Antichrifl it is faid, Therefore Jhall her plagues com: in one day^ deat}^, and mourn-^ ing, and famine, Rev. xviii, 8. The noifome and deftruc- tivc peftilence, is therefore one of the efFedls of the fire of the altar. 5th, National poverty and bankruptcy m.ay be confider- ed as another divine judgment on the children of men,, which is included in thefe w^ords. The public profperity of nations is in itfelf a great blefling from the Lord-, but when he dries up the fources of national wealth, and bi"ings poverty and dependence upon men, the hand of the Lord,, in his judgments, is againll them. The former was pro- mifed to Ifrael, in their keeeping the commandments of the Lord; and the latter was threatened to them, in cafe of their departing from him. The Lord fhall open unto thee his good treafurej the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his feafon, and to blefs all the ivorks of thine hand ; and ihoujhalt lend tmto many nations y and thou Jhnlt not borrow, Deut. xxviii, 1 2. In the 43d, and 44th verfes of the fame chapter, one of the judgments for their difobedlence is expreffed in the following v/ords; The Jl ranger that is tvithin thei", JhalJ get tip above thee very high; and thou /Jjalt come doivn "very low ; hejhall lend unto thee, and than /halt not not lend unto him; ht Jhtill be the head, and thoufhaJt be the tail. Whatever are tlie fprings of a nation's wealth, the productions of the earth, the labour of their hands, or their extended commerce, the Lord c:m eafily blaft them, and overwhelm men with dif- trefs and perplexity. Antient Tyre, who was abundant in merchandize and in treafures, is a fmgular inftance of the juftice and power of God, in bringing upon nations, the moft opulent and ftrong, great poverty and ruin.- Both her profperity and overthrow, are defcribed by the Prophet Ezekiel, chap, xxvii. from which the following ex- preflions are feledled. And thou wart replenijhcd and made ■very glorious in the inidjl of the feas. Thy riches, and thy fairs y thy merchandize, thy 7nariners, and thy pilots^ thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandize, and all thy men of luar that are in theSy and in all thy company^ which is in the mid/l oj' 38 thee, (ImJl fall into the midfl of the fens^ in the da^ of thy ru'i/i^ verfes 2;, 27. Our land has often raftered by the partial execution of this iudgjment. 'l"'he ftagaation of trade, as well as unfruitful feafons, occafioned by numcroas bank- ruptcies, which circulate their hurtful influence through niany orders of men, has fometimes brought us into great diftrefs. When the fire of the altar fhall confume Anti- ehrift, this judgment alfo Ihall be found among her plagues. And the vierchnnts of the earth jljall weep over her ^ for no man buysth their merchandi-ze any more, Rev. xviii. II. 6th, Popular commotions are a judgment from the Lord, which is pointed out in the words of the text. Thefe are moral earthquakes, or violent fliakings among rational creatures, and moral agents, wliich often prove a dreadtui I'courge to the children of men. When the Lord takes off the reflraints of his providence from the minds of the mul- titude, and fets them loofe againft their fuperiors, or one another, it is a great judgment from God to the nation where it happens. Thefc infurretlions are lawlefs, ungo- vernable and violent ; and the perfons concerned in them are often carried to the greateil excefles. They greatly diflurb the tranquillity of cities and of nations, and fre- quently occafion the deftru£tion of much property, and the lofs of many lives. In fome parts of the world, thefe are more frequent and mifchievous; and in others, they are both more feldom and moderate. Whatever may be the caufes of thefe popular tumults, and however much fin may be committed in them; yet the holy and righteous God may order and overrule them, as a judgment of his hand, in punifliing Tinners for their iniquity. When the iire of the altar lliall be thrown among men, there is rea- foii to conclude, that by fuch dreadful moral earthquakes as thefe, he will arife and fli ike terribly the earth. 7th, The overturning the eftablilhed fyftems of nations, is another efFeft of the fire of the altar, which is repre- f^nted in thei^e words. In the ri-Thteous iud^ment of God upon fjnful nations, he fometimes overthrows both their civil and ecclefiafhic eltablifhments. Thefe are fpiritual and political earthquakes, which are brought on men, by the power and juflice of God, as a punifliment of their fin; and always occafion much diftrefs to the inhabitants of the world. Thfi'e alterations, relating as they do to tire 39 moft important concerns of men, involve nations in fore calamities; for lliey sre accomplifhe^ by many voices, much thunderinjTS, and frequent lightnings of the Lord's difplcafure. The kingdom of the ten tribes had this judgment executed on them, in their captivity by the King of Aflyria. The l:i;igdom of Judah fuffered tlie fame cala- mity in their captivity in Babylon. Tiie kingdom of Ba- bylon itfelf came u!\der the fame ftroke, by the hand of the Medes and P< rlians. It woui i be endkfs to enume- rate the many inftances of the execution of this judgment on the nations of the world. Almoft every kingdom ,iu the earth, at one time or another, has experienced earth- quakes of this kind. Thcfe have chiefly been brought oa them, by means of the invaiion and conqueif of aforeigu power. In the new heavens and the new earth, for which believers do earneftly look, and patiently wait, both civil and ecclefiaftic tyranny ihall be deftroyed; and therefore fpiritual and political earthquakes muft happen in many lands, before the coming of that happy period. When the fire of the altar fliall be fent fortli to dcftroy antichriil fi- nally, his fpiritual fvftem (Irall perifl), and all that tyranny by which it has been upheld (liail fade away. Thefe lliall be the eilet^s of the voices, thunders, lightnings, and earth- quake under the feventh vial; for it is faid, And the great city luas divided into three parts, and the ciiies of the nations fill; and great Babylon came in remevibratice befcre God, t9 give unto b^r the cup (fthe ivi/ie of the ftercen'js of his 'iur.atl\ Rev. xvi, 19. 8th, Natural earthquakes, flcrms and terapells may be- long unto the judgments of God, which are the effects ot the fire of the altar. The Lord has often employed thele, for vifiting on the children of men their aggravattd iniqui- ties. There have been dreadful dell.rucUons brought on finners, by thefe effects of Jehovah's power, and tokens oi his wrath. The words may not only b<; underftood in a figurative, but alfo in a iiieral fenfe; and, in this view, thev reprefent to us alfo the effe_£ls of the lire of the altar. By the natural winds, thunders, lightnings and earthquakes, the Lord has brought, and may yet bring judgments or» men. With refpeCl: to the firfl: of thefe, it is faid, Thou didfl bloiv nvith th'i nvind, the fi covered than,- they Jhnk as lead in the mighty iia/trs, Exod. xy I Q. Reh';ive to the feconJ, we have the foUowuig declaration. The adverfaries ef the LordJImll he brohefi in pieces; cut cf heaxmif mil he thun- der tepon them, i Sam. i, lo. The operations of the third are ftated in thefe words, He pot out his lightnings and difcom- fited themy Pfalm xviii, 14. And with reference to the lalt we have the following account, Tea^ yeJJjall Jlee like as ye fie d from before the earthquake^ in the days of JJzziah king of Judahy Zech. xix, 5. Tempeftuous winds, deflru<^ive thunder and lightning, and the terrible earthquake are in the hand of God, and he can, by them as means, bring great defolations on the earth, and mifery on the inhabitants thereof. By their operations, many have periflied both by fea and land; and in days of fearful calamity on men for fin, there is reafon to think, that they will again be the in- ftruments of his wrath. Thefe are fome of the judgments of God fignifiedby the ■voices, thunderingg, lightnings and earthquake, whicli are mentioned in the text, as the awful effects of Chriil's taking the cenfer, filling it with fire of the altar, and calling it in- to the earth. This fubje^l fliall now be concluded, by deducing fome inferences from what has been faid. I ft, From this fubje£l we may fee the awful nature of divine judgments. They are moil folemn and tremen- duous operations of Jehovah's holinefs, power, and juftice. A feiious confideration of them, made the Pfalm ill fay, M\fieO} trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judg- mentSyYb\n\ cxix, 120. The greatnefs of God, who is the moft high over all the eartJi, and with whom is terrible majefty, ought to imprefs our minds with the conviclion of the dreadful nature of his judgments. The concern which the Lord Jcfus, who Is the lion of the tribe of Judah, has with their execution on men, may difcover unto us their awful nature. The greatnefs of that guilt, which it is the defign of thele judgments to avenge on impenitent finners, alfo difcovers their terrible nature and efFe£ls. The reprefentations of them in the text are calculated to affecb our hearts with their awful nature. They are com- pared to fire, which is a moft terrible, deftruflive and ragng element. They are the fire of the altar. When the fat and other parts of the facrifices were burned upon the brazen altar, which flood in the court of the priefts, at 41 the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, it would fend up a moft vehement flame into the air, which the wor- ihippers, ftanding in the court of the people, would fee and ccnfider as an afFe6\ing emblem of that divine wrath, which they deferved on account of their fins. This is the metaphor, whereby the execution of divine judgments on men in this world is reprefented in the text ; and certainly they mufl be very confuming and deftrucftive plagues. As they are compared to voices, lightnings, thunders, and an earthquake, which comprehend a moft frightful ftorm in the natural world, they muft be very awful vifitations of Jehovah's arm and power on the children of men. Let none dtfpife thefe doings of the Lord, either in the threat- ning or in their execution ; but let all reverence God and fear his judgments. 2. This fubje£l prefents to our view the evil nature of fm. It is fin that procures thefe judgments of God to the children of men. It kindles the fire of the altar, caufes Chrift take the cenfer, fill it with this fire, and caft it into the earth ; it mull therefore be an evil and bitter thing to ■depart from the living God. The Lord is righteous and lioly in all his words of threatning, and in all his works of judgment by which thefe are fulfilled; and feeing his temporal judgments on finners, and thefe which are eter- nal alfo, are caufed by fin, it mufl be a great evil. It is the procuring caufe of the voices, lightnings, thunder, and the earthquake, by which the children of men are deftroy- ed. Such is the nature of this evil, that God, to teftify his abhorrence of it, hath laid the earth and all things therein under a curfe. For the fame reafon, the Lord, on fpecial occafions, ceafes to exercife liis patience with men, and brings on them the defolating ftrokes of his anger. In pro- portion as thefe judgments contain penal evil, fo may we fee the moral evil of fin. The fins of perfons, churches, and nations, are very heinous in their nature, various in their kinds, long continued in their duration, and exceed- ingly heightened by their aggravations j there is therefore no wonder that they bring down on their guilty heads, the awful judgments of God. O that we were made to fee the evil of fin, to hate it v,'ith perfe6t hatred, to mourn foi' it before the Lord, and to turn from it v/ith all our hearts, 3. The glorious exaltation and work of our adored Me- F 4« (liator may be learned from what has been laid. He is noW before the throne, and is Handing and niiniilering before the goh^en altar, whieh h in Jeiiovah's immediate and glo- rious prefcnce. Becaufc he humbled hinifelf, and became obedient to death, even the death of the crofs, God the Father hath liighly exalted him, and given him a name which Is above every name.' He hath given him authority to execute judgment alfo, becaufe he has, in our nature, finiflied the v^^ork of redemption, in the purehalc of it. A» he miniflercd at the altar below, in the character of an atoning liigh pi-iefl, and hath tlien put away fm by the fa- criiice of himfelf ; fo he is now fet at the right hand of God, placed in the midll of the throne, clothed withdiis royal robes, intrufted with all the treafures of mercy and judgment, and employed in his mediatorial adminiftrations. Thefe adminiilrations are great and glorious, they compre- hend liis mediatorial work in his exalted itatc, they are ne- celfary to his Father's glory, his own honour, and his church's benclit, arid they are proportioned to the honour- able ftation which he now occupies. In the holy place not made with hanils, he adminifters with refpe6l to his peo- ple, by interceeding for them according to the will of God, by delivering them from all their miferies, and by beftow- ing upon them the bleflings of eternal falvation. His ad- miniftrations as our Mediator extend alfo to his irreconcil- able enemies. With refpeflto them,he takes the cenfer, fills it with fire of the altar, and cafts it into the earth for their deftruclion. He threw the fire of the altar into the earth, an exprefilon which fignifies that Jefus performs this work with earneft concern, with fpecial care, with holy indignation, and with divine violence; with earneft concern for the glory of God, and for bringing down tlie loftinefs of his enemies', with fpecial care that no part of his wrath may fall upon his peo- ple, whom he keeps as the apple of his eye, but that it may alight upon, punilh, and afllifl the workers of iniquity; with holv indignation at the rebellion and wickednefs of the children of men ; and with divine violence that it may efFe£lually confume and deftroy his irreclaimable foes. It is a great miftake to confine Ciirill's mlniftrations to liis re- deemed cliurcli, and to exclude from his official rule his implacable enemies ; for with refpedl to the latter, as well a? the former, he has a glorious v.'ork to accomplifli. Iris 43 indeed an eternal truth, and full of confohtion to the peo- ple of God, that Jehovah the Father has faid unto Chrift their Lord, Sit thou on my j'ight hand, until I make thine ene- mies thyfootjlool; but he has alfo faid to liim, in the fame affecting and folenm manner, Rule thou in the midji of thine enemies\ and again, Thoujljalt break them ivith a rod of irony thoiifhalt dcflj them in pieces like a potter'' s veffel. Jefus is com- mifhoned by the Father, both to give fpiritual and eternal life to the objects of his everlafting love, and to execute judgment upon his enemies in this world, and even to turn the wicked into heli at lafl, v.'ith all the nations that forget God. 4. From this fubjecl we may be informed, that tiie ene- mies of the Lord, and oi his Chrift, Ihall certainly be de- llroyed. The honour of the divine and mediatorial go- vernment requires it. In many of the prophecies and threatnings of God's word, tJiis is plainly declared ; and will he TiOt do as he has faid ? God is not a man that he fljould lie, neither the fan of man that he Jljould repent ; hath he faid, and f hall he not do it? or hath he I poke n, and Ihall he not make it good? Numb. ::-\iii. 19. He hath not declared it in words only, but he hath afllired us of it by nioft folemn and fignificant actions, which the fcrvants of Chrift have feen in the vifions of God. Many of thofe arc to be found in this book of the Revelations, and in other p.arts of fcrip- ture. The text contains three of them. John faw the mediatorial angel take the cenfer, fill it with fire of the altar, and cafl it into the earth, which produced among men voices, lightnings, thunders, and an earthquake. Shall he not a£t thofe things in reality, which John faw him do in vifion .'' To this the words of the prophet may be ap- plied. For the vifton is yet for an appointed time., hut at the end it fl^all fpiak, and not lie ; though it tarry nvaif for ity becaufe it ivill fureh come, it nuill not tarry, Hab. ii. 3, As the viflonary reprefentations of the work of Chrift relative to his people, which are contained in the two verfes preceding the text, fhall be accompliflied ; fo the fignificant actions, wliereby his work refpcOing his enemies is exhi- bited in the text, fhall be fulfilled in their feafon. Con- cerning tiie numerous and mighty hofts of foes.with whi^h his church is furrounded, and whereby his kingdom of grr^ce Is oppofed amcng men, tlic Lord hath faid, To me he^ Y 2 44 longeth vengeance and recompence^ their foot fJjall Jlide in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that flmll come upon them make hafe^TitMl. xxxii. 35. The belief of this truth fhould be preffed upon the minds of Chrift's enemies, that they, fcrfeeing the evil, may hide themfelves, by abandoning their courfe of oppofition to him, and by fubmitting to the peifon, righteoufnefs, gofpel, and law of the Redeemer. The belief of this truth fhculd alfo be prefled on the hearts of Chrift's followers, to prevent them from finking into defpondency, and giving way to unbelief and flaviPn fear during the period of the wicked's triumph J and to enable them to lire in the exercife of an holy, joyful, and certain expectation of the accomplifh- ment of all the great and glorious things, which the Lord has promifed to his church, both in this world and in that which is to come. 5. The great folly of the children of men, in oppofing the intevefts of Chrill in this world, is evident from what has been faid. Againft whom are they a£ting .'' To whom are they making oppofition .-' It is he who is God as well as man, who has all power in heaven and in earth, and who has the fiery judgments of God at his difpofal. Can they be fafe in this courfe ? Certainly not, for he muft: reign till his enemies arc made his footftool. He fhall afiuredly bring them low, by fcattering thefe burning coals among them, and by cafling the fire of the altar into their bo- fom. To him the defl;ru£tion of his enemies, even the moft powerful and- ftubborn, is eafy ; for he has only to take the cenfer, fill it with fire of the altar, and call it into the earth, and inftantly there fhall be voices, light- nings, thunders, and an earthquake of perfonal or public judgments, by which they fliall be overthrown. Their oppofition to Chrift contains the bafeft ingratitude ; for they are defpiling and reje£ling him, who has come in the flefli, and is now coming in the gofpel, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be faved. He is revealing to them ftatutes by which they may live, and fpeaking words by which they may be faved ; and can they defpife thefe ftatutes of life, and rejeft this word of falvation, without being guilty of the greateft folly and bafeft ingratitude. In the words of Mofes they may be adtlreffed, Do ye thus requite the Lord, foolijh people and -45 uniufe? Over them we may lament", ia the words of that prophet, O that they nvere wife^ that they underjiood this^ an(l that they ivould conjulev their latter end, Deut. xxxii. 6, 29. This melancholy oppofition^ to Chrift, is managed by the children of men both in their perfonal and colledtive capa- cities. By the unbelief and enmity of their hearts, by their corrupt and erroneous fentiments, and by their immoral and ungodly lives they, as individuals, rage and imagine a vain thing againft the Lord and his Chrift. In their civil and ecclefiaflical capacities, the children of men, by for- f-iking and oppofing the concerns of the Mediator, and by pra61:ifnig and fupporling thefe things which are contrary to his word, do fet- themfeives and combine againft the Lord and his anointed. All this will be found to be folly and prefumptuous madnefs ; for he that fitteth in the hea- vens will laugh, the Lord (hall have them in derifion ; and the time (hall come when he fliall fpeakto them in his wrath, and ffiall vex them in his fore difpleafure. Kovf neceilary and fuitable then, to all ranks of men, muft thefe exhort- ations be, and how worthy are they of th.eir mou hearty acceptation ! Be ivife noiu therefore, O ye ki/:gs ; and be ye ifijlrticiedy ye judges cf the earth. Serve the Lord ivhh fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kifs the Sony lefi he be angry, cud ye periJJj from the %vay, nvhen his ivrath is kindled but a little ; bleffed are all they that put their trujl in him, Pfal. ii, 10, 1 1, 1 2. 6. From this lubjcct we may alfo fee the fafcty of the people of God in a day of public calamity. When the fire of the altar iscafl: into the earth, not even the fmaliell fparks of it (hall ever reach thofe viho have fied for refuge, and laid hold on Chrift by faith, as the hope fet; before them in the gofpel. Their intereft in Chrift is the ground of their fafety. ' By believing in him, they are for ever fecured from the curfe of the law, and the wrath of God ; for they are brought within the bend of the covenant of grace, are clothed with the righteoufnefs of Chrift, are interefted in the promifes, and are entitled to the blefhngs which they contain. They are partakers of the infinite merit and fa- tisfadlicn of Chrill's obedience, fuiFerings, and death, where- by they are delivered from the guilt of fin, tJie condemning fentence of the lav^^, and the ftroke of divine juftice. There is no fire at the altar for them. ; becaufe their Surety has endured it on their account, and has removed it from them 4<5 entirely, and for ever. Clirifl: will never cad the fire of tlie altar, the vindictive judgments of God, upon any for wliofe tranfgrefhons he was ftricken. He will never caft any part of the fire of the altar into the earth, which he himfelf has endured, when he bare his people's fins in his own body on the tree. They arc in him as their hiding place from the ftorni, and covert from the temped, through which the wrath of God can never penetrate ; they fliall therefore en- joy perfeft and eternal fafety. An habitual improvement ofChrift, by faitli in his pcrfon, rightcoufnefs and grace, is neceflary both unto our glorifying him^ and unto our enjoy- ing a comfortable fenfe of our fafety in him. Our failing in this moft important exercife, as it is greatly to the Re- deemer's difhonour, fo it will both deprive us of much fpi- ritual comfort, and bring upon us days of darknefs and for- row. Tliofe who live daily by fiith on the Son of God, Ihall be enabled to fing, with holy joy and triumph, God is our refuge andjlreHgtJ:^ a very prejeiit help in troidile. There-' fore 'will ive not fear ^ though the earth he rcnigvcdy and though the mountains be carried into the niidfl of the fea^ though the lua- ters thereof ronr^ and be troubled y though the mountains Jljahe with the fiveliing thereof. They indeed may endure many trials, in a day when the Lord is fiiaking terribly the earth ; but in thefe there is no part of the fire of the altar for them. The various tribulations which they may fuffer fiiall, by the bleifing of God, enlarge their fpiritual exercife, promote their happinefs and comfort, and prepare them for the in- heritance of the faints in fight. The confideration of the glorious perfon, to whom the execution of divine judgments is committed, and of their relation to him, may afiure be- lievers of perfe'ine judgments, the church is in a low cllate, and the fouls of multitudes arc Infe£led with fpiritual plagues, we cer- G 50 tainly have the greateft reafon to be in bitternefs of fpirrt before the Lord. 8. It is of importance for us to confider from this fub- je£l, what fhould be our employment in a day of folemn fafling, when times are evil and perilous, both by fin and judgments. To lay this before your view, you may be re- ferred to the accounts given of the exercifes of the godly in the vifion of Ezekiel, which was formerly mentioned. In Ezck, ix- 4. we are told that thofe who were marked for prefcrvation, as the Lord's peculiar treafure, fighed and cried for all the abominations that were done in the midft of Jerufalem. Three parts of their exercife are here repre- fented for our infl;ru<£l:ion. They were acquainted with thefe abominations, and they knew them in their contra- riety to the nature and law of God. They were not inat- tentive to the abounding evils by which God's law was broken, and his difplcafure incurred j but they faw and confidered them with holy grief and indignation. They fighed for thefe abominations. They were troubled in fpi- rit, they mourned and wept before the Lord, their fouls were afflicled, their bowels were moved, and they were pained at their heart for the fins which prevailed in the land. They cried alfo on account of thefe. They cried before God by prayer and confeffion, and they cried be- fore men by an holy life and a public teftimony againft thefe abominations. In the eighth verfe of the fame chap- ter, the prophet defcribes his own exercife on this awful occafion, when the coals of fire were fcattered over the city j / fell upon my face, and cried^ and faidy Ahy Lord Gody ivilt thou dejlroy all the refidiie of Ifraely in the pouring out of thy fury upon Jerufalem. For our imitation, the fol- lowing exercifes are contained in thefe words. Deep hu- mility and great earneflnefs in his application to God ; he fell on his face, and cried : — Earneft fupplication to God for mercy to the church ; and an holy expoftulation and talking with God in prayer concerning Jhis judgments. Let us ftudy this day, in a dependence on the' grace of Chrift, to exercife ourfelves in thefe particulars, that we may be found going forth by the footfteps of the flock.. If we confider the vifion to which the text belongs, we will alfo find fome peculiar parts of the exercife of the faints in an evil time, by which our duty is clearly exhi- 51 bited. In Rev. vii. 3. the parties who are fealed are Called the fervmits of our God. We fhould confider it as our high- eft honour and principal concern to be the fervancs of God. By believing in Chrift for falvation, cnlifting ourfelves un-« der his banner, devoting ourfelves to his fervice, and walk- ing in his ways, we fliould fay, Oh., Lord., truly nue are thy fervantSf ive are thy fervants^ thou hajl loofed our bonds. In verfe pth, it is faid they were clothed with white robes, and had palms in their hands. Having renounced the fil- thy rags of their own righteoufnefs, they have fubmitted unto, and put on the righteoufnefs of Chrift ; they have a pure heart by regenerating grace, the clean hands of a pui-e converfation, and are arrayed with an holy profeflion of the gofpel and law of their Redeemer. In connexion with thefe robes, they have palms, the figns of victory, in their hands. As perfons who have obtained many viilories over their enemies, and who have vidtory fccured. to them in the promife of God, they bear in their hands the pal: a of joy and conqueft, even before their triumph is complete. In the loth verfe, they are employed in the duty of praife. They cried nv'ith a lo«d voice ^ faying^ Saivation unto our Gody ivhofttteth upon the throne^ ana to the Lamh. Though they have great reafon to mourn on account of fin, yet they are not left without a fong in the midft of their forrow. A view of the righteoufnefs of divine judgments ; of their end, M^hich is to promote the divine glory, and of their tendency to overthrow the enemies of Chrift, and to eftablilh his kingdom in the world, caufes them to fing, like the church of old, 5/o« heard and ivas glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced becaufe of thy judgments, Lord, Pfalm xciv. 8. In the 14th verfe, it is faid, they have ixjaflied their rqhes, and made them ivhite in the blood of the Lamb. Convinced of their guilt and impurity, and enlightened in the knowledge of Chrift as their only Saviour, they, in the exercife of faith, receive from him the atonement, embrace him as the propitiation for their fins, and come to the blood of fprink- ling. With thefe fpiritual exercifes the hearts of believers are familiarifed, and in them they have great delight. In the two vdVfas before the text, they are reprefented as a praying people. The Mediator could have no prayers of faints to prefent on the golden altar before the throne, if his people did not give themfelves to this important duty. It G 2 IS therefore a very prominent part of their chara£ler, with an eye to the merit and interceffion of Jefus, to make men- tion of the Lord, not to keep filence, and to give him no reft till he ellablifh, and till he make Jerufalem a praife in midll of the earth. Thefe are feme of the duties in which we Ihould be employed on a day of public fading, and at fuch a time as this. If we, by the gTace andSpirit of Chrift, attain unto them^ in any fuitable degree, we will have kept fuch a fall as the Lord hath chofenj but if our fouls are ilrangers to thefe exercifes, we will have fafled unto our- felves, and not unto him. We fhall nov/ conclude with a fev/ advices deduced froni the fubject, and anfwerable to the work of the day. Let it be your concern, O Chriftians, to fpend the whoie of the day in the exercife of fail ing before the Lord. The work of a day of humiliation muft not be confined to the public ordinances, but muft be carried on in the private and fecret duties of your families and c'ofets. Every exercife of public humiliation compreheiids a family and perfonal faft. It is in^poffible to be religioufly exercifed in public fafting, if we do not ftudy humiliation before God, in our family and per- fonal capacities. One great end of public ordinances this day, is to adminifter dire6lion and help to you in your pri- vate and fecret duties. Pour ye out your hearts before God by prayer and confefTion, accompanied with repentance toward Gcil, and faith toward the Lord Jefus Chrift, in the duties of your family. Retire by yourfelves, and in the exercifes of ferious- meditation, reading of the word, earneft praye'r, felf-exam.ination, humble confefhon, and deilica- lion of yourfelves to God in Chrift, faft perfonally, main- tain intercourfe with God, and pour ve out your hearts be- fore him. Take a broad vie\y of your fins in their heinous nature, various kinds, and manifold aggravations. Study lo affect your heart with real grief and lorrowfor your fins, iiud be in bitternefs for them, as one is for an only fon and a firft-born. Confider how your fins diftionour God, pierce Chrift, grieve the Spirit, and wound your immortal fouls, and be filled with god! v forrow, earneft carefulnefs and ve- hement defile to avoid ail fin, and holy indignation, zeal and revenge againft it. Turn the eye of your faith to the mercy of God, and to the blood of Jefus Chrift. his Son, which cleanfeth you from all fin, that vou may hev.r him faying to ^53 you, I have caufed thine iniquity to pafs from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. Pray for the Spirit of God, that under his influence you may have comfortable views of pardoning mercy, may attain to the renewed adlings of faith on the death of Chrilil, may have fin fubdued in you, and may be enabled in time coming to keep yourfelves from all iniquity. Be deeply affected M'lth the uns of others, whereby God is fo remarkably diflionoured, in the times in which you live. If you are properly affliiSled for your own fins, you will alfo be concerned for the fins of others. Rivers of waters fliould run down your eyes, becaufe they keep not God's law. If you expert to fhare of the privileges of the faints in a time of judgments, you muft imitate them in their fpiritual exercifes. Both thefe are fet before us in the words of Peter concerning Lot; u4nd aWivered juji Lot, vexed ivithihe filthy converfaiion of the nvicked; For this righteous man diuell- iiig among them, in feeing and hearings vexed his righteous foul from day io day, ivith their tinlanvful deeds. His forrow was great, for his fpirit was vexed. He was a£tive in promot- ing this frame of mind, for he vexed his own foul. It was his habitual exercife, for it was from day to day. The caufes of his grief were the fins of others, the filthy con- verfation of the wicked, and their unlawful deeds. And the privilege of Lot is alfo mentioned, for the Lord deliver- ed him from the dcftrudlion of the M'icked. For the Lord hwiueth hoiv to deliver the godly out of tempiatlofiSy to caufe them efcape wrathful calamities, and to referve the iinjuft unto the day of judgment, th€ feafons of liis wrath, to be punlfhed, 2 Pet. il. 7, 8, 9. Take a view of the fins of the lands of your nativity, and confefs and mourn over them before the Lord. Diredl: your attention to the fins of the nations of the world, and lament that the King of nations is fo much difhonoured among men; that you may be able 10 fay with truth, / beh-eld the traffgrefors, and ivas grieved,- becaufe they kept not thy ivcrd, Pfa. cxix. 158. Let your hearts be alfo afTef^ed with the judgments of God which are in the earth. It is your indiipenfible duty to confider them moft ferioufiy, in their awful nature, in their prefent etTe£ls, and in their ultimate defign. When the four firft feals were opened by the Lord Chrid, Rev. y:. I, 3,* 5, 7. the four living creatures, one after anothei; 54 faid, Come and fee. This rcprefents the great duty of the minifters of the gofpel, to invite the Chriftian people to a folemn and ferious confideration of the judgments of God, both as they are revealed in the prophecy and threatning, and as they arc fulfilled in the providence of God. In- sttention to the judgments of God which are in the earth characfterifes thofe, who are the guilty obje6ls of thefe wrathful ftrokes. Lord, ivhen thy hand is Ufited up they nuill not fee ; but they Jhnll fee ^ and be afrmmed for their envy at the people, yea, the fire of thine enemies Jrjall devour them, Ifa. xxvi. II. Perfons arc further expofed to the difpleafure of God by this finful negle£l. Becaufe they regard not the ivories cf the Lord, nor the operations of his hand, ' he fJjall defray them, and not build them up, Pfal. xxviii. 5. By a careful perfor- mance of this neceflary duty, the fouls of Chrifbians ob- tain much fpiritual good; Whofo is ivife, and ivill ohferve thefe things, even they fall tmdetfand the loving kindnefs of the Lord, Pfal. cvii. 43. Let it be your earned concern, therefoi-e, O Chriftians, rightly to improve the judgments cf God, by confidering them as holy operations of a God of wifdom, mercy and power, who will direft them in- fallibly to their proper ends; for though the rings of the wheels of providence are high and dreadful, yet they are full of eyes round about them all. Pray much for the Spirit of God to apply the gofpel to the fouls of men, that individuals and nations may profit favingly by divine judgments. It is not by thefe fearful works, that the Lord accomplifhes any gracious deliver- ance for the children of men. If the judgments of God are not accompanied with the application of the gofpel, by the power of the divine Spirit, to the fouls of men, thefe operations of Jehovah will do them no good. When Elijah heard a great and llrong wind, which rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks, it is faid the X^ord was not in th^wind. When he felt a terrible earth- quake, the Lord was not in the earthquake. And when he faw a devouring fire, the- Lord was Jiot in the fire. But when he heard a ftill fmall voice, the Lord was in it; for whenever he heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, end food in the entering in of the cave, I Kings xix. .13. In like manner, when the voices, thunderings, lightnings and the earthquake of diving judg^ients prevail in the world. God, in the gracious manifeftation of himfelf to finners, h not in them. It is only by the itill fmall voice of the ever- lafting gofpel, accompanied with the power of the Spirit, that any gracious and faving bleflings can be communicated, either to the fouls of men, or to the nations of the world. Judgments may be the mean of humbling the pride of men, and of difpofing their hearts to give attention to the gofpel of divine grace; but further they cannot go. The other parts of the work the Lord performs by a very different Inftrument, even the gofpel of our falvation. Let us there- fore ery unto him, that he may fend the gofpel with divine power after his judgments, and may caufe the chariot of white horfes to go forth after the chariot of black horfes, for the converfion and lalvation of the nations. Seek preparation for thefe trials, to which you may yet be expofed, by the execution of divijio judgments. Thofc which we have already feen, and thofe of which we havij heard, may be only the beginning of forrows. We may be affured, that the pouring out of the feven vials of the wrath of God upon the earth, which is defcribed in the xvi. chapter of this book, is begun, is going on at this time, and is not finiflied. The evils wJiIch the nations are fufferings, may be confidered as a part of the accomplifliment of thi^ vifion. As the work of judgment is not yet fulfilled, we may expetfl: the calamities of men to become ftill more ex- tenfive and diftrcffing. Whether the Lord will, without intermiflion, carry on his flrange a£t, finilli his work, and cut it fliort in righteoufnefs, or give intervals of quietnelf God's antient people which contnmed fubjrdt to the houfe of David, the tribes of Judali ?Jid Benjamin, who were yet fpared, notwithllanuing o! great provocations, to tr'ffefs their pofflirions, in the land of promil'e. Or, by the houle of Ifrael, and th'.; houfe of JuJah, we may underhand, the kingdom of Judah, with thofe of the ten tribes, who, on different octaiions, had iled to the land of Judah, had taken up their refuience among them, and w.^re incor- porated with them \ they and the houfe of Judah together have brok.Tn my covenant. It is with reipecl to God's covenant that the houfe of Ifrael, and the houfe of Judah, art here charged with fin. God's covenant in fcrip'ure fometimes figniiic s that ever- laOing covenant wi\i( )i he made with Chrdt our mediator, from eternity, concernir.g t'ae ialvation of loil: finners, whith '.vis to him vj covenant of purchafe or redemption. 6 Ohfervations en the Public Co'vemrJs but, as it is revealed and offered unto the children of mei? in the gofptl, is to them •a covenant altogether of rich,- i'overeign and free grace. But by God's covenant, in the vritings of infpiration, we muft, at other times, under-* ftand that covenant of duties which takes place betwixt God and the church, wherein they devote themfeivcs to the Lord, and engage to lerve hirn all the days of their iife. It is in this fenfe that the Lord's covenant is to be underfiood in the words of the text. The perfons with whom the covenant was made are alio mentioned i which I made with their fathers. The covenanting anceftors of the people of Ifrael are here meant. That generation with whom the Lord made this covenant at Horeb, and the other generations of Ifrael, in whofe days the covenant was renewed, and who form- ally entered into the bond of it, may all be conlidered as their fathers, with whom the Lord bad made this cove- nant. The text likewife contains an accourjt of the fin, with which the Lord charges the perfons, to whom the pro- phet was fent ; it is the breach of this covenant, they have broken my covenant. They have not kept my co- venant; they have neither fulfilled their obligations, nor performed their vows unto me. They have broken my covenant, not by the omiffion of duties only, but by the commiffion of iin, and walking in thofe ways which they had folemnly fworn to avoid, and vowed to forfake. Having thus endeavoured to explain the text, and tak- evk fbme view of the verles of the chapter which precede it, we iliall now enter upon a more particular tonlidera- tion of the fubjecH:, by profecuting the two following de- signs. I. We fliall attempt to illuftrate a few general obfer- vations concerning the public covenants betwixt God and the church, chielly taken from the text. II. Some practical inferences Ihall afterwards be de- duced from the fubje^t. I. An illuftratlon of fome general obfervations on the public covenants betwixt God and the church, chiefly taken from the text, is now to be attempted. Firft, Gqd and his church are the parties in thefe fo- kftiu cov(f»ants, ancl botii of them perform their part,, i^ betwixt Cod and the Church. 7 tlielr difterent capacities, for eOabliniing them. This ob- fervation is evident from thele words, which I have made with their fathers. The moil high God^ as a reconciled God in Chrift, revealing himfelf as a God of mercy through the Redeemer, and as the glorious Lord, and King* and Governor of his people, is one party in thcfe folemn covenants. The church or people of God, as a company of profefled villble believers in the name of Je- fus, fubjefting themielves unto the authority, word, and ordinances of God in Chrilf , having hope of falvatioa thro' him, and coni'cientioufly deilring and endeavouring to aifl for his glory, is the other party in thefe public fe- deral tranfa^ions. In the eftablifliing of thele cove-" nants both thefe parties are active, in their refpeftive ca- pacities. By looking into the fcriptural account of thofe iblemn deeds, both parts of this obfervation will be con- firmed. The original tranfaftion of this kind, which i« largely recorded in the 19th chapter of Exodus, deferves firft to be conildered. In the third verfe we are told, that Mofes went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, faying, Thus Jloalt thou fay io the houfe of Jacobs and tell the children cf Ifrael. From the iive following verfes, which you may read from your Bi- bles, it appears, that the Lord, having employed the nii- niftery of Mofes to Ifrael, on this occalion, through him propofes the covenant unto the church, ftates the terms of it, makes the promife thereof, and, by his authority, lays it upon them in all its duties and obligations. The church, on the other hand, are alio active, on their part, by giving an explicit, folemn, and voluntary content thereunto, entering into the covenant, taking the obli- gation upon themfelves, and promifing obedience. The fajne things are evident from that covenanting which took place in Ifrael, before the death of Jofliua. It is represented, at large, in the laft chapter of his book, par- ticularly, from the 14th to the 28th verfe. Jofliua, aft- ing at this time in the name of the Lord, exhorts the people to their duty, calls them to chufe whom they will lerve, defcribes that God into whofe fervice they were entered, and the nature of that obedience which he re- quires. The people, afting their part in the folemn bu- (inefs, engage themfelves to this fervice, faying, We tuiL' S Ohfervations on the Public Covenants firve the Lordy the Lord our God will we ferve, and him wilt ive obey. The confequcncc of which is declared, ver. 25. So Jojhua made a covenant with the people that day, and fet them a Jiatute and an ordinance in Shechem. The inftance we have of public covenanting, in the days of Afa, the fourth from David, which is nientioned in the 15th chap- ter of 2 Chron. confirms aifo the truth of this obferva- tion. The Lord begins the great work, by fending a prophet to the king and the people, upon their return from a moft victorious conquell of the Ethiopians, vrho had come out againft them, and he delivers to them, in the name of th^ Lord, a moft «iTe£ting difccurfe, tending to encourage them in the work of retormation. The king immediately gathered a'l Judah and Benjamin, and the ftrangers with them out of Ephraim, and Manafleh, and out of Simeon. The people of the land, obedient to the call, aflembled at Jerulalem, in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Afa. The divine account of the people's conduct, at this time, is conveyed to us in the following words: Attd the^ entered into a covenant ta feek the Lord God of their fathers, with all their heart, and ivith all their foul. And they fware unto the Lord with a hud veice, and with fhouting, and nvith trumpets^ and with cornets. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath. Thefe inftan- ces are fufficient to prove, that the parties in public re- ligious covenants are God and his church, and that each of them is a£live in their formation. All covenanting, in after-times, mud be of the fame general nature, a (0- icmn tranfa6tion betwixt God and the church, wherein »hc parties are not concerned only, but alfo actively em- ployed. By giving the church the revelation of his will r;rrpccl;ing this duty in his holy word ; by allowing them covenanting feafons, and calls from his word and pro- vidence to engage in that duty; by employing fbme to be aftlve in leading the church in this ioleum work ; by ftir- ring up the hearts of his people, at large, to vow and fwear unto him; by carrying on the work among them in the courfe of his favourable providence; and by giv- ing them infallible figns of his prelence, acceptance, and blefliiig in this fervice, — does the God of the church per- form his part in conftituting thefe covenants? The peo- ple of God act their part in this great work, whca thevj betiv'ixt God and the Church. being rightly informed about the nature of the duty, and convinced of the call which they have to perform it, do really vow and fwear to the Lord to be his people, and to obey his voice; and in this manner join thcmleives to the Lord in a perpetual covenant, that Ihall not be forgotten. Secondly, The public covenants betwixt God and the church contain his gracious engaging himfelf to be their God, and to blefs them ; and their dutiful obliging them- felves to be his people, and to ferve him. This is the na- ture of all religious covenants with God. If they are con- sidered in any other light, they are mifunderflood j and if they are held up to men in any other point of view, they are mifreprefented. They come not at all in the room of the covenant of work?, have no conne or proper analogy unto it. They do not in any refpeiTt fu- perfede or corrupt the covenant of grace; but are built: upon it, and tend to carry on its merciful dcllgns among men. The covenant of grace is abfoluteiy neceflary as the foundation upon v/hich thefe covenants mult relf ; and as the fountain from which they proceed. In order to an ac- ceptable covenanting with God, either in a public or in a perfonal refpect, faitli in him as our God inChrift, is really cfTential. An individual Chriftian in a perfonal, or a body of them in a public capacity, entering into a covenant with God, do it not with a view to obtain an intercR in him as their God, to regain his favour, or acquire a title to his falvation ; but, having received Chriit by faith, and taken hold of the covenant of which he is the mediator for thefe purpofes, they, in their covenanting with God, folemnly devote themfelves unto him, and vow or fwear, in tjie ftrength of his grace, to glorify and ferve him with their bodies and fpirirs which are his. Were it not for the e- verlafting covenant which God hath made with Chrift for our falvation, the curfe of the law, and the wrath of God, which v/s have incurred by fm, could not be removed from us; nor ecu d we have accefs in any refpeft into a rtate of friendfliip or amicabie intercourfe with him. While matters betwixt God and us remained in this litu- ation, acceptable and profitable covenanting with him mull: be impofiible. But the Lorrl Jefus, having fuifiiled the condition of the covenant of falvation, by his obedi- ence, fuiferini's and death, has both redeemed his pec- B !• Ohfervaiions on the Public Covenants pie from the curfe of the law, and made peace betwixt God and them, by the blood of his crofs. When lin- ners are enabled in the exercife of a true faith to belierc in Chrift, and to take hojd of the covt-nant of grace for faivation, God actually becomes their God in Chrii>, and they are brought into the bltffiid relation of a reconciled people unto him. It is therefore in thefe relations, which God and his people bear unto one another, in Chriit by the covenant of grace, that they a£t towards one another in thefe covenants, into the nature of which we are now enquiring. Our covenants with God, therefore, muft reft upon God's covenant of grace as tlitir foundation, and be a mean of carrying on the blefTed defign of that covenant, betwixt God and his people, while they are in this world. Chriilians, in their covenanting with God, whether in a perfonal or public capacity, have various objects to difclaim and abandon ; a (blemn renouncing of theie niuft make a part of their covenanting exercife. In this work, Chrirtians have many obje^^s which th'^y are cal ed to em- brace and receive; a deliberate and cordial acceptance of them, pertains alfo to this iblemn tranfaiSlion. When the members of the church draw near unto God in this duty, they have many things to furrendcr unto him, their peribns, their time, their influence, their fuhftance, their Icrvice, &c. for this realbn a dedication of our- felves, all that we are, have, and can do, is included in our covenanting with God. As Chriflians, in the per- formance of this fervice, are to bind thcmfislves with a bond to be the lu^rd's people, and to i'erve him j their coming under folemn vows and engagements, to be for liim and not for another, muft be an elTcntial branch of this important duty. Though there may be a difference betwixt the objfdts which a Chriftian as an individual, and a body of them in their collc6livc capacity are called, In their covenanting with God, to renounce, accept, and devote to the Lord, and alfo in the duties to the per- formance of which they do engage ; yet the nature and tendency of thsfc Iblemn traniadtions are, in both cafes, fal>nantiariy the fame. The truth of this obfervation, and of what has now keen faid for its i!!i«ftration will appear from the rcnrc- betwixt God and the Church. 1 1 fentations of this duty, with which we are favoured in t'hc word of God. One of thefe is contained in Deut. xxvi. ly, 1 8, 19. Thtu hajl avouched the Lord this day ta he thy God. and to lualk in his ivays, and to keep his JlatuteSy and his tejiimsnies^ and his judgments^ and to hearken unto his voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar peopley as he hath promifed thee., and that thott Jhouldejl keep all his camniandments. /Ind ts make thee high above all nations 'which he hath made^ in praije, and in name, and in honour y and that thou mayjl be an holy people unt» the Ltrd thy God as he hath Jpoken We lani, the public covenants which exift betwixt God and the church contain his gracious engagement to be their God and to blefs them. Here we are told, that, in thcfe co- venants, the Lord avouches the church to be his people; which plainly imports his engagement to be their God, and that he will blefs them, by making them high above all nations, wlio are not in covenant with God, in name, in praife, and in honour j which certainly llgnifies his engagement to blefs them. We likewife laid, that, in thefe tranf,i£tions, the church's obligstions to be the Lord's people, and to ferve him, is aifo comprehended. What elfe can be the meaning of thefe v.'orJs, TChou hajl avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, &c. Thou hafc folemnly taken hold of the Lord to be thy God, profef- led thy relation to him as his people, and engaged thine heart to ferve him, by keeping his ftatutes, judgments, and commandments. Another reprelentation of the na- ture of this duty, from which the truth of this obftrva- tjon may be confirmed, is found in 2 Chron. xv. ,1, 15. And they entered into a covenant to feek the Lord God of their fathers, ivith all their heart, and with all their foul. — And he was found of tktm, and the Lord gave them reji round a- bviit. Their covenanting exercile was a folenin engage- ment on their part, to feek and ferve the Lord their God, who had been their f.uhers God ; and, in this manner, to aft as a people who belonged unto the Lord. Jehovah, on his part, was found of them, as the Lord God of their fathers, and the Lord their God, and con- ferred covenant hlefHngs upon them ; for he gave them relf, peace and prosperity on every hand. Thirdlyy Public covenanting is a mor.il duty, incum- 1 2 Ohfervations on the Public Covenants bent upon the church in every age ; during the new/ as weh as under the old dii'penfation of grace to the chil- dren of men. As this truth is greatly oppofed in our day, we Ih^li endeavour to confirm it; and which, wc j'uppofc, may be done, to the conviction of the unpreju- diZviJ, by the following arguments. ly?, There is nothing in the n^iture of thefe covenants, which iubfilied betwixt God and Ifrael, that renders them in-ripplicable unto the church in new tertament times. It the things which are effential unto public co- venanting were fuel), as rendered it peculiar to the for- mer difpenf.ition, and utterly unfuitable to the new tef- tament lute of the church, the morality of that duty in gofpel days could not be maintained. But no fuch thing is found to be the cafe; on the contrary, every thing be- longing unto the nature of that exercile, iuitb the condi- tion of the cl.urch finre the coming of Chrifl:, ab well as before that pr-riod. Was it the privilege of the antient church to .have the Lord, by a public foederal tranfac- tion, engaging himfeif to be their God, and to blefs them ? and does not the gofpel church ftand in need of the lame diftinguifhing favour ? Was it the exercife of the Ifr.ielit'cs to eng.ige theml'tlvts as in duty bound, to be the Lord's pf-opje, and to (Vrve him ? and is not this an empioyment pcrfeclly fuitable to the new tellament church? Then- is nothing in the nature of the antient covenanting that was not purely moral, and confeqi:!ent- ly this exercife bv^longs to us as well as to them. Many of the ordin.mces of tliat difpenlation, indeed, to the ob- i'erv.ition of which the church of old, in their covenant- ing, did bind ihemCelves, are now abrogated ; hut there is a fyilem of ordinances under the ntw oilpenfation, e- qniliy with them oi divine auil.ority, which we are com- nianded to keep as they have been delivered to us, to a. due regard unto and imprnvement of which, we are to bind ourfelves in our covenant tranlaft'ons with God. The change which the Lord hath made in the outward ord^^ance of his worlli'p, in his fovereign pieafure and according unto the Hate of tl.e church under the difie- rent difpetifations makes not the imalleif alteration in the moral obligation, which his people, exiting in thefe tliffcrcut periods, wtrs uiide.*^ both to oblerve the prJi- hetiv'ixt God and the Church, 1 3 nances which were divinely authorized in their time, and, by covenanting with God, to promife and vow Cuck an obrervation of them as the Lord required. Since e- very thing cflentia] to public covcnanciiig, anfwers the ftate of the church now, as well as before the times of the goipil, it mud be a duty incumbent upon the new teflament church. zd The morality of this duty in our times further ap- pears from Icfipture precepts requiring it, which are of a flaiiding iriora! obligation upon the people of God in every age. The firfl precept in the moral law may jufi- ly be confidered as a command unto men to avouch the Lord to be their God, and to devote thenifcilves unto his lervice. Thou flialt have no other gods before me. Thou flialt have me to be thy God. Conlidering this precept in connccftion with the preface to the law, I aui- the Lard thy Gad, it certainly requires the exercife of our faith upon him as our God, an open profcfllon of our re- lation to him, our dedication of ourieives unto him, and our fpeciai defign of ftrving and glorifying him for ever. This precept, therefore, clearly comprehends all the parts of folemn covenanting with God ; and this duty is one of the principal ways, whereby the church teHifit;* that Ihe has the Lord to be her God. — Another precept of the divine word which has a reipect to this duty is found, 2 Chron xxx, 8. Tield '^our/elves unto the Lord ; The fame command is given to the church by an apoftle, Rom. vi. 13. Tield yourfflves tinto God, as thofc that are alive frcm the dead. \w the Chriftian exercife of yielding them- fclves unto the Lord, the renouncing of the other lords, which, beilde him, have had dominion over tjiem ; ths embracing of him as their God; the dedication of thenir feives to him; and their engaging fheniieives to fervc him, mull be included. Since thefe particulars, which are the great fubftance of covenasating with God, are in- cluded in yielding ourfelvcs unto him, this precept muli: be a command warranting this necefiiiry dury. As thi^ precept is not given in the Old Teftamtnt oniv, but a fii required in the New, the duty of ccv; ivar.ting, which i^ contained in it, muft be an exercife required of us •,■'.5 well as of believers under the former difpenraticn. T)i€ liifl precept I iluU meptipn is the ivcrdo of God by Dar S4 Ohfervathm en the Fuhlic Covenanis ^id, Pfalm Ixxvi. ii. VoiVy and pay unto the Lord your God. Two divine precepts are here given to the church ; Voiu unto the Lord your God, and pay unto the Lord your God. The lornicr requires Chriltians to come under fo- lemn, voluntary obligations unto the Lord, by vowing and ("wearing unto him, or covenanting v?ith him ; and the latter enjoins that, as they have made their vows, they fhould lludy to fulfil them every day. The pre- cepts which have now been mentioned, as they plainly comprehend covenanting with God, lb they are app ica- ble to Chriltians acting as a body, as well as in their in- dividual capacity. By the precepf^s of the divine law then, we arc required to exercife ourfelves in the duty of perfonal and public covenanting with God. 3^, The morality of this duty is alio evident from fcripture examples. If v;e are called to be followers of them, both in their perfonal and ibcial condu«5t, who through faith and patience inherit the promifes ; and if we find that the church of God, with his approbation, have been employed in this folemn duty ; why Ih juld we queltion its being the way of the Lord I When God brought Ifrael out of Egypt, and carried them forward to mount Sinai, he broUj^ht them, in the moft ib.emn manner, into a covenant relation with himfclf. In the days of Jofhuah, when the children of Hrael were peaceably fettled in the land of proniile, this folemn co- venant with God was publicly renewed, and the people again entered into the bond thereof. When ifrael had made great defecftion from the law of the Lord, by fall- ing into idolatry, and the other eviis which uliialiy ac- company it, they, in the days of Ala, returned from their evd ways unto the frrvice of Goil, by entering into a folemn covenant with the Lord their Go>l. In the days of Jehoiada the priell, when he li.id placed Joafh upon the throne, and had put the kinp/s mother to death tor her m.urder, idolatry and ufurpiUion, the people of Ju- dah, after a period of mournful apoltacy Irom GoJ, re- turned to him by public covenanting, of which we have the following accouiit. And Jehoiada made a cove/rant be~ i-wecn the Lord, and the hhrg and the people . that they JJjould be the Lord's people ; betiveen the king alj't and the people. 2 Kings xi. 17. There is a twofold covenant here. Arc- betwixt God and the Church* 15 ilgious covenant, the defign of which was that they ihould be the Lord's people, wherein the Lord was one party, and the king and the people the other. And a civil covenant between the king and the people, in which the parties, no doubt, engaged to perform their different duties to each other. Tlie church of God were alfo employed in this loiemn exercife in the days of Jofi- ah. When the book of the law was found, and the mefTage from Huldah received, this pious youth, having conveened at Jerufalem the whole inhabitants of the land, engaged in the great work of reforming his king- dom, abolifliing idolatry, and fetting up the worfhlp of God; and all this he confirmetl by entering into a cove- nant to walk after the Lord, and to keep his command- ments and his teftimonies, and his flatutes. Wlien Ju- dah returned from Babylon, and were again planted ia their own land, thty, under the conduct of Ezra the prieft, and Nehemiah the tirlh^itha, did folemnly renew their covenant with God. Shall fuch glorious and pro- fitable fotemnities be the privilege of the church under the former difpenfation ; and iltall nothing of the kind be permitted unto her, or found with her under the gof^ pel } Having inch illuftrious examples before their eyes, fhall any nation be accounted innocent, that has embra- ced the true religion, if they are found negledting this folemn mean of glorifying God, and of promoting their own fpiritual advantage ? How unjuft and impious muft it be, to condemn tiie pradlice of our reformmg ancef- tors, in joining themfelvcs to the Lord in a folemn cove- nant, when their conduft is I'upported by fuch glorious precedents ? 4/A, Prophecies of the Old Tcftament refpc(^ing the gofpel church, which foretel that public covenanting thould be their exercife, prove the lawtulnefs of this duty in gofpsl times. Three of thele Ihall only be men- tioned. The firll is found in the words of David, Pfah Ixviii. 31. P'r'inces Jhall come cut of R^'^pty a fid Ethiopia Jli all Jl retch out her hands unto God. The words are a pro- phecy concerning the converfion of the Gentiles, in the times of the golpel, to the knowledge of the Lord and ©f his Chrift. Egypt and Etiiiopia are mcnt'oned to ilg- aify the Gentile nations at large» It is fiiid, princes Ihall i 6 Oh/ervattons on the Public Covenants come out of Egypt, they Oiall forfake the idolatry of E- gypt, and belitve in CUrift for lalvatioxi. Of Ethiopia it is iai'J, they Ihall frretch out their hand unto tht- Lord. This expreffiori dt^notcs that the Gentile nations fhould, in the days of the gofpel church, openly take upoo themfelves the profcliion of CiTnrtianity, declare their iabjedlion unto the law of the Redeemer, fend up their iuppHcations unto God in Chrill, and vow and fwear al- legiance to tiie King of Zion. — vnothtr prophecy which has a refpe^l unto the days of the golprl, and defcribes the ex-ircile of the n^vv tettament church, wherein pub- lic covenanting fecms to be inclu led, is r-r-corded, Ifa- ii. 3. And many pL":>pleJhall go diidfay^ came ye j and let us fo up to the mountain of the Lord, to the houfc of the Goa of 'Jacob, and h& ivill teach us of his -luuys, and ive ivill nvalk in his paths ; for out of "Lion fjall go Jarih the ijw, and the luard of the Lc^rd from Jenfi/sni. The two preceding and the two following vcrfes belong to the fame meff^.ge of grace, which was delivered by the prophet to the church, rt'hiting to gofpel times The n^ouutain of the Lord's haufe, which lign fits the new teftament church, is to be cifablifhed by the power of God, in an elevated lituation, eKalted above I'ier enemies, and all nations ihtil now to it. The prophet here foretels that many- nations, multitudes of peribns in the Gentile unions, and Gentile lands in their national capacity, fliould go and fay. Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the houfe of the God of Jacob; let us em« brace the Lord, and take hold of the God of Jacob, by % public and foiemn avouching him to be our God, and by a Careful obfcrvation of the ordinances ol his holy moun- tain. To this is added an account of the exercife of their faith on the divine promife, and their fblemn refo- lution, vow or covenant co ferve him. He lO:// teach u^ of his ways, and nve ivill tvalk in his paths. The glori- ous foundation of ail thi? religious exercife, among the Gentile churches, is alfo declared j for out of Zion /hall ga forth the laiVy and the word of the Lord from Jernfalem. The gofpel of divine g«"ace, as revealed in the word, as preached by the i'ervants of Jefus, and as favingly maai- fefted by the Spirit, taking pairelTion pf the fouls of men, induces them as individuals 10 the exercife of pcrronally heiwixt God and the Church. 1 7 devoting themfelves to the Lord; and, when this be- comes genera!, canfes them as a nation to engage in this folemn work. In Micah iv. chap, at the beginning, this vifion concerning the gofpel church is doubled, becaxife the thing is true ; from which we m;iy afluredly con- clude, that a fojemn public ta!;.ing hold of God as their God, and the devoting themfelves to him to walk in his paths, which is the eff-nce of public covenanting, is, and continues to be the duty of the church of God in every period of time. — Another prophecy to the lame purpofe, flill more explicit, you have in Ha. xix. 18, 21. In thai day Jhall five cities in the land of -Egypt fpeaJc the language of Canaan, and f-iuear to the Lord of hojls. The period when this Ihall be accomplillied is here mentioned, in that day. The prophets frequently fpeak of the gofpel times in this manner, and it muft be coufidered as refer- ring to that period. Five cities of the land of Egypt are the objeifls of this prophecy. Egypt is here mentioned to lignify the Gentile world, a part is put for the whole, and one nation only is mentioned to lignify the reft of the Gentile nations Five cities in the land of Egypt fignify many cities in many lands. They Ihall fpeak the language of Canaan. They fhall become acquainted with divine revelation, know the glorious truths of the gofpel, and have the holy law made plain before them. By this work of grace the Lord fhall turn to them a pure lan- guage. It is alfo declared, they fhall fwear to the Lord of hofts. Upon no rational or religious grounds can it ever be denied, that thei'e words are a clear prophecy, that public fwearing to God, or covenanting with him, fhould be the exercife of the church in new teftament times. It is not a fwearing by the Lord, but a fwearing to him, of which the Spirit of prophecy here fpeaks. In this religious oath, which the Gentile nations Ihould fwear, the Lord is not merely the objedl appealed unto, as the witnefs and the avenger ; but he is the objeiTc to whom the oath is made, and to whom it is to be fulfil- led. Both thefe exercifes which are mentioned here are explained in verfe 21. And the Lord fhall be knoivn to E~ gypty and the Egyptians fhall know the Lord in thai day — yeoy they f Jail vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. The Egyptians fpeaking the language of Canaan is the C iB Obfer'vations on the Public Covenants fame with their knowing the Lord, and their (wearing nnto the Lord is of the Tame import with their vowing a vow unto him. The exercife of public vowing and fwearing to the Lord continues to be a duty incumbent upon Cliriftians in new teliament times, fince the Spirit of God has exprefsly foretold, that, during this period, they ihould be fo employed, 5//?, The relation which fubfirts betwixt God and the church Teems to render her public covenanting with him a necclTary duty. Although this relation is infinitely more glorious than any relation that takes place among men, yet fuch is the goodnefs of God, that he conde- fcends to reprel'ent it to us by thefe earthly relations; a few of which may be mentioned, and from each of them the morality and neceffity of the church's covenanting with God may be demonllrated. The relation betwixt a king and his fubje^ls is a metaphor, which is uled by the holy Spirit, to reprefent the relation betwixt God and the church. The language which the church holds concerning her God, when viewing him in his gracious relation unto her, is the following ; The Lord is my King of oldy ivoi king falvation in the mid^fi cf the earth ; the holy One of Ijrael is our King ; the Lord is our King, he luill fuve us. To the conftituting of a moral relation betwixt an earthly king and his fubjcfts, a public agreement, or folemn covenant is efiential. When a perfon is advanced to this dignity and truft over men, he not only receives the promife of fubjedtion and obedience from the people, but he alfo gives them fecurity by his folemn oath, to rule them according to the laws. This is the covenant which is neceiTary to cUablifli the relation betwixt a king and the people among whom he rules. In the fame manner, there muft be a public and folemn covenant be- twixt the God of falvation, and his church ; the former as her glorious King, and the latter as his willing and o- bedient iubjtdfs. — The relation between God and the church is alio reprefented to us in fcripture, by the rela- tion betwixt hufband and wife. The Lord fpeaks of himfelf as the church's huftiand, and of the church as his fpoufe, in many places of facred writing. Ihcu JiMilt be called Hephzi'l'ah, and thy land Beulah, for the Lord delight' eth in ihee^ and thy land Qmll be married ; iurny back- betwixt God and the Church. 19 JliiWng children^ faith the Lord, for I am married unto you ; for thy Maker is thine hiifband ; I ivill betroth thee unto me for ever. Betwixt the hulband and the wife there lublills a marriage covenant, by which the parties are Iblemnly engaged to one another, and have vowed and I'worn to fuitii mutually all conjugal and relative duties. Betwixt the Lord as the hulband of his people, and the church as his bleli'ed fpoufc, there mu(t neccffariiy fubfift a mar- riage covenant ; and that not merely betwixt him and aa individual believer, but betwixt him and the church as a collective bodyj for unto the latter, not indeed to the exclufion of the former, do the texts here quoted princi- pally relate. To the relation betwixt a mafter and his ftrvant, is the relation betwixt God and the church like- wife compared. A fervant honouyeth his mafler, if I be a Alafler, ivhere is my fear, faith the Lord of hofis. 'i'his re- lation among men is conrtituted by a mutual covenant, either in the way of verbal agreement, or written and iubfcribed indenture or articled contradl:; whereby the mafter engages to pay the itipulated rewt^rJ, and the ler- vant to perform the fpecified work: the relation be- twixt God and the church, being compared to this, mult necelTirily require, tliat, as he hatli covenanted with them, for his glory and their falvation, in Chriil to be their Matter, they ihould covenant with him, through the Redeemer, to be his fcrvants for ever. 1 lh,^ll coii- clude this argument by obferving, that the reafoning here advanced is not founded upon a mere circu.nltancc in thcfc earthly relations, to which tiie conneccion be- twixt God and the church is compared. No doubt, there are fome circumllances in thele relations, from which it would be very unfafe to reafon, concerning the nature and tendency of the fpiritual relation, of v/hicii they are nietaphorical reprefentaticns- But our reafon- ing here is taken from that which isefl'ential unto thele relations among men. We may therefore be certain, that, lince the Spirit of God has conipared the one ^o, the other, there mutt be fumcthing belonging to the fpi- ritual relation, analagous to that which is effential to thele relations among the creatures, by which it is repre- sented to us y and this can De nothing elfe, at ieaft in its.. 20 Ohfewations en the Public Covenants moft formal and explicit fli.^.pe, than a public and folemn covenant betwixt God and the church. 6th^ The perpetual morahty of the duty of public co- venanting with God is evident, from the acknowledged morality of other duties, which are of tlic fame Jpecific na- ture. It certainly will not he denied, that it is the duty of the cb.urch to form and cxprtis lioly refolutions, relative unto their irrving the Lord, and walking in h.is ways. Nei- ther will it be rcfufed, that the church is called to make and utter pronufcs, in the llrength of grace, to cleave unto the Lord, and to walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. The morality of thefe re- ligious rciolutions and promifes is evident, from the fcriptural account of the ipiritual exerclfe of the church and people of God ; becaufe their exercife, as recorded In the lacred page, is full of luch refolutions and pro- mifes, whereby they engage themfelves to be for the Lord, and not for another. Now, if it is the duty of the church to refolve and promife, in the ftrength of di- vine grace, to ferve the Lord; where is the dicSlate of righit reafbn, where is the precept in the book of God, that forbids them to make the tlungs which they reiblve upon, or promife to perform, the matter of a vow or of an oath unto the mull high God ? If they may refolve or promife to avoid, and endeavour to fupprefs any evil, or to perform ;ind maintain any thing that is good \ what can hinder them to vow. covenant, or fv/ear to the Lord of hofts, to do the frime things? Thefc duties are the fame in their general nature, only the latter partakes of a greater degree of folemnity. If it is lawful to do t.he one, it is impoffih!e that it can be llnful to do the other. 7^/j, The morality of public covenanting with God ap- pears alio, from thefe ordintinces of divine appointment, . and duties of his worfliip, which contain in them a fo- lemn vow or oath unto the Lord. The ordination of the public cfTice- bearers in" the church of Chrid, is an ordinance which contains a vov/ or oath unto the Lord. V/hen the teaching and ruling elders of the church are fet apart unto their facred ofiice and work, they, in the prefence of the church and with their ccnfent, come un- der a folenin vow or oath unto ihe Lord, to perform the duties of that llation in which they are placed. If the hetivixt God and the Church. i £ minifters and elders of the church do vow and fwear unto the Lord, why fliould it be thought improper and finful for the church, in all her officers and members, to vow and fwear unto the Lord to perform the duties, which, in their difierent flations, are incumbent on them ? The ordinance of baptifm alfo contains a vow or oath un- to the Lord. What is it that the members of the church do, when they come unto this ordinance, with their children ? Do they not profefs to take the Lord, as he is reconciled in Chrift, as their Cod, and the God of their feed ; to act faith upon the blood and Spirit of Chrift, prefented to them in this ordinance, tor jullification and fandtification, both to themfelves and their children ; to devote theml'elves and their httle ones unto the Lord, that they may be his ; and to engage, by foiemn pro- mife, vow and oath unto the Lord, to perform all the duties incumbent upon them, particularly to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? If an individual, in this ordinance, is permitted, to do this, where is the evil of his doing the fame things iubftantially, in company with the relt of his fellow Chriiiians, by joining themfelves folemnly unto the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that fliall not be forgot- ten ? If v/e take a view of the Lord's ibpper, it will ap- pear, that a vow or oath unto tiie Mjft High is found in the Chrirtian's exercife, while he is obferving that molt Ibiemn ordinance. The name that was antieutly impof- ed upon it, and that by which it is llill commonly called, a facramenty fliew^s that this v.'as the view which the Ci'irilfians iii the primitive times had, and which Chrif- tians iVdl have of the nature of this inftitution. The v.'ord, from which this name facrament is derived, fig- liiiies an oath, a covenant, or facred obligation, under wliich perfons bring themielves. It was ufed to fignify the oath which the Roman foldiers fware, to be faithful to the rulers of the ftate, to their military leaders, and to intercfts of tlie Roman people. The nature of the ordinance irfelf, abftract from its ordinary name, lliews us, that Chriilians therein embrace the Lord and his Chriif as their God, and Saviour, snd portion ; and alfo come under foiemn obligations to be the Lord's people. li this is the duty of Cbriftians in this ordinance, by 22 Gbfervations on the Public Covenants what law does it become 'linful for them to do the fame ihings, by binding their fbuis with a bond to be his peo- ple, in a public covenant with God ? Bz/j, The morality of tlie duty of perfonal covenanting proves the morality of the churcli's covenanting with the Lord, in her coUecHve capacity. Few will be djfpofed to deny, that perfonal covenanting with God is one of the lacred duties of religion, which Chriltians Ihould per- form, and in v/hich they fometimes have much fpiritual delight. Chridians perform this facred fpiritual duty, when they, in the cxercil'e of grace, iolemniy renounce all falfe confidences for lalvation, take hold of God's co- venant, yield themfeives to the Lord, and prcmife and vow, in liis itrength, to deny all ungodlinefs and worldly lurts, and to live foberly, rightecuily, and godly in the preient world. The perfon who lives in the neglect of this duty, omits an exercife which is eminently calculat- ed, and often lignally blclTed to promote the holinefi and comfort of believers. If this \s an eniployment which is conipetent to a believer in a folitary flate, muff it not be an exercife that is lawful for a company of them to per- form in a ibcial capacity ? There are a variety of duties incumbent upon the church in her public ffatc, which are, for the {'ubitance of them, the lame with thefe exer- cdes which belong unto an individual Chrillian. Public prayer, public falting or mourning for fin, and public thanklgivmg and praife unto God, ccrreipond unto the exercifcs of fecret prayer, perfonal faffing and thankigiv- ing. Since Chriltians, as individuals, are under a moral obligation to pray, coJifcfs or repent and mourn tor iin,^ and praiie the Lord for his goodncfs; we may conclude that they are morally bound to perform thtie duties in a public capacity. In like manner, fmce it is the duty of a believer by himf'eif, to covenant with the Lord as his God in Chrift; it mull be the duty of a multitude of them to perform the lame fervice, in a fuiiablenefs to their public characffer. gth, The morality of this duty will further appear both from the ablurdity and impiety of the contrary opi- nion, and the weaknels of the realbns by which it is fup- ported. Thofe wlio oppole that truth, for which we are now arguing, muft hold it to be an immoral and unlaw- Betwixt God and the Church* 23 ful tiling, for a Chriftian people to avouch the Lord to be their God, and to Cerve him -, that they have no warrant in the word of God to refolve, promife, vow or fwear that they ftiall to the utterrnoft of their power maintain his gofpel, cleave unto his ordinances, obey his laws, (upport the interefts of his glory in the world, and op- pofe whatever is contrary thereunto ; and that it is a cri- minal and unlawful thing for them to join themfelves un- to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that fliall not be for- gotten. Tiie mentioning of this fefitiment is lurely fufii- cient to expofe it to the deteftation of all Ipiritually illu- minated and holy minds. As this opinion bears impiety and abfardity in the very face of it, fo the arguments by which its friends endeavour to fupport it are fallacious and vain. One of them is this, That the public cove- nanting under the former difpenfation was typical, and, when Chrift the fubftance appeared, it fled away, with the reft of the fhadows of the ceremonial law. This is ealily faid, but the proving of it has always been found to be impoflible. Muft the folemn exercife of the church of God, in taking him for their God in Chrift, in devoting themfelves unto him, and in binding them- felves with a bond to ferve and glorify him, be ranked a- mong the carnal ordinances which were impofed upon the church till the limes of reformation, and make a part of that yoke which neither we nor our fathei*s were able to bear .-' The idea is utterly abfurd. It is eflentia! un- to all typical inflitutions to have fomething in the gofpel church with which it is connected as a fhadow, and which it did prefigure. But what is this .'' where is its Antitype ? There is nothing in the ftate of the gofpel church, nothing among all her duties, or her privileges, with which you can affociate public covenanting under the old difpenfiition, but public covenanting under the new ; and how abfurd it is, to make a moral duty under the law typical of the fame moral duty under the gofpel, muft be evident to all who know any thing about the truths of God. Befides, it is eJlential unto every typical ordinance, to appear in the view of an intelligent Chrif- ttan, to be peculiarly luitable to the ftate of the church before the coming of Chrift, and to be utterly incompa- tible with her conJitioii after the manifeftatlon of God in 24 Obfcrvatiom on the Public Covenants the flefh. Now, what is there in the nature of the church's covenanting with GoiJ, that makes it peculiar to her ftate prior to Chrift's incirnation, and inconfiftent with her liiaation after it ? Nothing at al! ; and there- fore let the nature of this duty be what it will, typical it cannot be. Another of thefe arguments by which this opinion is attempted to be I'upported, is the following. Public covenanting in Ifrael was not a moral, but a poli- tive inftitution, and was aboiillied at the death of Chrid. What ! fliall the death of Chrift abolifli the great Chrif- tian duty of taking the Lord for our God, of giving our- felves unto him, and of iblemnly reiblving, vowing and fwearing to wait upon the Lord, and keep his way ? The death of Chrill did indeed abolilh the obligation of the IfraelitiflTL covenants with God, in fo far as they bound that people to fupport and praftife the legal cere- monies; but it did not abolifu the obligation of their na- tional oath to the mofl High, either to perform the du- ties of the moral law, which were included in it, or to receive and obierve that fyftem of more fpiritual ordi- nances inflituted by Chrift, and which came in the room of the abrogated ceremonies. The death of Chrift is the grand foundation of all the duties and privileges of his people. Shall it therefore aboliili one of the moll: fo- lemn duties, and one of the moft important privileges of the church of the living God ? The death of Chrift is the meritorious caufe of that new covenant relation that takes place betjvixt God and his church, and of all its fpiritual and eternal effedls. Can it therefore abolifh that Iblemn exercife of covenanting with God, by which the Lord avouches the church to be his people, whereby the church avouches t'le Lord to be their God, and wherein both parties recognize avow and a6t towards one another according to that relation ? Certainly not. Far be it from us to harbour fuch a thought. To afcribe this to the death of Chrift, is to blafpheme it, and to make it one of the ends thereof to aboliih the law, with a witnei's. In defence of this fentiment, it has alfo been urged, that public covenanting is not exprefsly enjoined upon Chriftians in the NewTeftament, and, therefore, it can- not be a moral duty in the days of the gofpel. Were it betwlxi God and the Church, 25 not that this argument is ftill finfully urged againft the morality of public covenanting with God, under the New Tcftamcnt, with a view to prejudii'e the inconfide- rate againft this folemn exercife, even by thofe who can- not be fuppofed to be ignoran: of the fatisfaftory anfwers which have been given to it, we would not have men- tioned it at all. Public covenanting, as is very clear from the Old Tertament, wjs once an ordinance of God, and the indifpenfible duty of his church, it is, there- fore, necelfary for thofe, who oppofe its morality now, to prove in a clear manner, either from the nature of the thing itfelf, or from exprefs fcripture declaration in the New Teftament, that it is abrogated by the authori- ty of God. Till this is done, which will never be ac- complifhed, we are warranted to conQder it ftill as an ordinance of God, and the duty of his church. — This ar- gument takes it for granted, that all moral duties which are incumbent on the church, in gofpel times, are ex- prefsly enjoined in the New Teftameni ; which is a grofs miftake. There are other duties, befides public cove- nanting, for which there are no exprefs precepts in the New Teftament. The baptifm of infants, fecret prayer on the morning and evening of every day, family fall- ing, and family worfliip every morning and evening, are all mentioned in the Old Teitament, but none of them are enjoined in the New. Now, if thele duties, the ob- ligation of which upon us cannot juftly be denied, are not exprefsly required in the New Teftament, how weak and inconcluiive muft the argument againft public cove- nanting be, which is derived from this fource ? If our obligation to perform the one is denied on this account; it will be impollible, for the lame reafon, to defend our obligation to practife the others. The real ftate of the matter is this ; the fcriptures of the Old and New Tefta- ment, taken together, are a complete revelation of the will of God to the children of men, both with refpect to truth and duty. Public covenanting, and the other du- ties formerly mentioned, are fo clearly revealed in the Old Teftament, that there is no neceffity for their being exprefsly mentioned in the writings of the New. While there is nothing in the nature of the things themfelves inconfiftent with the ftate of the gofpel chuf th, nor the D 0.6 Ohfer'vations on ihe Public Covenants fmalleft hint in the New Teftament of their abrogation, we are to coniider the authority of God in the precepts of the Old Teftainent, which are illuOrated and recom- mended to us by approved examples, as ftill binding the church of Chrifl, in thele laft days, to perform the lame folemn fervices In fupport of this opinion, it has likewife been faid, that the Lord JtTus never performed the duty of public covenanting, and, therefore, this exercife cannot be a duty incumbent upon us. In anfwer to this it may be oblerved, that this argument plainly fuppofcs that Chrifl: exampiified, in his own practice, all the moral duties which are incumbent on his people ; which is not true. A variety of important moral duties, which belong unto Chriftians, who ftand in certain human relations to each ether, were never performed by the Lord ChrilT: j be- caufe, it was not confident with his perfon, dignity, of- ^fice and work, that he iliould occupy any of thefe rela- tions. The necefiapy duties of repentance for fin, the mortification of it, and the exercifes of the mind connec- ted therewith, could not be examplified by him, becaufe he was holy, harmlefs, iindefiled, and feparate from fin- rers. Befides, we find him refuiing to perform a moral duty, to which he was folicited, becaufe it belonged to the civil magiP.rate, which wa;- a llation he did not fill. If Chrift never performed the various duties now men- tioned and alluded unto, and yet their morality remains unfliaken to the end ; what argument can juftly be drawn, from Chrift:'s not having publicly covenanted in the days of his flefh, againfi: the morality of that duty ? To this argument we further reply. Public covenanting with God is not a ftated, but an occafional moral duty, to be performed by the church, when the calls of divine providence point it out to them to be their prefent duty. As it is finful to neglect it, when the Lord by his provi- dence is calling thereunto; io it is equally improper to engage in it, when the providence of God clearly mani- fefts, that the performance of this fervice would not an- fwer the ends for which it is intended. This was exacft:- iy the cafe in the days of the Redeemer's incarnation, and, therefore, he could not pofTibly have any call to perform the duty of public covenanting with God. A- betivixt God and the Church, 27 mong the many glorious ends of his coming into the world, this was one, to abolifli in his death the ceremo- nial obf^rvances, and to fct up a more excellent and fpi- ritua! {yi\tm. of gofpel worfhip in its ftead. If Chrifl: and the church had entered into a public covenant with God, the ceremonial fyltem behoved to have been re- cognized and fworn unto therein j as it was binding oa the church till the death of Chrift. To covenant with God for the iupport of a lyftem which was juft about to be deflroyed, would have been to contraditSt the defigns, appearances, and calls of his providence. If ever there was a time when public covenanting with God was un- feafonable, it was when the fulnels of the time was come, when God (ent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of Tons. Let none lay, this renders the obedience and example of Chrift imperfect. By no means. The non-performance of oc- eallonal moral duties, when there is no call in provi- dence thereunto, but leather providential obflructions in the way of their being done, can never be julliy confi- dtred as a defedl: in the obedience or example either of Chrill himfelf, or of his followers; but the performance ot them, in thefe circuniilances, would certainly be a blemifli in both. The laft argument that fliall be mentioned, in fupport of this opinion, is the following. The apoftles and pri- mitive Chrillians did not enter into public covenants with God, and, therefore, it cannot be a moral duty in New Teftament times. Although it were granted, that the apoftlcs and the primitive Chrillians did not publicly co- venant with God, yet no argument can be drawn from this, that is of any weight, againfl: the morality of that duty under the Chrillian difpenfation. If they really did Eot covenant with God in a public manner, we may be certain that it was becaufe they had not a call in provi- dence to be employed in this duty. The fituation and circumftances of the church may be fuch, as to render it inexpedient or unnecelTAry to carry forward the work of public covenanting. This is clear from the account we have of the performance of that duty in the times of Xhi Old Teilament. In the days of fome of the moft re-- fl8 Obf creations on the Public Covenants ligious kings, and fome of the mod: remarkable prophets of the Lord, it does not appear that the church perform- ed this folemn duty, The reafon is plain, they had not thofe calls of providence, arifing from the peculiar ftate of the church, and from the particular diipenlations of God towards her, which are neceiTary to malce public covenanting the prefent duty of any people. Now, if the apofties and primitive Chrillians did not perform this duty, we may certainly conclude that their circum- flances, in the courfe of divine providence, rendered it either unneccfiary ot inexpedient for them to be fo em- ployed. In a word, let the (ituation and circumftances of the church in the wildernefs, before the death of Jo- fliua, in the time of Afa, in the days of Jshoiada, under the reign of Joliah, and when the Jews returned frora Babylon to their own land, be carefully confidered, and when the fituation and circumftarjces of the Chriftian church, at any time or in any place, clearly correiponds with either of thefe, public covenanting with God is their prefent duty; but when it isotherwife, this folemn exercife is not rt quired at their hand. To th;s argument it may alfo be anlwered, that it does not appear to be true, that we have no example of public covenanting with God, in the days of the apoftles. There is certain- ly fomething recorded concerning one of the apollolic churches, which ilgnifies their having publicly vowed unto, or covenanted with God. It is the conduct of the church of I\Iacedonia, mentioned by Paul, 2 Cor. viii. 5. And this they did, not as ive hoped ^ but Jirjl gave their oiu/i- felves unto the Lcrd^ and unto us by the ivill of God The meaning of which mull be this, tiie Macedonian church- es, iiaving gathered their collc^lion for the poor faints at Jcrufalem, and having requeded us to take the charge of conveying it to them, before they actually put it into our hand, did firft of all, contrary indeed to our expectation, folemnly devote themfelves as a churclx unto the Lord, by a public vow unto, or covenant with him to be his people, and committed themfelves unto us, as tlie minif- tering fcrvants of Jefus, in which exercifes they had a refpecSl unto, and complied with, the will of God. I de- fy any man to make common fcnfe of the apoflle's words, if this is denied. It is unqueftionable, that this exercife betwixt God and the Church. 29 of that cViurch behoved to be done by them, in fome public and iblemn acl of religious Vv'orfliip ; and it may ealily be proved, that this a6t of worlhip coul.i be no o- ther than a public vovv or oath unto the Lord, or cove- nant with him. This appears froui the iiniilarity of the expreflion here ufed unto the words of i\\t Old Tefta- ment, by which Uraei's covenanting with God is defcrib- ed. They are faid to join tkemfelves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant i Jer. I. 5 What e]fe can the exercife of the Micedoriian churches mean, \v]ien they gave their ownfcives to the Lord ? Arc not cur joining ourlelves un- to the Lord, and our giving our ownfelves to the Lord, expreffioas of the lame irrport ? If the former -iiu,nifies our covenanting with God, the latter can mean nothing lefs. Ifrael's covenanting is alfo deicribcd in the follow- ing words ; And Jeboiada made a covenant between the Lord, and the king and the people, that tJiey J})oiild he the Lord's people ; 1 Kings xi. i 7. And they entered into a co~ venant to feek the Lord God of their fathers, luith all their heartj and ivith all their foul. 2 Chron. xv. 12. The nature of the church's covenanting with God, was juil a folemn engagement that they IhouM be the Lord's peo- ple, and that they would feek him v.'ith all their heart, and with all their foul. Is not all this comprehended in the exercile of the churches of Macedonia ? It cannot bs fuppofed that they could give their ownfelves to the Lord, Without engaging to be the Lord's peope, and to feek him with all their heart, and with all their foul. As this was the church's covenanting under the old diipenfaticn, rind as we have here the whole fubftance of it in the ex- ercife of a church under the new; we therefore have a clear example of public covenanting under the gofpcl ftate of the church. — Ihe truth of this will further ap- pear, if we conlidcr that there is no oihef religious duty or exercil'e, by which the Macedonian believers could perform this work, as the apoff le here reprefents it, but by a vow or covenant with God. The enemies of public covenanting have mentioned three ways, by which the Macedonians, on this occalion, might have given them- felves to the Lord, without a religious vow or covenant. Let us now fee liow they will correfpond with the apof- tit's account, of the matter. It h::s been faid, that the 30 Obfervaiioiis en the Public Covenants Macedonians might give their ownfelves to the Lord, by making a public proftjfion of Chrijlianity. We anl'wer, they had made a pub;ic profeffion of Chriftianity before they had any thought of rcntling a fupply to the poor faints at Jtrui'alem j they were daily nnaking that profef- fion, by abi^aining from their former heathenifh worfhip and reHgion, and cleaving to the truths and ordinances of Chrift ; this, therefore, could not be the exercife of that church of which the apoftle here fpeaks. Befides, how could the apoftle fay, concerning this a£l of the Macedonians, that it was not as he hoped, if it contained nothing elle than their profsffing Chrittianity ? the apof- tle could never hope^that they would not profefs Chrifti- anity, when they had, on former occafions, folemnly taken this profeffion on themfelvcs. In fine, where is the church's proftlnon of Chriftianity ever reprtfented, in the New Teftament, by their giving their ownfelves to the Lord ? Tlieie things fliow the grois abfurdity of this fuppoficion. It has ailb been faid, that they might give themfelves to the Lord in the ordinances of bap- tifm. To this we may anfwer, the members of thele churches were certainly baptized before this time. The apoitle is here fpeaking of a foiemn act performed by the ?»Iacedonians, after they had gathered their co!lc6lion for the church in Judea, and before they a(flually feiit it awa-y. Can it be fuppofed, that the believers in thefe churches had either referred their baptifm for this junc- ture, or that they were ail re-baptized on this occalion ? could ever the apoftle f;-iy that he did not hope that they would fubmit to the ordinance of baptiim, if they were yet unbaptized ? or where is the adminiftration of bap- tiim reprcfented, in the word of God, by the exercife of a whole church giving their ownfelves to the Lord ? this luppofition is equally abfurd as the other. It has further been faid, that the Macedonian churches might give their ownfelves to the Lord, by receivi?ig the Lord's /tap- per. To this we reply, the apoftle fpeaks of this a6t of the Macedonians as a thing that was lingular, and con- trary to his expeftation If it was nothing more than their eating the Lord's fupper, it could be no way flngu- }ar ; for this ordinance was common to ail the churches of Chrift. Nor could it be contrary to his expe(ftation j betwixt God and the Church. 31 liow could the apoftle imagine tliat they would allow him to depart, with their coUed^ion to the Jewifli believers, without difpenling to them the ordinance of the Lord's lupper ? belides, the receiving of that ordinance is never reprtfented, as is the cafe here, by different churches publicly giving their ownfelves unto the Lord, and com- mitting themlclves to the care of the apoftles, by the will of God. This deed of thefe churches, therefore, be- hoved to be fome explicit, public, folemn, and religious adf of worfliip, diftinit from any of thefe which have been mentioned ; and it is impollible to conceive of any other divine inflitution, that can anfwer the apoftle's de- fcription^ but a public religious vow, oath, or covenant with God. Fourthi^y The church's public covenants with God have ^an intrinsic and moral obligation to duty of themfelves, upon the confciences of the covenanters, diftin^t from the obligation to the fame duties, by the binding force of the moral law. As this truth is grofsly miireprefent- ed by fome, and flatly denied by others, it is necefTary that fomething fliould be faid, both for explaining the nature of this obligation, and for proving its reality. The moral law is both the fountain, in fome refpt^cls, from which the obligation of thefe covenants does pro- ceed, and the rule of dire£lion by vi^hich the church's co- venanting exercifes are to be regulated. The nature of the obligation of religious covenants with God may be underftood, in fome meafure, if the following things are duly conlidered. The great Jehovah pofiTfTes in himfelf, and exercifes all that authority, by which the children of men are bound to obedience, and has given them his lav/ as the regulating flandard of their a, are we not brought under obliga- tions to ferve and glorify the three who bear record in heaven ? When we fit down at the table of the Lord, and fiiew forth his death till he come, do we not come 40 Obfervations en the Public Covenants under very particular engagements to be for the Lord, and not for another? When we take upon ourfelves a religious profeffion, are we not bound to walk according to it ? If thefe things are fo, how much more mud we be under an obligation to perform the duties of holinefs, by an explicit and formal vowing or fwearing unto the Lord, and covenanting with him. The lax and prevailing fentiment by which this truth is oppofed, is the following. Religious covenants are not formally, but only materially binding. They have no real obligation in themfeives, but we are bound to the duties therein, becaufe thefe duties are required in the moral law. This dangerous opinion appears to be imbibed by many profeff-^d witnefTes for the covenanted reformation, by the influence of which, they feem to be precipitated into the gulf of public apoftacy from thefe principles, which they formerly efpouTed. ft is impofli- bie for a perfon to believe it, without entertaining a fe- cret contempt of religious vows, oaths and covenants; and it is impoffible for him to aft upon it, without being involved in a praftical oppofition to them. Having al- ready eftabliflied the contrary truth, it will not be necef- fary to fay much for overthrowing this erroneous fenti- ment. If this opinion were true, the houfe of Ifrael and the houfe of Judah could not be charged with breaking the covenant : they might be charged with breaking the Lord's law \, but he could not have faid, thty have bro- ken my covenant. If Ilrael's covenant with God did not bind them, by an intrinlic obligation, their iniquity could not be a breach of the covenant, but only a tranf- greffion of the law; nor could it be any way criminal from the relation it had to the covenant, but only from the reference it had to the law. V/e may eafily know what to think of an opinion, which ucceiTarily renders the charges the Lord brings againft his backflid- ing people, abfurd and unjuft. — Were this opinion true, there could be no luch thing among the children of men, as the lins of perfidy, covenant-breaking or perju- ry. Though we may pledge our veracity, by religious promifes and vows unto God, if there is no obligation in them, there can be no perfidy, or breach of faith in our difregarding them. Though we may join ourfelves to betwixt God and the Church* 41 the Lord in a folemn covenant, If that deed brings us under no obligation to fuliil it, the lin of covenant- brealcing can have no exiftence. Though we flaould en- ter into an oath to walk in the Lord's law, if this oath is not binding in itfelf, how can the fin of perjury, or de- fpifing the oath of God, be charged upon us ? We are certain that thefe fins are mentioned in the word of God, and that they are committed by men ; but this opinion deftroys them for ever. — Were this fentiment right, then all the folemn aces of believers as individuals, and of the church as a body, are rendered void and ufelefs to all in- tents and purpofes Of what ufe are promifes, vows, oaths and covenants, if there is no obligation in them ? If obligation to performance is refufed to them, their ve- ry effence is deftroyed. The mind cannot think on any of thofe tranfadtions without confidering an obligation to do as we have laid, vowed or fworn as efiential to their being. Promifes, without an obligation to fulfil them, vows, without an obligation to pay them, oaths, without an obligation to perform them, and covenants, without an obligation to keep them, are monfters both in divinity, and in morals, which are created by this more monftrous opinion. — It is alio the native import of this do£lrine, that Chriftians are under no other obliga- tion to duty, after they have promifed, vowed and fworn unto the Lord, or covenanted with him, than they were before they engaged in thefe folemn and holy tranl- aStions, a few of which may be mentioned. In the firft public adfion of this kind, which is recorded in the xix. chap, of Exodus, there are two things in the account of it, which confirm this truth; the words of the Lord by which he lays the covenant obligation upon Ifrael, and the words of the people whereby they took it upon them- feives. The fornrifr is exprefled in the 5. verfe. If ye luill obey my voice i/ideedy and keep my covennnt. The voice Ci God contains all that the Lord fpake to Ifr.'.el for the re- gulation of their conduct, aiid includes the duties of the moral law which are recorded in the following chapter,' with the great variety of precepts v/hich are detailed at large in the three chapters that follow it, together with all that he had fpoken, or might hereafter fpeak unto ihcnt for the faaie important purpofe. Tlie v/ords of heiwixt God and the Church, 65 the people, whereby they come under the obligation, confirms the fame thing ; verle 8 j^nd all the people an- f-wered together ^ and faid^ all that the Lord hath fpoken lue nvill do. It is evident that the voice of the Lord muft comprehend all commanded duty, and the words of the people are of equal extent. — The inTpired record refpeft- ing the extent of the duties of the covenant, into which Ifrael entereil in the days of Jofiah, contained, 2 Kings xxiii. 3. confirms the fame truth. And the hingjlood by a pillar^ and made a covenant before the Lord,, to ivalk after the Lord, and to keep his commandmefiiSy and his tejiimonies^ and his JlatuteSy ivith all their hearty and all their foul ^ to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book ; and all the people flood to the covenant, llrael's walk- ing after the Lord, keeping his commandments, his tef- timonies, and his llatutes, and performing all the words of the covenant that were written in the law of Mofes, certainly Ihew that their covenant with God contained. an obligation to perform all commanded duties both with refpedt to their civil and religious intcrefts; with which the people practically complied, for it is added, that they llood to the covenant. — The account of the covenant tranfa£lion, in the days of Nehemiah, is of the fame import. Neh. x. 29. The'^ entered into a curfe and into an oathy to walk in God's law which was given by Jl'Io/es the fervant of Gody and to obferve and do all the com- mandments of the Lord their God, and hij judgmentSy and hisflatutes. The law of God delivered to Ifrael by Mo- fc-s, all the commandments of the Lord their God, and his judgments, and his ftatutes, comprehend all com- manded duties both of a civil and religious nature, that were incumbent upon them in all the different ftations and relations in which they flood, both with reference to God and one another. The obligation of public cove- nants with God, among Chriftian nations, niufl: alfo ex- tend unto all commanded duties, idy The truth of this obfervation is alfo evident, from ihe extent of the obligation of the divine law upon the confciences of men. By the authority of God in his law, men are bound to the performance of all duties, both ci- vil and religious. There is not a fingle duty incumbent upon men, or performed by them, in all the variety of 66 Obfervations on the Public Co'Venanis ilations which they can occupy, or circumftarces in which they can poffibly be placed, but it is comprehend- ed and enjoined in tine law of God. An iinpreffion of this truth upon the mind of the pl'almilt made him lay, 'Hhy commauLlment is exceeditig broad. The original divine obligation to duty by the moral law being tlius extenfive, it is necellary that the church's voluntary obligation to perform duty in their covenant with God, Hiould be of the fame extent. All the duties which are comprehend- ed in the law, may and ought to be contained in the church's public vow unto the Lord. It Is utterly abfurd to fuppofe, that God fliould require duties of the chil- dren of men, which they fliall not be permitted to in- clude in their refolution, promife, vow, or oath of obe- dience unto him. The law of God is not the rule by which the duties which the church obliges herfelf to per- form, are to be tried as to their nature only, that they be agreeable to it; but it is likewife the ftandard by which thefe duties are to be meafured as to their extent. In fo far as our covenant obligations to God fail in this particular, they will be coniidered by him as deftdiive. The voluntary and covenant obligations to duty, under which Chriftians bring themfelves, mull be equally ex- teniive, as the original divine obligation is by the moral law. As every duty is containe*! in the one, fo we fhould bind curfelves by the other, to all commanded duties. 3^, This obfervation may alfo be confirmed by view- ing the extent of the obligation to duty, under which the Chriftian brings himfelf unto the Lord, when he perfonally covenants v.'ith him. When the Cliriftian is employed in the (piritual exercife of covenanting with God in his pergonal capacity, by taking hold of God's covenant, yielding himfelf unto the Lord> and coming under a voluntary obligation to ferve him, it will be found that this engagement of his extends to all the du- ties that are incumbent upon him. It will not be proper for him, neither will he, in a fpiritual frame, be difpof- ed unto it, to promife or vow the perforniance of reli- gious duties only; but he will include, in his obligation to God, the obfervation of all thofe relative and civil du- ties, which are bound upon him by the divine law. He betwixt God and the Church: 6/ will be convinced in his n^ind, that both the divine glory and the profperity of his foul are concerned, in his fulfil- ling the one as well as the other ; and therefore he will cheerfully come under an obligation, in the ftrength of divine grace, to perform them all. As the believer e- lleems all God's precepts concerning all things to be right, he will vow and iwear to have a refpedt to all his commandments, faying, I have fiuorn, and I ivill fer' form it, thai I njj'ill keep thy righteous judgments. Pfalm cxix. 1 06. If perfonal covenanting with God includes the believer's obligation to perform all commanded du- ties ; muft not the church's public covenant with God be equally extenlive, in its obligation ? If it is lawful and neceffary for the Chrillian, in his perfonal capacity, to bind himCelf to all duty j mull it not be equally lawful and neceffary for the church to comprehend duties of e- very clafs, in their public and folemn engagements to the Lord ? iince it would be dilhonouring to God, for the believer to come under a partial obligation to duty, it muft be fliU more provoking in the eyes of his holi- nefs, to fee his profcffing church partial in the law. 4//j, The truth of this propolition may alfo be evident, if we conllJer the concern that the glory of God has in our performance of all commanded duties. No Chriftl- an will deny, that he is divinely bound to glorify God, with his body and fpirit which are his; and that whatfo- ever he does, to do all to the glory of God. The glori- fying of God is the fupreme end which his moral crea- tures, and efpecialiy redeemed tinners, fhould have in their view, in the performance of all commanded duties. It certainly mult be the great defign of the church, in her covenanting exercifc, to bind herlelf to the obferva- tion of whatever fhall promote the divine glory. As it tends greatly to advance the glory of God, when a peo- ple regulate their civil concerns according to his law, as well as vjhen their religious aivairs are directed in agree- ablenefs thereunto ; it mull unavoidably follow, that, in their voluntary obligation to God, they fliould bind themfelves unto the duties of the former, as well as of the latter clafs. When the Lord has given. a people, in his holy word, an infallible ftandard of moral adlions, both of a civil and religious nature ; muft it not be high- ^3 Ohfervailons en the Public Covenants ^ ly improper for them, when they covenant with h'm, \o recogniZf the one, aiid piy no attention at all unto the o- ther? The glory of God, in the extent in v/hich it fhould be promoted by a people, enjoying divine revela- tion, can never be duely advanced by them, while they adt in this manner. The Lord was as really diiljonoured and difpleafed with the injuftice, opprefBon and murder which liis antient people committed, in their civil capa- city ; as he was with their error, idolatry and profane- nels, in their religious llate The former, as well as the latter, were charged upon them as a breach of his cove- nant j and on account of the one, as well as the other, lie poured his judgments upon them. As the glory of God is greatly promoted among men, by a fpiritually enlightened nation, when their civil affairs, as well as thofe that are religious, are managed according to the divine law, and as he is greatly difhonoured when it is o- therwife •, it muft be indifpenfib!y incumbent upon them, when they enter into covenant with him, to bind them- felves to the duties which relate to their civil, as well as to their religious concerns. 5//^, An argument, to confirm this truth, mny he ta- ken troni the conc^^rn which the happinels ot the church has with the due performance of civil duties in the land. The proper regulation of civil alFairs in a nation contri- butes greatly to the advantage of the church, and her members Ifthecivi conftitutions of nations are fram- ed according to the word of God, and if their adminif- trations are agreeable to this unerring ftandard, the pro- sperity and iiappinels of the church will thereby be great- ly promoted. The fledf^fl adherence of a land to the rule of the word* in the ordering of their civil concerns, will greatly contribute to their oblervation of that rule, in their religious tranfaclions. If a people make defec- tion from the divine law, as a civil fociety ; it cannot be iuppofed, that they, as a church, will long walk accord- ing to the commandment. It certainly mull: be the du- ty of Chrifiians, in their covenanting with God, to en- gage themfelves to thofe duties which are intimately con- nected with their own advantage. As the proper ma- nagement of their civil matters is fo efTential to the pro- fperity of the church, it muft be their duty, when they ^ betwixt God and the Church. 6g covennrst with Gody to engage tnemrelves unto the due performancT of civil, as well as religious duties ; and therefore the cliTirch's public covenants with God muft contain ai obligation to perform all commanded duties. 6//:>, The i;.!l argument that (hall be mentioned, in proof of this point, may be taken from the diftjrent ffa- tions, in which thofc perf'ons, whofe duty it is to cove- nant with Goi', may, in his Ibvereign providence, be placed In the honourable lift ot covenanters, the names of tholi? will be found, vs^ho exerciie civil rule and authority over men ; as well as the names of thofe, who are public teachers of religion, and preachers of the go{"- pel of Chrirt. The perfbns in whofe hands the legifla- tivc and executive powers of a nation, relative to their civil affairs, are lodged \ and the pcrfons who are paf- tors, teachers, and rulers among them, as a Chriltian church, will unite in the great and folemn work of pub- lic covenanting with God. The body of the people, who are bound together by fo many relations civil and religious, and are obliged ro the performance of To many duties to God and one another of various kinds, will alfo be found in the number of thofe, v/ho will join them- felves to the Lord in a p:;rpetual covenant, that fiiall not be forgotten. It is eirentia! to all covenanting with God, that the covenanters bind themfelves to prolecute the ends of their covenant, according to their different Na- tions. It muH: therefore be neccfTiry, that the duties rela- tive to civil things make a part of our covenant-obligations. How is it poflible that men in civil office can be cove- nanters, if the important duties of their honourable Ifa- tion are excluded from the oath of Go J ? Ir the civil ru- lers, iiipreme and fubordinate, ought to unite with others jn a covenant with God, the performance of the duties of their office muft be includeti in the obligation of rivat covenant. What appearance can thefe dignified perfbns make in a public vow unto the Lortl, if no place is found, in the obligation thert^of, for tnofe duties, which it is their principal employment to perform ? The duties of civil rulers, as well as thofe of the gofpel minifVer, bein^ required in the divine law, being alfo for his glory and the advantage of men and Chriftians, muft be com- 70 Ohfcrvatlons on the PuhUc Covenants prehendcd in a national vow unto and covenant with God. Having endeavoured to conHrm the truth contained in this obfervation, it is necellary new to fhew the impro- priety of that fentiment by wliich it has been oppofed, which is the following. '' Relipious and civil things ** fliould not be blended together in the oath of God, or •' in a covenant with him ; when this is done, the proper ** diftin^Vion which fhould be maintained between the *5 concerns of the kingdom of Chrifr, and the affairs of *• the kingdoms of this world is deftroyed ; and hereby *' thefe things are blended together in an abfurd man- *' ner, between which there is a necefTary and eternal *' difference." Such is the language that is held, not by thofe only who are the open and avowed enemies of public covenanting, but by thofe alio who pretend to be the moft zealous friends of this folemn duty j on account of the latter, more than for the lake of the former, it is neceffary that fomeching be faid in defence of the oppo- fite truth. The perfons, to whom we have now alluded, generally exert their ingenuity, to find out excufes for our reformers, with a view to palliate the grofs blunders which they fuppofe them to have committed, in framing and entering into the national covenant of Scotland, and the folemn league of Scotland, England and Ireland ; for in thefe public vows, no doubt, both the civil and reli- gious interefis and duties of the nations are contained. As we do not ibppofe that the conduct of our reformers (lands in need of any excufes, becauie it was agreeable to the word of God, and the footffeps of the flock, we fhall not take any notice of them ; but proceed to exa- mine this opinion, and in order to this, iliall endeavour fairly to ftate the queftion. With a view to clear the cafe, it is neceiTary to ob- ferve, that we are not fpeaking of what is the duty, and liiould be the exercife of a body of Chriftians, in co- venanting with GjJ, who have been brought to the knowledge and profefaon of Chriftianity, in an unen- lightened and unreformed land, v/here the great body of the people and their rulers have never nationally receiv- etl, and fubmilted unto the truth as it is in Jefus. No doubt it is impofnble for them, in thefe circumftancea, betwixt God and the Church, 7 r to carry on the duty of covenanting, in the manner in which it was done by our anceftors, at the times of our reformation. Nor are we fpeaking of the duty and worlc of a company of Chriftians, about covenanting with God, who live in a land that was once nationally enga- ged to the Lord by covenant, but who are now com- pletely apoftatized from their covenanted attainments, and who are nationally difregarding and acting contrary to their covenant obligations unto God. It is evident al- fo that perfons, in this fituation, cannot perform the work of covenanting, in the particular way in which it prolpered in the hands of our fi)refathers. But we are fpeaking concerning the duty of the church of God, when {lie is brought, in his merciful goodnefs to her, unto a national Itate ; when the great body of the people of all ranks, and their rulers are enlightened in the knowledge of the gofpel, and are become willing to take upon them the yoke of Chrift. With relpccfl to the du- ty of a people in this lltuation, notwitliftanJing of all the clamour, either of profefled friends or open enemies of this folemn duty, it is believed and affirmed, that their covenanting with God Ihould include an obligation to perform all coaimanded duties, both with refpeft to their religious and civil concerns. Having thus ftated the matter in difpute, we (hall now proceed to anfwcr the obje^lion, which may be done in the following parti- culars. ij}^ If it is finful and abfurd to blend civil and religious concerns and duties together, in the churcli's covenant with God, how came it to pafs that thefe different things were mingled, by the direction and with the approbation of God, in liraels covenanting with him ? Certainly the Lord never commanded or approved of any thing that was finful, or evc'.n abfurd in the nature of it. No fup- pofible diflerence betwixt the fituation of the church un- der the former, and under the prefent difpcnfation, can ever make a thing that is finful and abfurd in its nature at prefent, to have been conlillent, beautiful and moral in the foregoing period. If they are now fuch oppoCte and contrary things, that cannot lawfully be conjoined, in the church's oath of obedience unto God ; it is impof- fible that they could ever be united, by divine authoritj'. 72 Obfcrvatwns on the Public Covenants in a facred vow unto him. This opinion cafts a blafphe- mous rcfleilion upon tiie wifdom vmd holiners of God, in his inuitut'ons and adniiniltrations with his anticnt peo- ple ; and therefore ought to be rejedled. id. If it is finful and improper to biend together civil and iacred things in our covenant with God, v/hence is it that they are thus blended together in the moral iaw ? If theie are inatttrs, betwixt which tiiere is fuch an eter- nal difference, that they cannot ftand together in a peo- ple's covenant obligation unto Go i . it is impoiTible to i'ee how the Lord would have caufed them to 'LtiM\ toge- ther in his holy revealed law, which is the- ruie of duty to the rational creature. What God has joined together in his law, no perfon or p^'ople are warranted to put a- iundcr in this exercife of covenanting with him. Surely the example of God, in joining things together in the moral law, and in tlie prece[)r of his word, by which that law is explained, is a better dire^lory to the Chrif- tian church, what things to unit'" witii ont another, in their bond of obligation to the Lord, than the vain i- maglnations of erring men. 3^, It it is ablurd to biend civil and religious things in a people's covenant with God, whence is it that the members of the church are under an unavoidable neceffi- ty ot blending thenx together in their ChriiVian practice? Every day they live, the faints of God have an opportu- nity of performing duties, not only of a religious but aU fo of a civii nature. 'The children of men ;'.re concerned neceffarily with both tables of the law, iii their converfa- tion. They have civil rights, as well as religious privi- leges which they are daily enjoying, ar^ bound to pre- serve the one as well the other, and have daily occalion to perform lawful moral anions, about the former as well as the latter. As thefe different duties are daily muig- led in the obedience which they yield unto the divine law; will not this warrant them to comprehend them both in their covenant obligation unto God, Where is the abfurditv of their being coiiioin^d in our voruntary obligation to duty, when they are neceffarily conne(5led in our daily performance of it ? 4^/j, A civil ftate, whofe conflitutions and adminiftra- tjons are regulated actoi-Jin^ to the word of God, is not betwixt God and the Church* 73 that fociety, which the fcripture calls a kingdom of this world ; as is mod improperly affirmed in the objeiflion. The words of divine revelation where this name is ufed, have been confidered already, and are found in Rev. xi. 1 5 . The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord -^ and of hi i Chrifi. This expreffion, the king- doms of this worid, does not refer to a nation, viewed merely as a civil fociety, managing their outward, politi- cal and civil affairs, but it defcribes a people who are car- nal, earth'y and corrupt in the conftitution and manage- ment both of their civil and religious concerns. It mufl: be in the former of thefe fenfes that it is ufed in the ob- jeiftion, as it is oppofed to the kingdom of Chrill:, and as it is an objection againft our folemn covenants ; for it was the duties and concerns of the reformed civil flate, that had a place therein. This however is not at all the meaning of the words, in this portion of fcripture, which were uttered by the great voices in heaven. Let us try which of thefe fenfes of this fcriptural name, is moft agreeable to the meaning of the declaration with which it is connefteJ. The civil and political focieties of this word are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift •, or, the civil and political ftates of this world are converted into churches. Is not this to make the great voices in heaven fpeak abfurdity and nonfenfe ? How is it poflible that najons, as they are civil bodies, can be transformed into ecclefiaftic focieties ? But this, abfurd and foolifli as it is, mull be the change predifted in thefe words, if the name, the kingdoms of this world, defcribe nations as they are policical bodies. Let us now fee how this name, in the fenfe in which we have viewed i', quadra es wi;h the declaration of which it is a part. The nations of :he world, which are carnal, earth'y and corrupt bo'h in their civil and religious capa- ciies, are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift. Is not this the very alteration which is here fore- told, by the Spirit of prophecy.'' The great voices ia heaven proclaim, that the time was fad approaching, when the antichriiVian, Mahometan, and heathen na- tions, that were kingdoms of this world, on account of their ignorance, error, fuperfticion, idola'ry, tyranny and immorality, Ihould undergo fuch a change, by tho 74 Obfervations on the Public Covenants light of the gofpel and the power of the Spirit, as would make them become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift. It is therefore nioft inconiiderate and impro- per, to reckon a civil llate, conftituted and admlniller- ing their affairs according to the fcriptures, a kingdom of this world, the righteous management of v/hoie out- ward and civil concerns, cannot make a part of that du- ty, to which a peqple, enlightened with the gofpel, fhould bind themfelves in their covenanting with God. 5//6, That civil and religious things are abfurdly blend- ed together in the oath of God, conllitutes the great charge contained in the objection, againft this article of divine truth which it oppofes. There is no doubt, civil and religious thijogs may be finfuUy blended together, In different refpefts ; but in none of thefe v/ays are they To bjended, in our folemn national covenants. Civil and religious things are finfully and abfurdiy blended toge- ther, when they are confounded with each other, and not duly dillinguifhed in their nature, objetHis and rela- tive importance; when the place which belongs to the one is given to the other; when fpiritual and religious fervices are required from, or ufurped by civil rulers, and civil legiflation or adminiftrations are grafped by ec- clefiaftic perfons ; when civil rulers become fubjvriSt to churchmen, in things of a civil nature, as was the cafe in the dominion exerciltd by antichrift over the kings of the earth; and when the teachers and rulers of the church are made the fervants of temporal princes in religious matters, as is the cafe with all eraftlan ftates, where the civil rulers exercife a fupremacy over the church. Were civil and religious things blended together in any of thefe ways, by our forefathers, in their covenanting with God, there would be Tome ground for the objection ; but when it is evident to all, that no fuch thing is found in them, the objection muft be utterly unreafonable. Civil and religious things indeed fland together in thefe folemn tranfa(Sl:ions ; but they are not, in any of thefe ways, blended with each other in them. Each of thefe clafTcs of duties, in our public religious covenants, have their proper place affigned them, the necefTary diflinftion be- tween them is fully maintained, and the performance of them is afcribed to the proper objeds, without either betwixt God and the Church, y^ the church- men's fcandalous ufurpation of the preroga- tive and adminiftrations of civil rulers, or the magil- tratc's eraftian encroachrnent upon the duty and jurifdic- tion of the fervants of Chrift in his houfe. This being the cafe, it is impcffible for any man to fay with truth, that civil and religious things are linfully and abfurdly blended together, in the church's public covenants w^ith God. 6/y6, With a fliort reprefentation of the views of our reformers, by which their conduft, in framing and en- tering into our folemn covenants, feems to have been di- recTted, which will appear to be reafonable and fcriptural, the anfwer to this objection may be concluded. In the firll period of the reformation, when the national cove- nant was compiled, our anceftors were emerging from popiih darknefs, idolatry and tyranny ; and in the fecond period, when the folemn league and covenant was fworn, they were extricating themfelves from the errors, fuper- ftition and oppreffion of prelacy j by both of which their political and ecclefiaftic conftitutions and adminiftrations had been grievoufly corrupted. They were perfuaded, that purity, in their religious concerns as a church, could not be maintained for any time, if they did not acquire (bme fuitable degree of conformity to the fcrip- tural ftandard, in their civil affairs as a nation. They were convinced, that a people, enjoying divine revela- tion, are bound by the authority of God, to eftablifti ci- vil government among them, in the fcriptural puritf thereof; as well as to fet up all the ordinances of the lioufe of God in the church, according to his word. They were fenfible, that both the magiftracy in the ftate, and the miniftry in the church were ordinances of God, with the proper eftablifliment of which in the land, the fcripture-law, the glory of God, and the good of men were eminently concerned ; and that a people who pro- fd's to defire and endeavour that the latter be enjoyed by them in purity, v/hile they fufFer the former to remain in a corrupt ftate, act a part which is contrary both to fcrip- ture and reafon. They were of opinion, that having at- tained this purity, it was their duty to preferve it intire in their own day, and to ufe every fcriptural mean to tranfmit the fame uato the following generations ; and. yS Ob/er vat tons on the Public Covenants that one of the principal means for thefe ends was, to enter into a folemn national vow unto the Lord, or co- venant with him, attended with the inftituted foiemnity of an oath unto him, whereby they Ihould bind them- felves to perform all the duties of their different ftations, that the nation might enjoy the benefit of the reforma- tion purity both in church and flate, and that all thefe attainments might be handed down to pofterity. Influ- enced by views of this nature, our forefathers entered upon the great and neceflary work of reforming both the civil throne, and the fanftuary of the Lord. They fet- tled the church of God upon her true foundation, and fixed from his word her pure doents, in their number, like the luxu- riant growth of hemlock ; in their nature, noxi- ous and deftru£live, like this poifonous herb, are the ge- nuine fruits of this evil. — The manner in which the Lord fpeaksofthis 1il), as charged upon a people, difcovers the peculiar criminality of it. In the jxxviii. Pfalm loth vcrfc, the Lord charges the children of Ephraim with this fin in the following words; They kept not the covenant of God^ and refufed to walk in his law The whole con- gregation of liraei are, in the 37th verfe, charged with the fame evil, in a way that fufficiently expreiTes the preatnefs of this fin. For their hearts were not riofilion to our to\en2iHS confifls in its being a f].ghting ?.ga'u'it God, a confen.'pt of liis ordinance, an injury done u..to his church, a lirikirg againft pyre and undwliled religion, and an endeavour to harden the ge- neration in their fin. Let all the friends of our foienm covenanis, anu of that refonration of which they were a coi'ipicuous part, fay, with re.'pe^V to all the oppolers thereof; O my foul, cane not thou into their Jecret ; into ihclr ojj'embly. mine honour^ he vot thou U7uted. 3c/, This iu'jctSt may remind us of the wonderful works wihich tl.c Lord has wrouglit, for the land of our rativity. It was vifited in the early times of Chrifti- anity, with the light of the everlatling gofpel, which, in greater or ieifer briglitnefs, was long conti- nued in it. When tlie dark cloiuls of antichriftian abo- niinaiion covered the nations of the earth, the light of the gofpel remained in fome remote parts of our Jand, dur- ing the mofi of diat period. When the lord was plea- fed to deliver fome ot the nations of the earth from the idolatry, blcfpheuiy. and cruelty of popery, at the ever memorable proteftajit reformation, the light of the gof- pel returned to this land ; and the Lord raifed ivp many to appear for his work, to 'be i'tlive in promoting it, and bitllird ticm with extraordinary fucccfs. At this firft pe- riod of rt-lcrmation, notwjthftanuing of much oppoiition, the church c^tiaircd unto great purity in do6irine, wcr- ihip, governmciu j.nd difclpline, and entered into a ib- kmn vow or oath unto Gcd, called the national cove- The do^rlnal Qhfervalions im^ roved. 93 nnnt of Scotland, wherein they renounced the abomina- tions of popery, and engaged themfelves to abide in the profeilioij of the gorprl and ordinances of Chrift. When the land w^s again luHjedfed to great corruptions and op- preffion, by the eftabUfhment of prelacy and arbitrary power, the Lord wrought a wonderful deliverance, and. brought the natioa to higher degrees of reformation. The work which had been begun in the former period was greatly pertetTied in this. More extenfive and com- plete fubordinate ftandards of doctrine, worfliip, govern- ment and ddcipline for the CLrlllian church were com- piled, in agreeablenrfs to the word of God, and were ibiemnly adopted by civil and eccleiiaftic authority. The church was eftabliified in great purity, and civil go- vernment was Icttled according to the light of the word of God, which fliined brightly in the land. To confirm all thele blcfTcd attainmeiats, and to render them perma- nent privileges to following generations, a folemn league and covenant with God was fworn, by all ranks of men in Scotland, Engiand and Ireland, by which they bound -themfelves with a bond to be the ]jord's people, to ad- here unto tJie true religion, and to keep themfelves from every thing that was contrary thereunto. Hereby our land becanie Hephzi-bah, and Beulah, a land married unto the Lord, and the object of his delight. By this folemn exercife, we, as a nation, did alk the way to Zi- on, with our faces thither-ward, laying, Corjie, let m join curfelves to the Lord hi a perpitual covenant, that frjall not bejorgotten, either by oiirfelveSy or our pojlerity. To this day^ the profelibrs of religion are under the flrongeft obligatjosas to biefs the Lord, for the attainments of that period ; for it is greatly owing to thefe as a mean, that any religious purity remains among us, in the midft of all cur defections, at the prelent time. 4^/1, Tliis fubjv6t repre Tents to our view the flate of the children of men in the Und of our nativity, refpedf- 'wvf. the lacred obligation of public religious covenants W'th God ; they are uiider that obligation. Our fathers have entered into a folemn covenant with the Lord, as their God in Chriit, to he his people, and to walk in all his ftatutes, ordinances and laws. Thefe covenants are conlonant to tke word of God, both in their matter and 94 57>^ doHrinal Obfervailons improved, form. The public religious covenants cf the church bind their poilcrity. We therefore are, and our pofte- nty Oiall be bound by the iacred obiigation of theie co- venants, to proiecute the ends thereof in our rtation, all the days of our life. Particularly, we are hound by the oath of God, to embrace and continue in the profeillon, obedience and defence of the true prefbyterian reformed religion of Jcfus Chrii>, which is revealed in the fcrip- tures of truth, ?nd exhibited in the iubordinate ffandards of the church of Scotland, in the dodfrine, worfhip, go- vernment and difcipline tlureof ; — to endeavour to pro- mote the knowledge, proteffion and pradtice of this holy religion, in the covenanted lands of Britain and Ireland ; — to abhor and detelf, to refill and extirpate all contrary religion and dotftrine, errors and corruptions, as popery, prelacy, fuperftition, (chifm, profaneneCs, and whatlb- cver is contrary to Ibund doctrine, and the power of godlinefs; — to maintain the jull: rights, privileges and honour of all perfons in lawful authority, whether civil cr eccleliaflic in the llate or church ; — to promote the happinefs, and to maintain t!ie liberties and privileges^ temporal and ipirituai, of ourielves and others, and to tranfiiiit the enjoyment thereof to poftenty ; — to fludy the due performance of all the duties we owe to God and man, abrtaining from a.l lin, and endeavouring real reformation; — to encourage the hearts, and ftretgthen the hands of one another in the work of the Lord, and not to fuirVr ourleives to be drawn away from it, or to become indifTcrent about it, but to continue ftedfaft therein unto the end ; — and to have the glory of God before us as our fupreme end, and the grace that is in Chrilf Jefus as our firength to enable us to perform our vows unto the Lord. Thefe are fome of the duties con- tained in the national covenart of Scotland, and in the folemn league and covenant of the three kingdoms, to which we are bound, both by the autliority of God in his law, and by our Iblemn covenants with him. Igno- rance of the nature of thefe covenants, of their obliga- tion upon us, or of the duties to which we are bound by them, cannot relieve our fouls from their bindmg force. No enmity at thefe folemn deeds can deliver the con- fcicnces of thofe who hate them from their obligation. The dodrlnal Obfervatlons improved. 95 No contempt and reproach, which we may pour upon our national vows, will avail to let loofe from the duties thereof, thofe who have their mouths filled with hard fpeeches againll them. Neither can any pra ^7 which he is dil^ l^he doEitinal Obfervatiom improved. 103 lionoured, unlefs the exercife of Lot is our ftudy and at- tainment, of whom it is ("aid, For that righteous man dwel- img among them^ in feeing ami hearing, vexed his righteous fotily from day to day, with their un/aiuful deeds, 2 Pet. ii. y. Let us go and do likewife. — It is alio our duty to e- rpoufe and fupport a faithful teftimony, againft the cove- nant-breaking courfes of the times, and in behalf of the covenanted attainments of our fathers. The neceffity of this duty is evident, from the character which the Lord gives unto his people, Ha. xliii. 12. TV are my ivitncjfes^ fiUth the Lord^ that I am God. When he delcribes the character and work of his church, during the reign of anti- chrift, it is in the following words. And I iui/l ^ive po-zv- tr unto my tiuo ivitnejes^ and they Jljall prophefy a thoufund t-ws hundred and threefcor^ days, clothed iti fackcloth, Rtv. xi. 3. In the fame vilions with which John was favoured, the martyrs of Jefus are faid to be Jlcdnfor the ivord of God^ a'lid for the tejlimony ivhich thsy held. Rev. vi. 9. The word of God is one thing, and the church's teftimony for the truths ef that word is another thing ; and it was for their attachment unto the word of God, and for the faithful witncls which they bare unto the truths of ir, that they were put to death by their cruel perfecutors. The nature or extent of this teftimony, which Chriftians are called to efpoufe and fupport, is fixed by the Lord's dilpenfations to the church, and is not left to the choice of the witnefs-bearers. The church's teflimony mult comprehend her public declaration both for the things of God, and againrt thofe things which are oppofite there- unto. In the church's teftimony for the things of God, his whole truths, and all her pure attainments miift be; witneffed unto, -as objects which the church approve and maintain. If any of them are overlooked, her telf iraony for God muft be partial indeed. In the church's tefti- mony againft courfcs of corruption and apoftacy, all thefe muft be expreffed, or condemned and rejected by her ; and, if any of them is paffed over in filence, her teftimo- ny muft be unfaithful. Though the teftimony of th%nd ever," ver. 10. D 2S5 5. The time of the Jews* dispersion among tlie nations, and of their enmity at Christianity shall then be fulfilled. When the Jewish nation, had crucified the Lord of glory; when they had rejected his gospel, the preaching of which began at Jerusalem; when they had persecuted his apostles and followers; and when they had, in all these things, done despite unto the Spirit of grace ; then was that pre- diction accomplished on them, " My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken to him ; and they shall be wanderers among the nations," Hos. ix. 17. At the destruction of Jerusalem, by the Roman army, their final and complete dispersion was accomplished. Then were they entirely driven from their own land, scattered through the earth, and placed in such a situation as rendered it im- possible for them to observe their Father's religion, to which they still professed to adhere. Then our Savour's pre- dictions were literally fulfilled on them; "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled," Luke xxi. 24. Continuing in their dispersion in all quarters of the globe to this day, they are still attached to the typical and abrogated system of Moses, ignorant of their Messiah, to whom all their prophets did witness, and enemies to his religion which brings glory to God in the highest, peace to the earth, and good will to men. Being without Christ, in their present state of unbelief, they are also aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the cov- enants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But shall the seed of Jacob abide still in unbelief, and remain as a people, in this low and disorganised state for ever? The inspired predictions assure us of their re- coveiy. After Hosea had feelingly predicted their disper- sion, " The children of Israel shall abide many days without a King, and without a Prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without t^r- 23 aphim:" He triumphantly adds; "Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their King, and shall fear the Lord and his good- ness in the latter days," chap. iii. 4, 5. As the Jews have never obtained any deliverance, that can be considered to be a fulfilment of this prediction; as it is Jesus Christ, who is David's son and Lord, both his root and offspring, whom they shall seek; as it is to take place after a long and mournful state of deprivation of privileges, of freedom from gross idolatry, -and of suffering many privations; and as the period of its accomplishment is *the latter days, we may be assured that this blessed deliverance of Israel is yel to come. Daniel also predicts this important deliverance, and gives a character of the time at which it shall be ef- fected; "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince that standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." " And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for and ever, that it shall be for a time, and times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be fulfilled," chap. xii. 1,7. The time of unexampled trouble, ver. 1. signifies the judgments at the last scene of the vials of wrath; and the Lord's accomplishing to scatter the power ofthe holy people, ver. 7. signifies his bringing his judgments on the Jews, both in their dispersion and unbelief, to a final termination. The complete effusion of the vials, and the restoration of Israel are so connected, that in verse 1st, the former is mentioned as a description of the time when the latter shall take place, and, in verse 7th, the latter is stated as a mark ofthe season, when all these things, belong- ing to the last plagues, shall be fulfilled. Paul likewise predicts the restoration of the Jews, and states the means by which it shall be brought about; "Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may ob- tain mercy," Rom. xi. 3. The New Testament Scriptures, and the preaching of the gospel, which belong to the mercy of the Gentiles, shall then be made effectual, by the power of tlie Holy Spirit, for recovering the posterity of Jacob. 6. The time of executing God's judgments on his incor- rigible enemies, shall then be fulfilled. Although tliose calamities are foretold by Daniel, in the triumph of the stone in Nebuchadnezzar's vision, in the judgment that shall sit on the fourth beast and the little horn, in Daniel's own vision, and in his words which are quoted above ; yet they are more particularly represented in the visions of John. In them we have more general, and more particular, accounts of those judgments — At the sounding of the seventh trumpet, or the coming of the third and last wo, it is said. " And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come. And there were liglit- nings, and voices, and thundering, and an earthquake, and great hail," chap, xi 18, 19. A most affecting description is given of the same objects, at the opening of the sixth seal, chap. vi. The same awful scene is exhibited to our view, in the vision of the vintage, at the end of chap. xiv. These fearful calamities, are also disclosed in the proclamation of the angel, and in the lamentations of those who beheld them, chap, xviii. These fearful plagues are further represented by the dreadful battle, an account of which is given in the eleven verses, with which the xix chapter is conckided. But the most complete and systematic exhibition of them is found in John's vision of the seven angels, who had the seven last plagues in which was filled up the wrath of God. He saw them, in chap. xv. prepared for their work, coming out of the temple in glorious attire, and receiving seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. In chap. xvi. he heard them receive their commission to *' go and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth;" , ^5 and he saw them execute their office, in pouring, by an order 1}'^ succession, these vials of wrath on the objects, which were destined to receive their contents. Now, all those sad calamities shall be wholly overpast, when the church shall be introduced into her prosperous state. No dregs of the vials of wrath shall remain to be poured out, no voices or thunders shall be heard, no lightnings shall be seen, no con- cussions of the earthquake shall be felt, no drops of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath shall be tasted, and no part of the shower of the terrible hail shall fall, when the church has entered into her millennial rest. Immediately before this happy time, the operations ofthe wine press shall be finished, the battle will be fought, and the cries of lamentation and sorrow shall be heard no more; for, at Antichrist's fall, the season of judgments shall be ended. 7. The time of heathenish idolatry, and mahometan delu- sions shall then be fulfilled. Many parts of the earth are still subjected to the darkness of paganism; and many por- tions of the globe are deluded by the absurdities of Mahomet. The pagan idolatry and many of its rites, are so irrational and cruel, and the dogmas, and pretended revelations of the Prophet of the East, are so gross and ridiculous, that the subjection of any part of mankind to those systems, furnishes a mournful proof of the darkness and corruption of human nature. But this time also shall come to an end. The uni- versal conversion of the nations to Chrstianity, which the predictions warrant us to expect, assures us that heathenish and mahometan lands shall be enlightened. The voices in heaven proclaimed, " The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ" Rev. xi. 15. Of the song of Moses and the Lamb, this is a part ; " For all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thyjudo- mcnts are made manifest." Rev. xv. 4. The objects men- tioned, are the kingdoms of this world, and ail nations. Of them it is said, they shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ, and shall come and worship before him. The <26 time at which this great change shall be produced on the na- tions is also revealed in the prophecy. At the end of the third wo, and when God's judgments are made manifest, by the execution of them. This exactly agrees with the time of Antichrist's fall, and the commencement of the churches prosperity. The manifestation of God's judgments in their execution does not only characterize the time of their change, but states also a special mean by which it shall be effected. The complete execution of those judgments will roll stumbling blocks out of the way of their turning to the Lord, and \vill so enlighten their minds and impress thoir hearts, as to dispose them to embrace that religion, of the truth of which, these plagues are a clear confirmation. Pagans and Mahometans Constitute the greater part of tlie world's population, and oc- cupy the larger portion of its surface. It is impossible, there- fore, that those predictions can be accomplished, if pagans and mahometans continue in their ignorance and unbelief. The Old Testament contains predictions equally clear, con- cerning the extent of the kingdom of grace, in the latter days. *' Arise, O God, judge the earth ; for thou shalt inherit all na- tions," Psal. Ixxxii. 8. To inhewt all nations as their Crea- tor, Preserver, and moral Governor, is the necessary and essential prerogative of God ; it, therefore, caimot be the matter of a prophecy. But to inherit all nations as the God of salvation, he being their God, and they becoming his peo- ple through the Mediator, must be the thing intended. Isaiah, when speaking of the mountain of the Lord's house being established in the top of the mountains, and exalted above the hills, in the last days, adds, " And all nations shall flow unto it," Isa. ii. 2. Since there are predictions in both the Old and the New Testaments, which foretell the conversion of all nations to the true religion; we may be assured that the time is coming, when heathen and maho- metan nations shall turn to the Lord, and when the idolatry of the one, and the delusions of the other shall perish from the earth. Besides, the Old Testament mentions places, ^7 wliose inhabitants shall turn to the Lord; places which ne- cessarily direct our minds to Pagans and Mahometans. Assyria, Ethiopia and Egypt, are the nations to which I al- lude. Of two of them it is said, " Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance," Isa. xix. 25. Of the other it is foretold, " And Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God." Psa. Ixviii. 31. Since those nations whose conversion is here predicted, are in- habited at present by Pagans and Mahometans, have we not abundant warrant to believe, that, at the latter day, the idolatry of the one, and the delusions of the other shall come to an end. 8. The time of the mixture of Antichristian corruptions with the constitutions and administrations of Protestant churches shall then be fulfilled. In the prophecies of Jere- miah, concerning ancient Babylon, which was a tj'pe of popery, called Babylon the great, we have the following pre- diction, which applies to the latter, as well as to the former; " Behold I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroy est all the earth; and I will stretch out my hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. And they shall not take a stone of thee for a corner, nor a stone for foundations, but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the Lord." chap, li. 25, 26. After the destroying mountain of Babylon the great, has begun to shake and totter, and after the fire of Divine judgments has begun to consume its foundations, which commenced at the protestant reformation, stones have been taken from her both for corners and foundations, in other ecclesiastical buildings. But after the Lord has completely rolled down this mountain from the rocks, and, by the fire of his judgments, at the time of the end, has reduced it to a burnt mountain, none shall ever after, take from it a stone for a corner, or a stone for foundations. The former of these, is the present situation of protestant cstablishec4 28 churches. They have broken off from Babylon the great, but as she is not yet rolled down from the rocks, and made a burnt mountain in her final destruction, they have taken from her stones for corners a)id foundations. At the refor- mation the protestant churches retained, both in their con- stitutions and administrations, many corruptions which had their origin in popery. Instead of improving by time, expe- rience, and the increase of light, they have in some things, rather deteriorated. The popish corruptions which have been admitted into the constitutions of these churches, the popish errors which are found in the doctrine of many of their members, the superstitious rites and ceremonies which belong to their modes of worship, the antichristian laws which regulate their government, and the popish usages which are practised in their exercising the censures of God's house, are dishonouring to Christ, hurtful to the church, and o-rievino- to serious Christians, both within and without their communion. These corruptions will continue, there is too much reason to fear, till Antichrist's fall ; but when that system shall be rolled down fi*om the rocks, and be made a bui'nt mountain, and when the church's millennial glory shall commence, every one of them, with the system which gave them existence, shall pass away for ever. 9. The time of mournful divisions among the professors of true Christianity shall then be fulfilled. The popish corruptions^ which are retained in the churches of the re- formation, have been the cause of those divisions,- which have subsisted between them and the different bodies of dissenters. Conscientious scruples about approving and practising those corruptions, on the one side; and a refus- ing to let them go, or a rigorous enforcement of them on the other, have caused the greater number of those separations from the churches that are estabhshed by law. As these corruptions have been the cause of divisions between dis- senters and the churches on the establishment; so they have also been the mean of producing that disunion which subsist* amonff the dissenting bodies themselves. The different views which have been entertained of the corruptions of popish origin, by the bodies of dissenters, have di- vided the dissenting; churches from one another. The contention between dissenting bodies has sometimes been so sharp, and the ahenation of affection from one an- other so great, that they appear to have had more aversion at the cause of one another, than at the corruptions of that church, from which they have separated, on nearly the same grounds. In popish corruptions, by which the truths, institutions, and laws, of Christ, are opposed, it is very easy to find the mournful cause of all those divisions which exist among the professors of true Christianity. By those contentions and separations, the reformed churches at the presentt ime, are like God's ancient people. " When Manasseh was against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Man- asseh, and they together were against Judah." But this mournful time shall also be fulfilled. The causes of di- vision shall be removed at Antichrist's fall, and the divisions themselves shall cease. When the church shall enter into her millennial state, she shall enjoy that precious and most desirable blessing, which is contained in that promise; " The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off, Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim." Isa. xi. 13. 10. The time of unprovoked and offensive war, with all its ruinous effects, sliall then be fulfilled. The whole time of Antichrist's reign, especially the season of pouring out the vials, has been, and will continue to be, a time either of actual war, or of the nations' groaning imder its dismal con- sequences. Wars which have been undertaken and prose- cuted, as they generally are, to gratify the resentment, to humour the pride, to increase the power, the territories, and the wealth of the rulers of the earth; to support false religion, to prevent the progress of reformation, and to fasten the yoke of oppression more firmly on tlie necks of E 30 the iimnan race, bring great guilt upon a nation, and expose its population, of whatever degree, to the Almighty's wrath. In the formation of armies, great injustice is done to the 3'oung and the simple, by depriving them of their liberty, tearing them from their relations, and inuring them to hab- its of irreligion and profligacy. In the march of armies,, injustice is often done to the persons and property of the peaceable inhabitants, and destruction marks their path. In the operations of armies, in battles, or in besieging forti- fied tovv'ns, what desolations are brought on the dwellings of men, what sufferings ai'e endured by those who survive and pine away ia their wounds, what blood is shed, how many lives are taken avs^y, and what a multitude of immortal souls is dispatched in a moment to God's tribunal! By the reduc- tion of armies, which have been collected for the purposes of war, it often happens that those who have, by a military life, contracted habits of wickedness, spread among those, in whose neighbourhood they take up their residence,^, the poisonous infection of the most degrading and destructive immoralities. These wars have a mournful tendency to in- crease national antipathies, to augment national debt and public bnrdens, and to give to the dispositions and character of men a ferocious quality. Besides all this, how dreadful is that responsibility to the God of the whole earth, which those who contrive and determine, and those who voluntari- ly conduct such shocking scenes, bring upon themselves \ But this dark and dismal time of wiir, of blood and slaugh- ter among the nations, shall be fulfilled, when the kingdom of God shall eonie. At that happy time, that prediction shall be accomplished; *' And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people," by pouring on them the vials of his wrath, " and they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears iuto pruning- hooks; and nation shall not lift up sword against natioii, neither shall they learn war any more." Isai. ii. 4. 11. The time of Antichrist's wickedness, and of God's ioner temporal or spiritual prosperity among the nations, till the word of God, and the gospel of our salvation, shall, by the power of the Spirit, subdue the earth. Till the weapons of our warfare, which are not carnal, but mighty through God, pull down the strong holds, cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the know- ledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, the hurt of the Redeemer's churcli will not be recovered. All these times, that have been mentioned, are fulfilled only at Antichrist's fall; it must, therefore, be evident, that while he exists, they will be continued. Evil and perilous times shall be the lot of the church and of the world, while the popish system remains on the earth. Till the dawning of the millennial day of light and purity, times of a quality opposite to those can- not be introduced. The defiling nature of popish errors, idolatry, and immoralities renders this impossible. Tlie execution of judgments on men will be continued, while that system exists; and, thei'efore, permanent prosperity and peace, either in our temporal or spiritual concerns, are nut to be expected. One scene of judgments shall come te^ 36 an end, only to make way for the entrance of another equally distressing; the truth of which is now verified in our sor- rowful expeiience. Let us beware then of seeking or promising to ourselves great things ; for the Lord will yet bring evil upon all flesh. 3. The absolute need which the nations have of civil, as well as ecclesiastic reformation, is evident from this sub- ject. In the xiii. chap, of the Revelation, we have an ac- count, first of the secular, and afterwards of the ecclesiastic beast. They both united in blaspheming God, in corrupt- ing religion, in persecuting the church, and in enslaving men. Popish abominations could neither have prevailed nor continued, without the support of the secular beast; nor could he have maintained his tyranny over the nations, without the aid of the ecclesiastic monster. They have gone hand in hand, they have co-operated cordially in the execution of their unrighteous designs, and have, by the unity of»their operation, succeeded in their gigantic enter- prises. The corruption, therefore, exists both in the civil and ecclesiastic departments. At the fall of Antichrist, civil and ecclesiastic rulers shall cordially unite, in pro- moting the good of nations, and the prosperity of the church. "When the Jews returned from Babylon, there were, at one time, Joshua the high priest, and Zerubbabel the gover- nor of Judah ; and, at another time, Ezra the priest, and Nehemiah the Tirshatha, who co-operated cordially in the work of the Lord. It shall be so, when the church is de- livered from Babylon the great. At that blessed day, ministerial " Angels shall fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach, to the men that dwell on the earth;" and the ten horns which John saw upon the Beast, *' these shall hate the whore, and shall make her des- olate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." 4. From this subject we may clearly see the nature of the times in which we live. Antichrist still exists, many of the Kings of the earth are yet giving their power to him, and every part of his system is in full operation All the times which shall be fulfilled, and come to an end at his downfal, must, therefore, be still in existence. We live in times of secular tyranny, and ecclesiastic domhiation; when the church is low, when Satan is deceiving the nations, and when the Jews are yet scattered and in unbelief; while God's judgments are faUing upon men, and heathenish idolatry and mahometan delusions are prevailino- in the Avorld; when the reformed churches are defiled with popish corruptions,* and when divisions prevail amono- the lovers of thei Lord ; when the nations are still learnin.o- v/ar, when God's patience is still exercised to his Antichristiun enemies, and the church's fiery trial is continued. Both as to sin and danger, our times, therefore, must be evil and perilous. Christians have great reason to adopt the exer- cise of David, " Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast," Psal. Ivii. 1 . and to say with Paul, " I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there; save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying. That bonds and afflictions abide me." Let us all endeavour to add with him; " But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to * The civil Magistrate's supremacy over the church, the consubstantiau'on of the Lutherans, the antiscriptural episcopacy of some of thena, the civil power of the Lords spiritual, their formal liturgies, their kneeling at the Lord's supper, their iisii g the cross in baptism, :he aniichristJan law of patronage, their substituting pecuniary fiaes instt^nd of public censure, their deposing from the ministry some of Christ's faithful servants, and their ac- quital or slightly censuring those who have taught the most pernicious errors, are some of the popish corruptions with which Protestant churches are contaminated. These are the evils which assimilate our churches to the popish system, and not the personal imperfections of some weak and unin- formed proi,teBtaDts ; imperfections which have been of late most injudiciously contrasted with the constitutional abominations of the church of Rome. F 38 riiyself, so that I may finish my cuiirse with joy," Acts xx* 22, 23, 24. 5. That popery is ruinous to mankind, and will prove the destruction of those civil dynasties which support it, must be very evident from this part of our subject. It is ruinous to the temporal, but especially to the spiritual con- cerns of men. It detains them under slavery, and spiritual bondage. It keeps them in ignorance, it involves them in idolatry, it encourages them in sin, and it exposes them to Divine wrath. The threateninfj which is denounced ai>ainst its incorrigible votaries is dreadful. *' And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man wor- ship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his right hand ; The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb," Rev. xiv. 9, 10. It will be the ruin also of the kings of the earth. "And I beheld then," says Daniel, "because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame." It is not said, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake, it was broken and destroyed ; but because of its words the beast himself out of which it grew, the Roman secular tyranny by which it was supported, was slain, and his body, with this horn in its head, and all the other horns among which it sprung up, was destroyed, and given to the burning flame. The blas- phemy, idolatry, and wickedness of popery shall be the cause of ruin to the kings on the Roman earth. With this prediction, several parts of John's visions do perfectly agree. The capture and destruction of the beast and the false prophet, or Antichrist who was signified by the little horn, are not the only effects of the great battle between Christ and Antichrist; but we are assured, that, as the 39 consequence of it, " All the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven shall cat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great," Rev. xix. 18. All this misery shall overtake them because they have been partakers of her sin, and shtiU, therefore, receive of her plagues, Rev. xviii. 4. Their great sin against God, and the principal cause of his judgment on them, are found in their giving tlieir power to the beast, by making the existence and pro- fession of his religion, essential to their civil constitutions, and its support and prosperity a chief object of their ad- ministrations. By the one, they devote their power to Antichrist; by the other, they exercise it for him. Oh, that the kings and judges of the earth knew their sin and danger, in giving any countenance or support to this mys- tery of inquity ; and that they would " Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and they perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little; Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." 6. The happiness of the church in her millennial state, is evident also from what has been said. Since all these times shall then be fulfilled, the church will be prosperous and joyful. Those things which shall be removed at that time beinff the very bane of .all civil and religious society; the church must be blessed, when they shall depart from the earth. None of those evils shall then remain; for Antichrist having fallen, their time shall be fulfilled. The happiness of the church, on the removal of those evils, must be very great. There shall be nothing to hurt nor to destroy in all God's holy mountain. Though this is only the negative part of lier prosperous state, yet it is both necessary and \ery consid- erable. The spiritual salvation of believers comprehends a deliverance from those evils to which they were exposed, as well as the enjoyment of those blessings to which they are advanced; so shall it be with the church at that happy 40 time. She shall be delivered from those evils under which she has long groaned, and shall be advanced to the enjoy-^ ment of those blessed privileges which are provided for her. Tiie part of the subject which has been discussedj unfolds the former; and that part of it on which we are next to enter> may give us some view of the latter. In the mean time, let us seriously consider the churcir's distress and danger while those evils are continued, and her happiness and safety when the time of their existence shall be fulfilled; tnat by searching the Scriptures, meditation, prayer and religious c nference, we may be prepared both for suf- fering according to the Divine will, and tor rejoicing at the prospect of those glorious thmgs which are spoken concern- ing the city of God. AN INQUIRY INTO THE church's happy CONDITION DURING THE THOUSAND YEARS OF HER GLORY AND PURITY. DISCOURSE II. Mark i. 15— 7%e time is Julfilled. and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye^ and believe the gosjjel* When men are agreed about the reality and general nature of any object, and are not of the same mind as to some material circumstances and qualities which belong to it; their descriptions of it may be very different, and even con- tradictory. The one class will be disposed to give such an account of it, as does not sufficiently embrace and exhibit its excellencies ; and the other may carry their description of it above its real properties. The low representation of the former, may excite the other to exaggerate its glory; and the lofty account of the latter, may influence those of a different opinion, to underrate its value and importance. It has happened thus with the church's blessed condition, which the Scriptures warrant us to expect, at the latter day. While some writers have given a description which is too grand, by ascribing to it things which the Scriptures do not reveal ; the representations of some others have cer- tainly been too general, and have fallen short of its great and peculiar splendour. In conducting an inquiry into this 42 subject, it were desirable, could it be attained, to avoid extremes, either on the one side, or on the other. Having endeavoured to mention, in the foregoing dis- course, some of those times which shall be fulfilled at Anti- christ's fall, and at the church's entry into her millennial rest. I am now, II. To describe the church's happ}'- condition, during the thousand years of her glory and purity. 1. The holy Scriptures and the preaching of the gospel, accompanied with Divine influence, shall then be enjoyed by all nations. These are blessings which are absolutely neces- sary, and infinitely precious. To what other cause than the enjoyment of them, can we ascribe the religious, moral, ecclesiastic and political improvement of the nations who are prcvilcged with their light ? Whence is it, that most absurd and abominable systems of religion, gross and abounding immoralities, and civil and eccJesiastic tyranny prevail in popisii, pagan and mnhometan nations, wliere those bles- sings are not enjoyed ? Scripture prophecy fortells the spread of spiritual light among all nations, by bestowing on them the Divine word and a preached gospel. This was intimated to Abraham and frequently renewed, " In thee, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Isaiah and Micah predict, that *' in the last days^ all nations shall flow into the mountain of the Lord's house." Isaiah and Habakkuk say, " That the knowledge of the Lord, and the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, shall fill the earth, as the waters cover the sea." Our Saviour de- clares, '^ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come." Matth. xxiv. 14'. In John's visions, it is de- declared that " The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ;" that " All na- tions shall come and worship before the Lord;" and that at the beginning of the church's prosperity, the saints who shall 43 Jiraise the Lord for that deliverance, shall be, " of all nations^ and kindred, and people, and tongues." What less than these enjoyments, can be imported, in that prophetic descrip- tion of this happy time, by the symbols of Satan's bindings the saints' sitting on thrones, reigning with Christ, and the wicked not living, all for the long period of a thousand yearsw When the word of God, and the preaching of the gospel were put in operation, after Christ's ascension, they were the mean of enlightening many in every land to which thej were sent, in the knov/ledge of the only way of salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ. WHien the gospel had thus begun to illuminate mankind, nothing did prevent it from enlightening the whole world, but that dreadful corruption of Christianity, which ended in the establishment of the An- tichristian apostacy, which has prevailed so universally, and has continued so long. The change produced on the na- tions by the labours of the apostles, and of those who suc- ceeded them, cannot be considered as a full accomplishment of those predictions. It was but a part of the nations that was then enlightened, it was only a small number of their population that submitted to Christ's sceptxe, the church was still exposed to persecution, the time of its continuance was of short duration, and it took place before the existence of the grand apostacy; all which is inconsistent with a full ac- complishment of those predictions. W^e are, therefore, war- ranted to expect this complete fulfilment, at the time of the destruction of that wicked one, whose rise and reign pre- vented gospel light from spreading, and filled the world with darkness. The change which the nations shall undergo, ac- cording to those predictions^ is of such a nature, that nothing but the Divine word, and the preaching of the gospel, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, can accomplish it. What else can be the mean of causing them to be blessed in Christ, the seed of Abraham ; to be filled with the know- ledge of the glory of the Lord, to flow into the mountain of the Lord's housej to become the kingdom of the Lord and %4< of his Christ; to come and worship before the Lord ; to cele- brate his praise, in a triumphant song, for his marvellous works in their deliverance; and to sit on thrones, and reign with Christ, a thousand years. We may, therefore, most confidently expect, that after the fall of Antichrist, all na- tions shall be enlightened with the word of God, and the preaching of the gospel; "when the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven fold, as the light of seven days." 2. The kingdom of Christ shall then be erected, and the pure worship of God shall be celebrated, in all naions Of their enjoyment of the Divine word, and a preached gospel, these shall be the happy effects. The kingdom of Christ shall be established in the nations; for, at that time, they shall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. This honour and blessedness of the nations are imported in those parts of the church's song; " Thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned — Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down." — " The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready" By the grand solemnities of a coron- ation, and by those of a royal marriage, is represented to us, the erection of the gospel kingdom among the nations. The instituted worship of God in Christ shall then be celebrated in all the earth. All nations, says the blessed company standing on the sea of glass, with the harps of God in their hands, " All nations shall come and worship before thee.'* With a view to this happy season, Malachi, the last of the prophets, utters, in the name of the Lord, this delightful prediction : " For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering; for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts." The parties who are concerned in this prediction are the Gentiles and the heathen. 45 nations who had not been called by his name. The employ- ment in which they should engage is stated; offering in- cense to the Lord's name, and a pure offering. The spiri- tual worship of the gospel church is signified by the incense and the pure offering, words taken from the services of the old dispensation, under which the prediction was given. The extent of these religious services among the nations is also affirmed. From the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, and in every place. On all the nations that are enlightened with the light of the natural sun, on them shall the Sun of Righteousness arise, with healing in his wings. The reason of this glorious change in the condition and religious employment of the nations is also contained in the prediction. For my name shall be great, by the revela- tion of the word, and the preaching of the gospel, accom- panied with the Spirit's influence. For my name shall be great among' the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. The nature of that worship which all nations shall then give to the Lord may be distinctly learned from this prophecy. As the burning of sweet incense before the Lord, and the bringing offerings unto him, were of Divine institution un- der the law; so the acts of religious worship, which shall then prevail in all the earth, shall not be those which origi- nate in human device, but shall be such as are instituted in the word of God. The kingdom of Christ is erected, and Divine worship is celebrated in a land, when its inhabitants cordially receive and publicly profess the faith of Jesus; when they acknowledge themselves to be taught by him as their in- fallible Prophet, to be redeemed by him as their great high Priest, and to be governed by him as their mediatorial King; when they set up among them the instituted administrators of Divine ordinances, pastors and teachers, helps and go- vernments ; and v/hen they carefully observe all the ordin- ances of Divine worship, and submit to all the administra- tions of his spiritual kingdom which he has established among G riiem. Tliis shall be the blessedness of all lands, when the kingdom of God shall come. 3. God's ancient people, the Jews, shall then flourish in the midst of the earth, as an holy and prosperous Christian church. The apostle Paul assures us, in the 11th chapter of his epistle to the Romans, that though they have been di- minished, yet they shall in due time enjoy a fulness; though they have been cast away, there will also be a receiving of them, which shall be to themselves and others as life from the dead; though they were broken off^ they shall again be grafted into their own olive; though God has shut them up in unbelief, he will yet have mercy upon them; though blindness in part has happened unto them, yet all Isi-ael shall be saved, and there shall come out of Sion the Deliv- erer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; and thougli the Gentiles have obtained mercy through their unbelief, yet the time shall come, when, thiough the mercy of the Gentiles, they also shall obtain mercy. It is quite natural to suppose, that, when the darkness and mis- ery of their rejection shall be finished, and when tlie happy time of their spiritual illumination in tlie knowledge of Christ shall come, their faith in his gospel which they have rejected, their love to his person whom they have blasphem- ed, their obedience to his law which they have transgressed, their zeal for his glory which they have profaned, their ad- miration of his grace which they have despised, and their attachment to his religion which they have opposed, will be altogether singular and extraordinary. At that time they shall obtain a complete deliverance from all the misery which is contained in the threatening, that, for so long a period, has been executed on them. Their unbelief and dispersion, with the evils which proceed from both, comprehend it all. They siiall be delivered from their unbelief, when Christ shall come by his word and ordinances, applied to them by the Holy Ghost, giving them a sight of their guilt and dan- ger, manifesting himself savingly to them, implanting faith m 47 their hearts, enabling them to believe in him, taking awjiy all their sins, and jxivino- them an interest in the blessing of Abraham, in the sure mercies of David. This work, the glorious Deliverer will carry on among them, till the body of that people shall repent and believe the gospel, and till it grow up to a national salvation. They shall also be restor- ed to their own land, and continue as a blessing to the rest of the nations, in the midst of the earth, till the end of the world. Our Saviour's prediction, concerning the Jews, contains two proofs of their return to their ov/n knd. " They shall be led away captive into all nations." The dispersion of the Jews is, therefore, a part of their punish- ment. When the Deliverer rescues them from their misery, he must turn back their captivity like streams in the south, otherwise the seed of Israel, after they are turned to the Lord, must still exist under a very conspicuous part of their calamity. Our Saviour adds, " And Jerusalem shall be ti-odden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles shall b;e fulfilled." The times of the Gentiles are fulfilled at Antichrist's fall, at the conversion of the Jews, and at the church's entry into her state of glory and purity. This prediction, therefore, assures us that from the destruction of Jerusalem, in the first century of Christianity, to the fall of Antichrist in the nineteenth, Jerusalem and the holy land ehall be possessed by a people, very difl'crent from the seed of Abraham ; and we have seen the exact fulfilment of the av/ful threatening. But this prediction further assures us, that when the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, none of them shall any more tread down Jerusalem ; but they shall surrender it to its former possessors. If the Jews do not return to their own land at the latter day, then the Gentiles must continue to tread it down, or occupy it, after their times are fulfilled, which is contrary to our Saviour's prediction. The words of Daniel prove the same thing; " And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be fulfilled." God's 48 scattering the power of the holy people signifies, the period of their dispersion, v/hen they continued without a king, without a prince, without a sacrifice, and without an cphod. His accomplishing to scatter their power must therefore mean, their being gathered to their own land, and existing in it as an independent power, both in their civil and eccle- siastic capacities. AVithout this, the scattering of their power cannot be accomplished, or brought to an end. Many Old Testament prophecies fortell such a return of Israel to their own land, as would never be followed with a general dispersion, ^or a partial captivity. " Thou shall no more be termed forsaken, neither shall thy land any more be termed desolate," Isai. Ixii. 4. " Then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to gen= eration." 17, 20. "And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God." Amos. ix. 15. *' And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited." Zech. xiv. 11. These predictions assure us that the Jews shall enjoy a glorious return to their own land, after which they shall never be forsaken, nor their land become desolate, after which no strangers shall pass through them any more; after which they shall never be pulled up out of their land; and after which there shall be no more utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. As the Jews, in their present state, are deprived of all the privileges which those predictions promise them ; there must be another re- storation to their own land contemplated in tliose prophe- cies; a restoration, after which they shall possess it till the end of time. We are, therefore, authorized to believe, that when the Lord shall set up an ensign for the nations, on the gospel millennial day, " He shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." Isai. xi. 12. 49 4. Great purity shall be obtained both in the civil and ec- clesiastic constitutions and administrations which shall then exist in the world. In that happy time, Christ's church, both Jew and Gentile, " shall suck the breasts of kings, and the}^ shall be their nursing fathers, and their queens their nursing mothers ;" and " the kings of the earth shall then hate the whore;" they will therefore discountenance false religion, and encourage and support that which is of God. The restraints which shall be laid on Satan, the overthrow of popery, the spread and knowledge of the holy Scriptures, and the great increase of true religion and morality will all contribute to accelerate and confirm civil and ecclesiastic re- formation. An important change shall then take place in the constitutions and administrations of civil governors. Their constitutions shall no more be popish, prelatic, or erastian. The conditions on which they shall receive their power, will not oblige them to maintain, and to be members of popish and superstitious churches. An antichristiari supremacy over the church shall no longer be given to them, or exercised by them as an inherent or constitutional right of their crowns. The exercise of their power in their administrations shall be of such a kind, that the ravenous beasts of the desert, or the horns of a monstrous animal shall not, in any sense, be the appropriate symbols of their government. In the disposi- tions and conduct of the kings of the earth, at that glorious season, the words of David shall, in a high degree, be veri- fied ; — He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of the Lord. And he shall be as the light of the morn- ing when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds ; as the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shin- ing after rain." 2 Sam. xxiii. 3, 4. As the millennial nations shall become " an habitation of justice," so the Chris- tian churches, at that time, shall be " a mountain of holi- ness." The church's doctrine shall then be evangelical and sound, her worship pure and spiritual, her government shall be regulated by the word of God, and her censures shall be 50 administered according to tlie Divine rule, for the glory of and the young lion, and the fatling, together; and a little child shall lead them; and the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den;" To show that those astonishing symbols of harmony and peace, relate to ecclesiastic concord, it is added; " They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain." To shew likewise that the instrumental cause of ecclesiastic peace is the very same with that which produces national tranquillity, it is also said, " For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Isa. xi. 6, 7, 8, 9. We are not to imagine that those prophetic symbols ai'e hyperbolical exaggerations; for there shall be 52 many instances of persons of different situations, principles and dispositions, joyfully harmonizing at the church's de- liverance, which will be as great a mystery in grace, as the things mentioned in the prophecy, were they to happen, would be a wonder in nature. 6. The number of the world's inhabitants, and of God's saints shall then be exceeding great. The inhabitants of the earth shall then be greatly increased. This is evident both from scripture and reason. It is confirmed by the word of God. The scriptures assure us, that when a people are the objects of Divine favour, and when they endeavour to walk in his way, that a great increase of their number is a blessing, which lie will bestow on them. After the rebels were de- stroyed in the wilderness, their posterity, to whom the pro- mise of enjoying Canaan was accomplished, obtained this blessing; for to them Moses said in the plains of Moab, " The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude." Deut. i. 10* God's promise to his people is, "I will multiply them, and they shall not be few," Jer. xxx. 19. To Israel does Ezekiel say, chap, xxxvi. 38. " As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am the Lord." The ordinary inhabitants of the waste ci- ties should resemble, in their number, those who were in Jerusalem, when the greater part of Israel's male population repaired to it, at their solemn feasts. If the Lord acted in this manner to Israel, when they enjoyed his favour and walked in his fear; we have abundant reason to conclude, that the nations of the earth, when they shall be converted to Christianity, and shall live according to the doctrines and precepts of the true religion, will then enjoy an extraordinary increase of inhabitants. The principles of reason, as well as the promises of God, support this conclusion. If secular misrule, ecclesiastic oppression, cruel wars, famines, pestil- ences, destructive immoralities, and such other things that 53 waste a nation's population, shall then be banished from the earth; it must follow as a necessary consequence, that man- kind will rapidly increase, and that their number will be- come exceedingly great on the face of the earth. But the number of the saints also will be greatly increased. The visions that John had of the millennial church, and which he records at the middle of the seventh chapter, and at the be- ginning of chap, ninteenth, clearly shew that the saints, in those days of blessedness and rest, shall be very many. In the former of those representations, his words are the follow- ing; ver. 9. "After this," the vision of the sealed company, " After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and peo- ple, and tongues, stood before the throne^ and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." While the saints who were sealed, are represented by an hundred forty and four thousand, those who shall rise up in the church at the beginning of the millenium, are said to be a great multitude, which no man can number, out of all the nations of the earth. As far as an hundred and forty and four thousand are exceeded by a number that baffles all human calculations; so far shall the number of the saints, at that time, exceed the number of them, who have lived in the age before it. In the other vision, their number is mentioned in the first and sixth verses. " And after these things," the lamentations of the kings and merchants of the earth, and the captains and sailors on the sea, over Babylon's fall. *' After these things, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of mighty waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying. Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." How loud, how so- lemn and majestic is the voice, of this much people, of this great multitude, who shall then worship and praise the Omnipotent God ! The number of the singers may be under- , stood from the loudness, the solemnity, and the majesty of H th'e song. As all nations shall know aild profess die tmt religion, there is reason to conclude that a great part of their inhabitants shall be true believers, and the saints of the most High God, Since all nations shall be enlightened with the word, and the preaching of the gospel; and since every land shall possess a greater number of real christians, than ever existed in any land, of equal population, since the world began; the number of the saints, at that time must be altogether inconceivable. Such, however, is the idea of their number, which the scriptures warrant us to entertain. How glorious and fretjuent must conversion then be ! The apos- tolic success will then be revived, continued, and exceeded. As it is difficult, in the present state of the world and the church, to be a christian in reality; so it will be difficult, in the condition to which the church and the world shall then be advanced, for any person to be an hypocrite, or a nominal professor. 7. The holiness, the religious exercises and blessedness of the saints shall then be of the most exalted order. As their immber shall be exceeding great, their spiritual at- tainment shall be very high. John's two visions of the millennial church referred to already, for an account of their number, must be considered again, that from them we may learn the nature of their exercises and attainments. As the}' warrant us to conclude that their number will be im- mense; so they prove that their religious enjoyments will be extraordinary. In those visions, their dignity, their Tiosition, their attire, their employment, their associates, and their entertainment, are disclosed to our view. When the glorified church was after this revealed to John, her dignity was marked by her relation to her Lord, " Gome hither,- and I will shew thee the Bride, the Lamb's Wife;" so when the millennial church is set before him, her dig^ nity is asserted in the same manner, " The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife liath made herself ready.'* Though true believers, and the church of God have,. ia> i 65 '«vei'y age, enjoyed this blessed relation to their spiritual "Husband; yet there shall be such peculiar solemnities at- tending the celebration of the nuptials betwixt Christ and his millennial church, as will reflect on him the highest glory, and confer on her the greatest dignity. — They shall also have an honourable position. John saw ■them "standing .before the throne, and before the Lamb." Having been brought to the throne of grace, they stand before him who sits on it, and before him who is in the midst of it, they approach to God tlu'ough the blood of the Lamb, they devote themselves to God and the Lamb, and depend, for all :Divine influence, on "the seven Spirits who are before his throne.*' John saw them also " in heaven." Delivered from the earth, and belonging to the spiritual heavens, they shall enjoy that state of the church, which bears the nearest resemblance to the heaven- ly glory, that can be attained in this world. — When present- ed to John in vision, "they were ^slothed with white robes, and had palms in their hands. And to her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and \vhite ; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." Delivered from the defilements of the foregoing season, they now ap- pear in a holy and purified state. Clothed with Christ's righteousness, adorned with regenerating grace, and beau- tified with the sanctification of the Spirit, they are justified in their state, faithful in their profession, and holy in their conversation. They also had palms in their hands, as the symbols of victory over Satan, Antichrist, and all other ene- mies, as the tokens of triumph before God and the Lamb, and as the ensigns of peace and. rest in their blessed condition. — They are also described from their employment: They are not engaged in fasting, mourning and girding with sackcloth, for the Bridegroom is with them, and the days of their mourning are ended. They •' cried with a loud voice, say- ing, Salvation to our God, and unto the Lamb." The gieat voice of much people said, "Alleluia, Salvation, ami glory, and honour, and ]")Owcr, unto the Lord our God. And again they said, Alleluia." "And the four and twenty Elders, and the four beasts, fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen, Alleluia." The voice of the gr^at multitude cried, " Alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth ; Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come." In these words, there are four periods of singing. The first, when the judgments of God against his enemies shall assume a decisive aspect; the second, when they shall be terminated in the destruction of Antichrist; the third, when the millen- nial church shall visibly appear; and the fourth, when she shall obtain consistence and stability. The reasons assigned for these different songs demonstrate the truth of this state- ment. The first is sung for the Lord's judging the great whore; at the second, her smoke rose up for ever and ever; the third is connected with a cxill to the servants of the Lord, and to those who fear his name, to engage in the work of praise ; and the fourth song is sung on account of the reign of the Lord God Omnipotent, and the coming of the marriage of the Lamb. Tiiesc exercises of religion are of the highest kind, thankfulness, praise, adoration, extolling and magni- fying God. These characterize their spiritual frame from which they proceed, their holy thoughts of which they are the expression, and their heavenly deportment to which they have a powerful tendency to excite them. These exercises of praise demonstrate their bright views of the Divine glory, their deep impressions of his omnipotent power, their high sense of his mercy and faithfulness, and their vehement de- sire to shew forth the praises of him, who, both in their conversion, and in the; church's deliverance, has called them out of darkness into his marvellous light. — They will have active associates in this delighful work. Thev will not sinff alone. " And all the Angels stood round about the throne, and about the Elders and the four Beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God ; say- ing, Amen, Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanks- giving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever, Amen." If the holy Angels parti- cipate in the joy of the rising millennial church, the spirits of just men made perfect will neither be ignorant nor silent, on this solemn occasion. — Their entertainment is also men- tioned; for they shall be '• called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." The spiritual provision, on which the saints have all along been fed, shall be administered to them in a plentiful manner. On Christ the bread of life, on the ful- ness of the blessing of salvation shall they delightfully feed. "With the marrow, and fatness, and goodness of God's house they shall be satisfied abundantly. For the exercise of grace in their hearts, for the performance of religious duties, for the habitual nature of their spiritual frames and enjoyments, for the holiness of their conversations, for their love and usefulness to one another, and for the extent of their knowledge, the strength of their faith, the fervour of their love, the warmth of their zeal, and their comfortable death, the millennial saints will be peculiarly eminent. 8. The goodness of God to the world's inhabitants, in the provision he will make for their bodily wants, shall then be great and astonishing. Among the many judgments which the Lord has threatened to inflict on nations for their ini- quities, famine is frequently mentioned; and among the calamities which guilty nations have suffered on account of their transgressions, it has often been one of the most dis- tressing. In the holy scripture, and in the common his- tory of mankind, we have abundant information, that famine has often been God's rod, and the punishment of his rebel- lious creatures. Many of the sins of men, which provoke the Lord to anger against them, consist in their abuse of his outward goodness; it must, therefore, be a righteous dis- pensation of providence, to deprive men, in a greater or lesser degree, of that Divine bounty which they use to his dishonour. Besides, for the sin of despising the bread of life, God's taking away from us tlie bread that pcrishetb, is a most ap- propriate correction. But when that happy time shall come, in which the greater part of men shall be holy, those pro- mises shall be accomplished ; " I will also save you from all your uncleannesses ; and I will call for the corn, and will, increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will mul- tiply the fruit of the tree, ami the increase of the field, and ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the hea- then." Ezek. xxxvi. 29, 30. One of Sion's songs, in which the inspired writer contemplates the latter day glor}', con- tains tlie following M'ords; " O, let the nations be glad, and sing for joy. Let the people praise thee, O God ; let all tlie people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her in- crease, and God, even our own God, will bless us. God shall bless us ; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.'* Psalm Ixvii. If the Lord caused the land of Canaan, small as it was, to yield abundant sustenance for the many thou- sands of Israel, when their ways pleased him ; shall he not make the earth bring forth and bud, and yield fruits of in- crease for the comfortable support of its inhabitants, when it shall be filled with the knowledge of his glory, as the v/aters cover the sea. Of the millennial church it shall be said, " Blessed of the Lord shall be their land, for the pre- cious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath. And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the precious things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills; And for the precious things of the earth, and the fulness thereof; and for the good will of Him that dwelt in the bush;" — all those blessings shall <^ouie upon the head of those generations -of the righteous, and on the top of the head of those whose lot shall fall in that day, when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. God's goodness to them in temporal things will bear some propor- tion to his peculiar kindness to them in spiritual tilings. iLlving under tlie influence of the gospel, walking in the fear of the Lord, and enjoying the comforts of the Holy Ghost; " they shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and pi'aise the name of the Loi'd their God, who hath dealt wonderously with them ; and they shall never be ashamed." 9. The glory of God shall then be illustriously manifested' to the children of men. When the wilderness and the soli- tary place sliall be glad for them ,* when the desert shall re- joice and blossom as the rose; when it shall blossom abun- dantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; and when the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, and the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, which shall be the spiritual condi- tion of all the nations at the latter day, then they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of their God^ Jehovah's glory and excellency the saints shall see, by con- templating both his works of judgment against his enemies, and his works of mercy in behalf of his church. Of the church's singing, Alleluia, and ascribing to him salvation, and gloiy, and honour, and power, this is the cause; " For he hath judged the great whore, which did c&rrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand." In these strange acts the saints shall understand, admire, and praise the Lord for the dis- plays of the glory of his wisdom, sovereignty, justice, power, holiness, and faithfulness. Li the wonderful deliverance he will work for his church, in her vast extent, her high ele- vation, the number of her members, the glory of her pri- vileges, and the fulness of blessings which shall be enjoyed by believers^ the saints shall see the glory of all those attributes, in connexion with the brightest display of his goodness, mercy, love, and grace, to his own people in Christ Jesus. Of this glory of the great God, in those wonderful events which the church shall behold, the mi- nute accomplishment of his own predictions, and the exact fulfilment of his promises and threatenings, will be a most delightful display, and a special object of their contemplation ► 6o la those glorious works, they shall see his word realised, and will clearly discern the time, the manner, and circum- stances, of accomplishing those important predictions, con- cerning which we dare not now positively determine, and can only see as through a glass darkly. In the view of his admiring saints, O what glory will then surround him, as the God of providence, as the king of nations, as the God, the Father, and the Portion of his church ! To them will that call be peculiarly applicable, and the reason assigned for it, completely verified; " Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." At this happy time, as well as at the important season to which our text did primarily apply, that promise shall be eminent- ly fulfilled; " And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Isal. xl. 5. At this time the Lord, in a most singular manner, will build up Slon; and when he does so, " he shall appear In his glory." As the manifestation of his glory is one of the greatest blessings which God be- stows on men ; so a spiritual sight and impression of that glory is one of the highest attainments, to which the church, or the children of God can reach. Since, therefore, the displays of the Divine glory, at the millennial day, shall be peculiarly eminent, the spiritual felicity of believers at that time must be Inconceivably great. That the displays of the Divine glory, at this time, will be altogether extraordinary, is evident from Daniel's vision of it, chap. vii. 9, 10. "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool; his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burn- ing fire. A fiery flame issued and came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the judg- ment was set, and the books were opened." In these verses, the represenations of the Divine glory at the fall of Antichrist 01 ■and the revival of liis church, arc set before us in such a manner, as bears a strong- resemblance to the appearance of his glor}-^, at the final judgment of the last day. John's vi- sion which corresponds with this, is found Rev. xi. 14 — 19. At the time of this judgment, the Son of Man shall ask, and the Father shall give him the heathen for his inheritancet and the uttermost ends of the earth for his possession. " And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom," ver. 14. At the timeof this judgment, the Great God shall punish his antichristian enemies. " But the judg- ment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end," ver. 26. And at the time of this judgment he shall give reward to his ser- vants; " And the Idngdom, and dominion, and the great- ness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people oi":he saints of the Most High," ver. 27. In all these solemn transactions, at Antichrist's fall, the Lord's glory shall eminently appear to his millennial church. 10. The glory of Christ, the Mediator, shall then appear in a veiy bright and wonderful manner, to the children of men. He who is represented, in the visions of Daniel, as the Son of Man, coming in the clouds of heaven, to the An- cient of days, and receiving from him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all nations and languages should serve him, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be de- stroyed," shall then appear in his glory unto men, as the prophet, priest, and king of his church. This prediction, concerning the peculiar aggrandizement of our Mediator* relates to the period of time which we are now contemplat- ing; because this season of his glorious manifestation to men will come at the fall of Antichrist, and at the church's en- lai'gement in her millennial state. The former of these is evident from verse eleventh, in Dan. vii. where the vision is recorded: " I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake ; I beheld even till the beast m was slain, and his body was destroyed, and given to tlie- burning flame." The latter description of this time is also clear from verse eighteenth. " But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." At the time when judgment shall be executed for pulling down civil and ecclesiastical corruption and tyranny, and at the tilne when the church shall receive deliverance, enlargement, and prosperity, at that very time the glory of the Lord Jesus shall be brightly displayed among men. This blessed day will not be the commencement of his reign, nor the beginning of the dis- play of his mediatorial glory to his people; but it will be the season of a more remarkable exercise of his power, and of a more illustrious display of his glory. Having overcome all his antichristian enemies, having bound the Dragon who is called the Devil and Satan,|having sent his word and gos- pel to the uttermost ends of the earth, having received the subjection of all nations to the sceptre of his grace and rule, and having begun to execute his offices in the establishment and prosperity of his church in all nations, and in the spiri- tual salvation of believers of every kindred, tongue, and peo- ple, he will then make such manifestations of his glory, and of the glory of God in him, as will fill the earth with the knowledge of it, as the waters cover tlie sea. In the num- ber of places where it shall be displayed, in the multitude of persons to whom it shall be manifested, and in the bright discoveries that shall be made of it to every believer, Christ's^ glory will then be peculiarly illustrious. Thfe Lord Jesus will then, by his word and Spirit, manifest himself in such a manner, and will, through the medium of the word and ordinances, be discerned by his people with such bright il- lumination, in the glory of his person as God manifested in the flesh, in the glorj' of his offices, general or particular, in the glory of his righteousness for the justification of believers, in the glory of his fulness for supplying his church and his children's war^ts, in the glory of his salvation which contains ,63 the blessings of eternal life, and in the glory of his adminis- -trations to his church both on earth and in heaven, as will constrain them to cry out, " And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." He will be glorified in the overthrow of his enemies; for they shall fall by " the wrath of the Lamb." He will have honour in his church's song ; for they will say, ** Salvation to our God that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb." At that time also he shall perform a glorious work for his people's comfort and salvation, " For the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." H. The glory of the holy Spirit shall then be most illus- triously displayed m the church. This Divine person is called the seven spirits, which are before his throne, from whom, as well as from him who is, and was, and is to come, and from Jesus Christ, grace and peace come to the saints. In his enlightening, purifying, and warming influences, he is re- presented by that most significant emblem of " seven lamps of iire burning before the throne." The seven eyes of the Lamb in the midst of the throne, "are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." At that blessed season, the Spirit ■of God shall be sent forth, in a peculiar manner, into all the earth. The sphere of his special operations shall then comprehend the whole world. The subjects of his gracious influence shall then be in all the earth. The effects of his glorious power, in the conversion, sanctification, comfort, and establishment of sinners in the ways of God, shall then be conspicuous in all nations. Those words of God shall have, at that time, a more extensive accomplishment, than ever they had in the days of the apostles. " And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh." The influence of the holy Spirit was exert- ed, and his glory was displayed in reviving the church, after she returned from her captivity in Babylon. Zechariah was 64. eomraissioned to say, " This is the word of the Lord t(* Zerubbabel, saying, Not b}' might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." Haggai, who prophesied at the same time, was sent to declare to Zerubbabel, to Josuah the high Priest, and to all the people of the land, to strengthen and encourage them in the Lord's work ; " Ac- cording to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, my Spirit rem aineth among you; fear ye not." If the holy Spirit was glorified by his operations among the captives, when they returned from Babylon; how much more gloriously will he manifest himself, when the Christian churches shall be delivered from Babylon the great, and when all nations, through his influence, shall bow to the Redeemer's sceptre? At the erection of the gospel dispensation, he also performed glorious administrations. . At the day of Pentecost, there appeared unto the apostles cloven tongues, like as " of fire, and it sat upon each of them; And they were all filled with tlie Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." When the apostles afterwards were enduring much persecution, and were assembled for solemn prayer, it is said; " And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." Acts iv. 31. WTien the apostles preached the gospel through the world, it often happened, that the Holy Ghost fell on all them who heard the word, communicating to many saving grace, and to some extraor- dinary gifts. If the holy Spirit performed such glorious operations, and exerted such Divine influence, for overcom- ing Jewish prejudices, for removing heathenish darkness, and for establPshing the Christian religion; we may certainly conclude that he will perform similar operations, and will exert the same influence, when <' All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kin- dreds of the nations shall Avorship before him." To this 65 truth, an holy apostle gives a direct testimony. " And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume by the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." 2 Thess. ii. 8. The holy Spirit, accompanying the word with Divine power, exhibit- ing to men the glory of Christ as a Saviour, and displaying to them the glory of God in him, shall be the Great Efficient cause of destroying the abominations of Popery, and of es- tablishino; the Redeemer's kino;dom in all the earth. Then shall the Spirit of the Lord appear in the glory of his dis- tinct personality, of the divinity of his character, and of his special work in the scheme of redemption. Then shall all nations be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; And then the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the com- munion of the Holy Ghost shall be with them all. Amen. 12, Ail this blessedness, which has been mentioned, shall be the church's enjoyment, not for a short space, but for a very long time. When we are assured that the time, which is fixed for our enjoyment of any good, is very short, it will diminish both its value, and our pleasure in the possession of it. But when we know that the time of our enjoyment of it is long, it augments its worth in our estimation, and enlarges our satisfaction in the fruition of it. The saints* liappiness, at this blessed time, will be increased, by the consideration of the long continuance of their prosperity and peace. The number by which this season is marked in the visions of John is one thousand years. Whether this number signifies exactly so many years, or a lonf^ time, cannot be positively ascertained; but, from either of these views of it, we may be assured that the church's glory and purity will be continued for a very long time. That opin- ion, however, which considers each day in the thousand years, to signify a year, by which the duration of the mil- lennium is extended to three hundred and sixty thousand years, being out of all proprotion to other prophetic num- 6G l)ei*s, aiul to them all put together, has not, so far as I know, been adopted by many." This number of one thousand years is mentioned six times in as many verses, at the begin- ning of Rev. XX. It is mentioned in ver 2d, to fix the time during which Satan shall be bound ; it is mentioned again in ver 3d, to state the time in which he shall be restrained from deceiving the nations. The same number is repeated in ver. 4th, to mark the duration of the church's living and reijrn- ino; with Christ. It is still mentioned in ver. 5, as stating the time in which the rest of the dead, or the wicked, lived not. It is contained in ver. 6th, to describe the time dur- ing which, those who have part in the first resurrection, shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him. It is brought before us, for the last time, in the 7tli verse, to shew that when it shall expire, Satan shall be loosed out of his person, for a little season. As no other prophetic number is ever used in Scripture, to repre- sent the church's blessedness in the latter day, as it is always emploj^ed without any alteration in its form, and since it is so clearly and frequently applied to the different things that are connected with that happy season, there seems to be some reason to conclude, though it must not be asserted positively, that the church's state of happiness and prosperity will continue exactly one thousand years, and may perhaps constitute the last day in the week of time, and the millennial sabbath, which the Lord our God hath bles- sed and sanctified for himself. With some inferences, this part of the subject may be con- cluded. 1. Christ's kingdom, in this world, shall be victorious over all her enemies. By the light of Divine predictions and promises, we have seen some of the great things which are prepared for her; she shall, therefore, be victorious. The church may be low, but deliverance and enlargement are se- cured to her. Since Christ, her glorious Head, has spoiled 07* pHncipalities and powers, and has triumphed over themj since every believer in him shall be made more than a con- queror through Christ Jesus; the church as a body shall also obtain the dominion. The purpose and promise of her God, the purchase and power of her Saviour, and the quickening Spirit who dwells in her, secure to the church victory and triumph over her enemies. Indeed, the enemy may say, " I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil : my lust shall be satisfied upon them, I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them." But in the appointed time, " He will blow with his wind, the sea shall cover them, and they shall sink as lead in the mighty waters." Embrace the promise by faith, live in the hope of its accomplishment, and be- ware of doubting the church's deliverance and prosperity ; for of old time. He has declared, with great solemnity, " As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." Num. xiv. 21. 2. The change that will take place among men, at the coming of the kingdom of God, shall be exceeding great. As the alteration of the circumstances of Israel, from what they were in Egypt, or in the wilderness, was very great, af- ter they were possessed of the land of promise; as the change in their situation from their being captives in Babylon, to their dwelling safely in Jerusalem, in the cities of Judali, and in the country which flowed with milk and honey, was very- great; so the change in the church's condition, when she is delivered from spiritual Egypt, and from Babylon the great, and brought into her millennial rest, shall be incom- parably great and glorious. The change on the Jews shall be extraordinary, when they shall emerge from their unbe- lief and dispersion, return to the Lord, and take possession of Canaan. To the protestant churches the change shall be remarkable also, when they shall receive that deliverance, which shall be like life from the dead- By the removal of popish darkness, idolatry, and wickedness, and by their ob- taining the word, the gospel, the worship, and the salvation 6S of God, the change on the Antichrlstian nations will be most conspicuous and beneficial. What an alteration shall be produced on the mahometan world, when the mus- sulmans shall be delivered from the absurd doctrines, the ir- rational precepts and carnal promises of their Impostor; and shall enjoy the light of the glorious gospel of the grace of God [ How great will be the transformation that shall be made on pagan nations, when they shall be turned from their gross ignorance of God, their irrational and cruel idolatry, and their abominable wickedness, to the knowledge and wor- ship of the living God. All nations shall then be changed both in their ecclesiastic and civil interests, and placed under the reign of religion and righteousness. By the grace and power of God, the righteousness and intercession of Jesus, the Divine operations of the Holy Ghost, and by the word, the ordinances, and providences of the Most High, shall these changes be produced among men. How important, how advantageous, and how desirable must those changes be! How earnestly should we pray without ceasing, " that his way may be known upon the earth, and his saving health among all nations !" 3. The privileges and enjoyments of the church in the latter day, shall differ from those of the church in the fore- going ages, not in kind, but in degree. Whatever the church shall then profess, we really enjoy the same, as it were, in miniature. Every gospel privilege and christian en- joyment which belong to us, shall be inherited by them, in it* highest perfection. No new dispensation of Divine grace to men, shall then be introduced; but that dispensation shall be perfected, both in its extent, and in its efficacy. No further or additional revelation of the Divine will shall then be enjoyed, nor is it necessaiy; but that revelation will be better understood. No other doctrinesof salvation shall then be preached; but their beauty shall be more clearly seen, and their influence more sensibly felt. No other ordinances of Divine worship shall then be administered; but they will m be more purely dispensed, and more remarkably blessed for the conversion and edification of men. No otlier form of church government shall then be used, than that which now exists according to the Divine institution; but the admi- nistration of it shall be more conscientious and spiritual. No other ordinances of censure different from those already re- vealed and practised; but they shall seldom be needed, and when they are employed, the offenders will be truly penitent, and the spectators will fear. There shall be no other ad- ministrators of gospel ordinances, than the present Christian ministry, whose office is appointed in the Divine word; but, in knowledge, holiness and fervour, they will far excel those who now labour in word and doctrine. There shall not be any other office-bearers in the church, than those helps and governments which God hath already set in her; but their ability and faithfulness for the important work will then be greatly increased. To the Christian church, in all the periods of her existence, there is one body^ and one spirit, and one hope of the Christian's calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Though there are diver- sities of gifts, it is the same Spirit, differences of administra- tions, it is the same Lord ; and diversities of operations, it is the same God who worketh all in all. 4'. Though the spiritual exercises and enjoyments of be- lievers in the millennial church shall be very high, they will still be imperfect saints and militant Christians. The be- liever's perfection, both in blessedness and service, is reserved for that time, when Christ shall come, and receive them to hin)self, that where he is, there they may be also. Every believer while in this world, even in the most prosperous state of the church, will find it necessary to adopt Paul's words, " Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend, that for which also, I am apprehended of Christ Jesus," Phil, iii. 12. They will even then be exercised in the spiritual K 70 warfare, finding a law in their members warring against the law of their mind. They will still find imperfection attend- ing them, in all their religious duties, and in all their spiri- tual enjoyments ; because though their attainments shall be high, there are still greater things laid up for them in hea- ven. They will be exercised in the life of faith on the Son of God, and in the study of that holiness without which no man shall see tiie Lord. To all the ordinary trials of human life, and to the common difficulties of the Christian's religious duty and exercise they will be exposed ; though, on account of their high degrees of holiness and comfort, they will be Jess burdensome to them, than they are to us. They will still feel mortality working in their bodily frame, and will in the end put off their tabernacle, as the Lord Jesus has appointed unto them. 5. Christians should endeavour to employ themselves in those religious duties which are suited to their present situa- tion. In the day of prosperity they ought to be joyful, and in the day of adversity they should consider. The millen- nial saints will be placed in the most comfortable circum- stances, having the wonderful works of God before their eyes, and enjoying abundantly the blessings of his favour; the spiritual employment which is ascribed to them, therefore, consists in praise, thanksgiving, adoration, wonder and de- light. The wisdom that cometh from above is profitable to direct Christians in the knowledge of their situation, and of those duties which that situation requires. The Divine in- junction, which ought to guide our way in this important concern, is expressed in the following words ; " Is any among you afflicted .'' let him pray. Is any merry ? let him sing- psalms," Jam. V. 1 3. The millennial church will be directed, wisely to observe this infallible rule. It is an effect of that spiritual madness, which is naturally in the hearts of all men, to be Ignorant of our condition, and to neglect those duties which are suited to it. Of this the following account of the ancient church is a melancholy illustration. "And I 71 in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth. And, behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine." Isa. xxii. 12, 13. O let us study to avoid this sore evil, and to endeavour to be employed before the Lord, according as the- state of the church, the situation of our relatives, and our own personal condition do demand. 6. The church enjoys the greatest purity and happiness, when she is favoured with the brighest displays of the Di- vine glory. The church of the latter day will behold the Divine glory, by his woi'ks ofjudgment, and of mercy, in an extraordinary manner. The manifestations of that glory, and their spiritual discernment of it, will be principal causes, both of their holiness and comfort. They will have an ex- perimental enjoyment of that apostolic privilege; " But we all with open face, beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." The appearance of God's glory, is the greatest good that can exist among his creatures, and their perception of it is their highest privilege. ' In those days, therefore, when God gives to the church bright discoveries of his glory, by his Spirit, his word, and his works among them, the assembly of his saints will be highly privileged with consolation in the Lord, and with conformity to him. As it is with the church as a body, so will it be with individual believers. When he who com- manded the light to shine out of darkness, shines into their heart, by the Spirit's application of the word to their souls, to give them the light of the knowledge of his glory, in the face of Jesus Christ, they act faith in him for their salvation, they see the beauty of the Lord, they love him with all their heart, and they have a blessed enlargement in holiness and comfort. All this glory is seen in the person, and through the mediation of Christ, discerned by the Christian's know- ledge, applied by the Christian's faith, and inwardly Mt by 72 ihe Christian's spiritual experience. Let us, therefore, im- prove the Divine word, the ordinances of Divine grace, and the duties of religion, that by them, as means prepared by himself, we may behold the glory of the Lord, and the ex- cellency of our God. 7. Christians have need to be prepared for the coming of those glorious days. The first vision that John had of the millennial church, chap. vii. 9, was introduced by a vision which he had of another company, consisting of 144,000, who were sealed with the seal of the livins; God. This privilege consists in the powerful operations of the Spirit by the word, conveying to believers sanctifying, comforting, and establishing grace. By this privilege they are enabled to continue in the exercise of faith and the practice of holiness; to adhere to his truths, and to wait for his coming ; to suffer for his name's sake, and to reverence his judgment; to re- joice in hope of the coming of his kingdom, and to observe the signs of its approach. As those who have the mark of the beast in their right hand, or on their fore-head, belong to him and are devoted to wrath and destruction ; so those who are sealed by the angel ascending from the east, belong to God, and are marked out for preservation and safety, whether in a time of calamity, or in the season of prosperity and rest. *' The sun shall not smite them by day, nor the moon by night." If we are among the company of true believers, we belong to the 144,000 who are sealed for the season of judgments, in the cfflision of the vials; and are also prepared for the coming of the church's glory and purity. If the vision that John had, at the beginning of that chapter, of four angels holding the winds, that they should not blow- on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree, be now ful- filled, in that providential dispensation, by which the four great powers in Europe, by their military occupation of France, are preserving national tranquillity; If this applica- tion of the providence to the prediction, which has lately been made by one of the most able writers on Prophecy in 73 modern times, be correct, and indeed on the side of it there is high probability, what reason have we, at this time, to be seeking the application of the seal of the living God to our souls, that if we live to see the end of those wonders, we may joyfully mingle among the innumerable company, and join them in their triumphant song; and, if this is de- nied to us, we may anticipate the song, by praising God for the revelation of the predictions, and promises concern- ing those glorious days, in the faith and desire that he will accomplish his own word, " The Lord will hasten it in his time." AN INQUIRY INTO THt; SIGNS WHICH INDICATE THE CHURCh's HAPPY CONDITION TO BE AT HAND. DISCOURSE III. Mark i. 15. — The time is Juljilled, and the kingdom of God is al hand: repent ye, and believe the gospeL When the Lord is about to accomplish any extraordinary dispensation among men, he often gives them those provi- dential warnings which indicate its approach. By Christians, Avho have the direction of his word, those intimations of his sovereign designs ought to be carefully considered, and clear- ly understood. It is recorded to the honour of the men of Issachar, that they, on a very trying occasion, " had under- standing of the limes to know what Israel ought to do," 1 Chron. xii. 32. When the Redeemer dwelt among men, it is stated to the disgrace of the Jews, that though they could discern the face of the sky, they were not able to discern the signs of the times. A proper attention to those signs, there- fore, is an important duty, and a just view of them is a great spiritual attainment. As God has appointed many natural signs, as premonitions of the approach of occurrences in na- ture; so he has established moral signs which no less clearly indicate to us, that some great spiritual change is at hand. When God exercises his condescension, by favouring irs 75 with those signs of his coming, it is most criminal to neglect or despise them, and most reasonable to observe and to re- ceive instruction from them. It becomes us therefore, with deep humility, to investigate those Divine operations, and to cry to him, by fervent prayer, that he may enlighten our minds in the knowledge of his ways. When Christ informed his disciples of the destruction of the temple and city of Jeru- salem, they said to him, " What shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled." To their inquiry Jesus made a particular reply; and, as he often does to his people, above what they can ask or think, he added a variety of important directions how they were to act, at that interesting crisis. From those things it is evident, that the members of the church are abundantly warranted to observe the events that are coming to pass in their day, that they may so un- derstand and apply those signs, either of mercy or of judg- ment, as will enable them to know if their Lord is delaying his coming for their deliverance, or is on his way to bestow the kingdom on his chosen people. Some of those times which shall be fulfilled at Antichrist's fall, and some of the parts of the church's blessedness in her millennial state having been mentioned, that which was pro- posed next for consideration is, III. To mention some of tho'se signs which indicate this blessed condition of the church to be at hand. 1. The exertions that are made to translate the holy Scrip- tures into all languages, to print and to publish themthi-ough- out the world, are a sign that this kingdom of God is at hand. To the saints who have lived in the foregoing ages, and in the early part of this generation, it has often been a matter of won- der, what method Divine providence would employ, for send- ing his word to the darkened nations of the earth. Sensible of theindispensible necessity of their enjoying the Scriptures, in order to their spiritual illumination, and to their turning to God ; and convinced of tiie difficulty of their obtaining the 70- fiacred oracles, tliey liave often been disposed to say, How can this be accomplished ? By bringing into operation the Bible Societies which have been established, both at home and abroad, God, in his over-ruling providence, has answered this perplexing question, and has overcome those seemingly insurmountable difficulties. If we consider the object, the exertions, the extent, the success, and the co-operation of Bible Societies, we will see in them a siffn that the kingdom of God is at hand. — The object of those societies is to furnish Christians and Jews, Mahometans an(;l Pagans, with the lioly Scriptures in their own language, without note or com- ment. May we not stand still and wonder at this object I Can any object be conceived that has a tendency more di- rectly to promote the glory of God, and the spiritual and eternal salvation of his rational creatures? To send to spiritually dead sinners the word of life, to give to the dark- ened nations that which God has revealed for a lamp to the feet, and a light to the path of mankind, for guiding them infallibly to the knowledge, the service, and the enjoyment of God, must be an object of the highest importance. We may wonder also at the magnitude of this object. To furnish all nations with this precious word is a work which is not more remarkable for its utility, than it is for its grandeur. — The exertions that are made for effecting this object make a part of this sign. How many are now actively employed in translating the Scriptures, in printing them, and dispersing the sacred volume among the nations ? We have every reason to believe that their number is great, that their dili- gence is unwearied, that their faithfulness is conscientious, and their labour is unremitting. The assiduous study, the fatiguing travail, and the daily labour of many persons, are employed to accomplish this object. — The extent of those exertions is truly astonishing. — In Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, these societies have greatly increased, and are still increasing. They have been erected in all parts of the earth, excepting those which are so remote that they have 77 not yet heard of them, or so ignorant as not to understand their object, or so interested in keeping men in ignorance, idolatry and error, and in a state of corporeal and mental slavery to the power of men, as to give to this grand object, the illumination of mankind, a'most malignant opposition. The success of those societies is also most encouraging. How many thousands, and tens of thousands of copies of God's word, either in whole or in part, have been distribut- ed among the nations ! Into a very great number of lan- guages, and dialects of the same language, the holy Scrip- tures have been translated, printed and published in the earth, since the erection of the radical Bible Society at Lon- don, in 1804. — The co-operation of those societies is also worthy of our notice. Though they are established in parts of the earth which are very distant from one another, and among people of very different dispositions, yet there is such an unity of object among them all, such friendly communi- cations maintained among them, and such mutual assistance given to one another, as to cause their exertions to bear as directly on the same grand design, as if all their operations were guided by the wisdom and energy of one mind. Now, since it is the word of God that must enlighten men in the knowledge of the way of salvation, since it is the mean by which the systems of darkness shall be removed from the earth, since it is the instrument of erecting Christ's kingdom in the world, and since God, in his wise and powerful pro- vidence, has begun and so far carried on this blessed scheme, have we not reason to conclude that the kingdom of God, which this word is appointed to promote, is at hand ? Can we suppose that the Lord will withhold his blessing from those means which ai'e so eminently calculated to promote his glory, and the salvation of men ? We may, therefore, believe, that as the morning dawn indicates the approach of the ruler of the day; so the spreading of the Divine word among the nations is the harbinger of the rise of the Sun of Righteousness on them, with healing in his wings, and that the kingdom of God is at hand. L 78 2. The cxtraortliiuary endeavours that arc now made to pubhsh the glad tidings of salvation to the nations, by preaching the gospel to them, are also a sign that the millen- nial state of the church is at hand-. It is long since Christi- ans in different nations attempted to spread the knowledge of the gospel among some of the heathens ; but the endeav- ours that have been made for this purpose, during the last twenty years, are truly extraordinary. A great number of powerful societies have been established in these lands, and in other nations, which have it as their object to send forth evangelical missions to the most distant parts of the earth, that they may preach the gospel to the benighted inhabitants. These societies occupy different fields, and some of them send their labourers to different parts of the earth. Socie- ties have also been formed, and have been for some time in active operation, for sending persons, duly qualified, to preach the gospel, to the darkened parts of the nations to which we belong. Many men who appear to be actuated by a concern for the glory of God, the honour of Christ, the propagation of the gospel, and the salvation of immor- tal souls, are now actively employed in almost every nation of the earth, in preaching the gospel to the heathen world. The word of God is not only given to the nations, but per- sons are sent to preach its doctrines, to explain and to apply that word to the consciences of men. As Jesus, at one time, sent forth the twelve Apostles, and, at another time, sent forth seventy disciples to preach in Judea, the doctrines of the kingdom of God ; as the church of Jerusalem sent Bar- nabas to visit the Gentiles who had received the word of God; and as the church at Antioch, by the connnand of the Spirit, sent forth Paul and Barnabas to go .to the Gentiles, who had not yet heard of Christ's name; so the duty of send- ing forth persons who are properly qualified, to preach the Gospel to the heathen, must be of indispensible obligation on Christians. Those men Avho from a conscientious regard to the glory of God, and the good of immortal souls, forsake 79 their relations, endure privations, encounter difficulties and danger, and suffer fatigue and trouble, that they may pub- lish the doctrines of salvation to a perishing world, ought to be esteemed among the most useful servants of Jesus Christ. As great success attended the first publication of the gospel to the nations ; so we are encouraged to hope, that if these endeavours are conscientiously made and continued, that the same success shall attend them, till, by the blessing of the Spirit, the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall fill the earth, as the waters cover the sea. Since God in his holy providence has excited Christians to form societies for this important purpose, since so many who appear, in some good degree, to be qualified for this work, have devot- ed themselves to it, and have voluntarily engaged in it, and since some comfortable effects have been produced in many parts of the earth, we may consider this as a sign that the kingdom of God is at hand. Can we suppose that God's own ordinance, for the conversion of the' heathen, will be put in operation among them, and that he will refuse to work with it, and with them who dispense it ? May we not rather conclude that, in his own time, as well as by his own power, he will make it effectual for completely evangelizing the darkened parts of the earth. As this is one of the means of accomplishing this change, and as it is now applied in a far more remarkable manner, than at any former period, we may contemplate it as one of the signs that the kingdom of God is approaching. 3. The efforts that are now made to promote the rapid and universal education of mankind, and to circulate among them evangelic catechisms and tracts, are a sign that the kingdom of God is at hand. The education of men is an object of the highest importance. Those nations, whose population are blessed with education, excel other nations, in knowledge, in religion, in morality, in wealth, in liberty, and in the useful arts, to an inconceivable degree. Those nations, therefore, who make the most extensive and wise 80 provision for the education of their population, do best pro- mote the honour of God, tlie happiness of posterity, and their own good. Those parents, and guardians of youth who neglect the education of the children, who are under their care, manifest little concern either for their temporal or spiritual welfare. Those who have obtained a common education, such as is given in our parochial schools, have it in their power, by a right improvement of that blessing, to acquire such treasures of knowledge in every thing that is truly valuable, as almost places them on a level with those who have enjoyed a liberal education. By an ability merely to read the scriptures, persons are enabled to promote both their own spiritual good, and the conversion and salvation of others. As the blessing of education is very great, it is no wonder to see religious and philanthropic men engaged in devising and executing schemes for effecting it. Since the prevalence among men of ignorance and brutality is fa- vourable to the kingdom of Satan and of darkness ; the ad- vancement of knowledge and information in the world must be advantageous to the kingdom of Christ and of light. Extraordmary efforts, therefore, to spread education among men, must be a sign that the kingdom of God is at hand. In our times, these efforts are strenuously made. On the evening of the Lord's day, schools, which, in some circum- stances of places and of persons, and when properly con- ducted, are both lawful and expedient, have been erected and carried on in many part!-, greatly to the advantage of those who have attended them. Most useful and efficient societies have been formed, and are in active operation, whose object it is gratuitously to educate the young and the old, in the highlands of Scotland, in the kingdom of Ire- land, in the principality of Wales, and in other places. By the invention and improvement of new methods of teaching, the instruction of youth has been facilitated greatly, and one person is enabled, in the same time, to instruct a much greater number. By the exertions of the British and Forcigri 81 School Society, in patronizing this method of teaching at home, and promoting it in other nations, it is likely to be the mean of bestowing the blessing of education more expe- ditiously, upon uninstructed places of the earth. Besides all this, the evangelical missions to the heathen, having catechists and teachers attached to them^ set up schools among them, for the instruction of the young and the old, and those who preach the gospel, either superintend those schools, or labour in them as teachers; so that many are in- structed, wherever those missions are established. With those laudable endeavours, the exertions of the Tract Soci- eties are closely connected. To print in different languages^ catechisms and tracts, which exhibit a summary view of gospel doctrines and christian duties, or illustrate and apply important parts of revealed truth; and to circulate them at home and in foreign nations gratis, or at a very low price^ are the principal objects of those Societies. By these means, the reading of vain and immoral ballads and tracts is coun- tei'acted ; the minds of youth, and of others, are directed to the things which belong to their everlasting peace; a mean is used to convince the erroneous and immoral of the sin and danger of their principles and conduct; an opportunity is furnished to those who have acquired the habit of reading, to exercise it for the instruction of themselves and others; and to those who have obtained the holy scriptures, an help is administered to understand their contents. By all those different and extended exertions, we may hope that many have been plucked as brands out of the burning, have been delivered from ignorance, profanity, idleness, and immoral- ity, and have been brought to the knowledge both of the gospel as the object of their faith, and of the law as the rule of their obedience. Since God has put it into the hearts of men to exert themselves, in this extraordinary way, to pro- mote the education, the religious and moral instruction of men, far and near, we must conclude that, by those means, he will work among the nations that change, which will pre- pare them for the glory of the latter day. 82 4". The establishment of Christian societies, for the instruc- tion and conversion of the Jews, is a sign that the kingdom of God, in its millennial state, is at hand. The deliverance of God's ancient people from their infidelity, their embrac- ing Christianity, and their restoration to their own land, will be a very distinguished part of that Divine operation, by which God will introduce and establish the reign of rip'hteousness in the earth. The illumination of the nations will be accomplished, when the Lord shall bind up the breach of his people, and heal the stroke of their wound. On this account, the existence and operation of those jiocieties, for convincing and converting the Jews, is also a sign that the millennial day is drawing near. The object of those societies is to use cveiy eligible mean in their power to convince the Jews, that the Messiah is come, that it is vain for them to look for another, and that Jesus of Nazereth is the very Christ. By giving Christian instruction to as many of themselves, and their children as will receive it; by endea- vouring to present before, them the arguments which prove that the Messiah is come, and that all the predictions of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Jesus, the Christian Sa- viour; by furnishing them with the New Testament in the Hebrew language; and by endeavouring to induce them carefully to peruse those sacred oracles. Christians are now applying their mercy to the Jews, that they also may obtain mercy. This is the ordinance of God for the Jew's conversion; and this, Christians are warranted and en- couraged to use, for that end. When the Jews shall obtain mercy, it shall be accomplished by the instrumentality of the merer, which is now enjoyed by the Gentiles. The word and Spirit of God are the great substance of the Gentiles' mercy. The former is in the church's hands, and the latter is the gift of God. Let the church, therefore, use the instrument which God has given her, and cry to him for the Holy Spirit to accompany the means with power, for turning the seed of Abraham to the knowledge 83 of the truth ; and then, though the success at the beginning of their endeavours may be small, their latter end shall greatly increase. 5. The attention which seems to be given to the word of God, and to public religious instruction, by Pagans, Mahometans and Jews, is a sign that the kingdom of God is at hand. For information on these matters we are in= debted to the reports of those societies which are employed on those objects, and to the accounts which they receive from those whom they have sent to execute their work. In them are found encourasinsr accounts of that attention which is given to the Scriptures, and to the gospel, when it is preached among them. An extraordinary desire after the Divine word has been manifested, wherever it has been distributed ; and a diligent improvement has been made of of it, by those who have received it. The}' do not reject it, they are not indiiFerent unto it; but they shew an earnest concern to obtain it. They crowd around the persons who are employed to distribute the Scriptures, they express much joy when they receive the Bible, and discover much grief when their applications cannot be answered; so that the only distress of those who distribute the Scriptures has often been the fewness of the copies which they had to give away. The use they make of the Bible when they have obtained it, is also sufficiently attested. They read it both for their own benefit, and for the instruction of others. They read it at home, they read it in public, by which one copy be- comes a common good, and a mean of instruction to many. They converse about its sacred contents among themselves, and, in many instances, apply for explanation to those from whom they liave received it. They are also very attentive to the preaching of the gospel. The accounts which have been received of their concern to hear the word in many places, and of the effects which have been produced on their minds and their conduct in l^e, are highly encourag- ing. . M^vny of them also shew a concern to obtain cdnca- tion, by attending the schools that have been erected among them, for bestowing on them this inestimable blessing. There is reason to beheve, that the success is fully propor- tioned to the means which are employed; and that, if the latter were increased, the former would be much more abundant. Some Mahometans and Jews are also shewing a concern for the word of God. The Scriptures in the Tui'kish language is beginning to enter among the former: and the New Testament in Hebrew is beginning to attract the attention of the latter. To bring those things to any desirable perfection, must be a work of time; but when the ordinary means are used, and some good effects pro- duced on a few, we may hope that the Lord, when his time is come, will pour out his Spirit on all flesh, so that the earth shall be made to bring forth in one day, and nations shall be born at once. A religious observation of those Divine providences, and a trust in the promise and power of God, will constrain us to consider such extensive operations, with their effects, as a token that all the ends of the world shall soon remember and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him. 6. The prevalence of public opinion in favours of true rational Christian liberty, and in opposition to every species of thraldom, is a sign that the kingdom of God is at hand. When the dark system of popery prevailed universally in Europe, and when the court of Rome, consisting of the Pope and his Cardinals, exerted its power over men, the human mind was subdued under a most degrading and un- natural bondage, in matters of religion, and of politics, and even of philosophy. No liberty was given to discuss articles of faith, or modes of worship, in opposition to their blas- phemous doctrines, their unscriptural decrees, their unholy traditions or their abominable idolatry. No permission was granted to animadvert on the science of government, or to canvass the measures of the political administrations. No allowance was made for the improvement of the philosophy 85 of those ages. The human understandingp and will were completely kept in bondage, to the dominion of civil and ecclesiastic despotism. The Roman Anti- christ, aware that the word of God was directly against his system, took it entirely from the people, removed the key of knowledge, and left his votaries to wander in gross spiritual darkness. Fearful also of the exer- cise of human reason, this spiritual Despot made war Avith it, and forbade its exertions on all subjects that were any way connected with the religion or government of the nations. The Christian world was in this dismal condition, when God, in his holy providence, employed those men^ who were the instruments in his hand to introduce that happy reformation, which commenced three hundred years ago. Then meh found themselves at liberty to think, to speak, and to write, on all those important subjects which promote the glory of God, and the good of men. Then the human mind, liberated from its prison, began to exercise itself on matters of religion, politics, and philosophy, and filled the nations with light. The holy Scriptures were again put into the hands of the christian people, who, from wandering in ignorance, were now conducted into the paths of faith and holiness. Since those days, great alterations have taken place in the sentiments of men, both with respect to religion and civil liberty. There have been particular times, in which the human mind has been greatly enlarged in the knowledge of the one, or the other, or of both. The second religious reformation in Britain, the memorable Revolution, the first American war, and the revolution in France have been the chief of those periods. To produce this beneficial change on the sentiments of men, in favours of religion, of true liberty, and human rights, and in op- position to tyranny and slavery, each of these important events has greatly contributed. For discovering to men the difference between true liberty, civil and religious, on 1 he one hand ; and licentiousness, impietv, and profligacy M 86' 6n the other, the last of those events has been also eminent- ly useful. This alteration in the opinions of men is a great blessing to the nations. They are objects of vast importance about which the change of opinion is made. The prevalency of them among mankind is necessary to raise them from that state of degradation in which they have existed, during the reign of the Roman beast, and his little horn. The providential prevalence among men of right sentiments on these things is also a sign that the kingdom of God is at hand. However inimical the exercise of human reason may be to the Popish system, which is full of absurdity ; it never can be detrimental to the kingdom of Christ. The age of true reason will be the age of pure religion ; and the pros- perity of religion will raise human reason to its most exalted exercise. 7. The measures which the court of Rome, and its clergy have adopted, with a view to counteract that system of means, which the God of the whole earth is employing, for the illumination of mankind, are a sign that the kingdom of God is at hand. Their opposition is principally directed against Bible societies, and the schools for the education of youth. To some of their dignified clergy, who have countenanced Bible Societies, and encouraged the circulation of the Scrip- tures among their people; the head of that council has sent bulls, prohibiting them from assisting those Societies, and from giving the Scriptures to the people; branding the publication of the word of God, by those Societies, with the most odious names; commanding them to condemn what Ithey have done ; endeavouring to flatter and cajole them into obedience; and intimating, not obscurel}^, what punishment he is able to inflict on them, if they continue in those practices. Their clergy have prohibited the people from receiving the Scriptures, which some Societies, from pity to their perishing souls, have gratuitously offered to them. They would not even allow their people to receive (he Scriptures, printed according to their own approved 87 translation, which was generously offered to them gratis, if the clergy would suffer it to be done. They have for- bidden their people to send their children to those schools, which were opened in the places of their residence for the free education of youth. Some of those who continued to send their children to the schools, contrary to their com- mand, they have excommunicated, in the most frightful forms. To what extent this opposition may be carried, and what effects it may produce, time only can declare; but in it we may see a sign that the kingdom of God is at hand. It is such a sign, as it discovers the Popish church to be a kingdom of darkness, supported by ignorance; a kingdom of impiety, being enemies to the holy Scriptures; a kingdom of cruelty, managed with tyranny; and a miserable kingdom, which is supported by the sufferings of men. It is also such a sign, because it proves, that bestowing educa- tion on men, and placing in their hands the word of God, are the means which are well calculated to destroy that perversion of Christianity, which is the essence of their re- ligion. A conviction of this must have induced them to ven- ture upon such a public, unreasonable, and shameful op- position to an object, which must recommend itself to the approbation of every other rational creature. This op- position is a sign of the coming of Christ's kingdom, be- cause it demonstrates the suitableness and efficacy of those means for introducing the reiffn of li^ht, of truth, and of righteousness, on the earth. We are, therefore, encouraged to hope, that God will over^rule this opposition, and use it as a mean for giving such discoveries to the luxtions of the evil of that idolatrous system, as will, in due time, constrain the people to forsake it, and induce their Rulers to make it desolate and paked, to eat its flesh, and to burn it with fire. 8. The judgments, which God has executed, and is still executing, on the nations, are a sign that the kingdom of God is at hand. DiA'ine predictions assure us, that the nations 88 must suffer the effects of the Lord's anger, on account of their sin, before they can enjoy that peaceful and prosperous state, which is contained in the promise. Before the conversion of the Jews, " there must be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time." Dan. xii. 1. It is Jehovah's determination, to gather the nations, that he may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them his indignation, even all his fierce anger, and all the earth must be devoured with the fire of his jealousy; before he will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. Zeph. iii. 8, 9. The judgments that are contained in the third wo must be executed on men, before the kingdom of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Chx'ist, Rev. xi, 14, 15- The seven vials of Divine wrath must bo poured out upon the earth, before the church shall be delivered completely, from her wilderness condition, or bring to an end her sackcloth prophecy. Rev. xvi. The terrible war, which is signified by the slaughter of Armageddon, must be accomplished among men, before the church can sing on the lovely heights of her millennial Sion These judgments are necessary for vindicating God's government, for fulfilling his holy word, for destroying his in>placable enemies, and for trying and purifying his church. A time of judgments has often been, by the Divine blessing, a season of good to man- kind. As a time of private correction, from the Divine hand, is frequently to believers, a season of great spiritual good; so is it with the children of men, in a day of public calamity. " When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness," Isa. xxvi. 9. Since the Divine judgments must be poured out, before the kingdom of God shall come; we may conclude, that the execution of them will be a sign of its approach. All the nations, that are principally concerned in the vials of wrath, have suffered, in the most extraordinary manner, by the judgment of war, and its various attendants, for more than twenty years. I|" 89 we review in our minds, the way in which this war com- menced, the objects for which it was undertaken, the inces- sant and violent nature of the struggle, its wide spreading circuit from nation to nation, the length of time in which it continued, the desolations it brought on the earth, the char- acter of the nations and persons who were the greatest suf- ferers, the dreadful destruction of human lives which it ac- complished, the uncommon waste of national wealth which it occasioned, the manner in which it has terminated, and thp effects it has produced on the nations that were involved in it, we will clearly see, that this season of war has been a time of recompences for the controversy of iSion. As the church is not yet delivered, as the Jews are not yet brought in, and as the Antichristian church, and her secular supporters are not yet removed, we may be certain that the storm of judgments has not passed away. The greater and more dreadful part of the scene, remains yet to be acted. Since the Lord pre- faces the account of the seventh vial with those remarkable words. " Behold I come as a thief," there is reason to ap- prehend that it will approach suddenly, and when men are secure. This season of judgments that has passed over us is another sign that the millennial kingdom is near. 9. The tottering state of the throne of Antichrist, and of the thrones of some of the Antichristian princes, is a sign that the » kingdom of God is at hand. The Pope of Rome was lately T dethroned, and was obliged to live as a wandering man, in solitude and degradation. The greater part of the kings, who ruled in the Roman earth, were also driven from their thrones, and forced to seek shelter and protection in foreign lands. In these dispensations of providence, He, by whom kings reign, and princes decree justice, has given his church an earnest, an emblem, and a presage of what he will finally accomplish on them, when the kingdom of God shall come. ^- The Pope has now been restored to his civil power, to his K ecclesiastic authority, and to his seat at Rome. For their ft «xertions in order to his restoration and establishment, Pro- 90 testant princes must give an account to Him who hath said, " Be ye not partakers of her sins, that ye receive not of her plagues." The less efficient exertions of Catholic princes, for accomplishing this end, will no doubt procure their ruin, when they shall fall with him. The restored dynasties, civil and ecclesiastic, do not appear to have much stability,; and this we are bound to consider as a sign, that the kingdom of God is at hand. With respect to the Pope, his power is weakened, his revenues are impaired, his authority is despised, his exertions are feeble, his spiritual kingdom is divided, and there is no very great security for his retaining his seat, or the exercise of his power. On him these words must soon have their accomplishment; " Whom God shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." With violence shall he be thrown down, and shall be cast alive into destruction. With reference to the restored civil dynasties, as little sta- bility seems to belong to them. Two of them, for the secu- rity of their thrones, seem to depend on the troops of foreign nations which occupy their territory. A third appears to be in danger of a revolt among his subjects at home, and is overwhelmed with a rebellion in a distant part of his domi- nions. A fourth is still in a distant part of his states, to which he was obliged to go for safety. There is as much difference between the present power of the Pope and of those popish princes, and the power which they formerly were able to exert; as there is between the vigour of a person in the prime of his life, and that of a man, to whom, by age and debility the grasshopper is a burden. In all those dispensations of providence, by which God has weakened the power of his church's enemies, we may see a sign that her deliverance and prosperity are drawing near. 10. The uncommon exertions which have lately been made to turn the attention of men to the scripture predic- tions which relate to the church's deliverance, and to the fall of Antichrist ; and to those Divine providences, which seem ^1 to be a fulfilment of those predictions, are a sign that the king- dom of God is at hand. This is mentioned as a sign of the time, when all those things shall be fulfilled. *' Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased," Dan. xii. 4. It is a certain mark of the time of their end, when many persons are excited, in the providence of God, to em- ploy their time and abiUties in the investigation of Divine predictions, in the observation of Divine providences, and in the application of the one to the other, that they may know, and declare to the church, how far inspired prophecy is ac- complished, by the things that have come to pass in our days. During the last twenty-five years, many books of this descrip- tion have been published, and several of them have been re- published, with corrections and additions. Many of them have been very generally read, their contents have been carefully considered, and, by their means, a great degree of knowledge, on those important matters, has been extensively diffused. Though these publications do not possess equal merit, yet few or none of them have altogether failed, in con- tributing something to our stock of knowledge, on those in- teresting subjects. — Some of them indeed have been excel- lent, and have, in a very high degree, attracted the public attention. The differences of opinion, on some important articles, which have been entertained by the Authors, and the calm and manly discussions which those differences have occasioned, operated as a mean, to render our knowledge, on those points, more certain and correct. The progress of Divine providence has contributed greatly to explain the pre- dictions, and has enabled those Authors to discern and to correct some mistakes, and to add some new and important discoveries. We are bound to consider those things as a sign that this happy season will soon arrive. Since God in his providence has employed so many, and has enabled some of them so well to accomplish the difficult work of explaining the predictions of his holy word ; he is favouring Christians with suitable means to excite them to a proper concern for 92 the coming of his kingdom, to give them an understanding of the nature and fulfihuent of prophecy, to animate them to those duties which this state of things requires, and to stir them up to preparation and watchfuhiess, that those days of trial and dehverance may not come upon them unawares. As nothing similar to this, of the same extent, in the same variety, and with the same perspicuity of application to the operations of Divine providence, lias ever happened in the Christian church; we will not be attentive to the Lord's tokens that he is setting in the midst of us, if we refuse to consider these occurrences as a sign of the cominjj of his kingdom. 11. The very general expectation which has been enter- tained, by christian professors, of the speedy coming of Christ's kingdom, in its millennial glory, is also a sign that it is at hand. When any signal mercy is bestowed on the church, an expectation of it is often produced in the hearts of those, who fear and serve the Lord. This is demonstrat- ed by the exercise of the saints, both at the coming of Christ into the world, and at the deliverance of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. When Christ was, for the first time, brought into the temple, it is said of Simeon, " That the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him.'* Of Anna the prophetess, on the same occasion, it is said, that " she spake of Christ to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." Besides these two eminent persons, there were others who expected Messiah's appearance at that time, and who looked for the Redeemer's coming, Luke ii. 25, 38. Concerning Joseph of Arimathea, that honourable Counsellor, it is recorded, that " he waited for the kingdom of God." Mark XV. 44. He had an expectation raised in his soul, that Christ's kingdom, in its New-testament form, should be immediately set up. When the seventy years of the Jews' bondage were coming to an end, an expectation of deliver- ance, at that time, was entertained in the minds of the re- ligious captives. As this is attested of Daniel, we may con- elude that it was the hope of many others; as we must not suppose that he would keep to himself the discovery he had made, or conceal from his brethren the hope he had found- ed on it. " In the first year of his reign, I Daniel under- stood by books the number of the years, whereof tlie word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that. he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and with sackcloth and ashes." Dan, ix. 2, 3. As there was an expectation of deliverance from their captivity excited in some of the Jewish captives, which hope was a sign that their liberation was drawing near; and as there were many pious Jews, at the day of Christ's incarnation, and in the time of his public ministry, who looked for redemption in Israel, and waited for the kingdom of God, as a sign that the Redeemer was come to accomplish the work of our redemption, and to establish the gospel kingdom in the earth ; so when there is a very general expectation existing in the minds of those who fear God, that Christ's kingdom, in her millennial glory, is soon to be established in the earth, we may consider it as a sign that this blessed deliverance is at hand. If the nature of this expectation, its extent among Christians, and the ground on which they rest their hope, are duly considered, it will appear to be an miquestionable sign, that the desired object is near. — It is not a mere speculative opinion, or a bare conjecture ; but it is a religious hope founded on the Divine promises, creating in them an earnest desire that God, tor the glory of his name, and in mercy to immortal souls, would speedily send his gospel to the uttermost ends of the earth. — This hope is also become very general among Chris- tians, and m.ultitudes of them are now looking for redemption to the church, and waiting for the kingdom of God. — The ground of their hope is the same with that of Daniel. Like that holy Prophet, they understand by the books of inspir- ed prophecy, that the number of the vears which God would N ' 04> accomplish in tlie desolations of his church is now coming to an end. The existence, therefore, of such an expectation in those who are truly religious and well informed, is a sign that the millennial day is at hand. 12. The prayers and thanksgivings that are offered to God, for success to the means of accomplishing this great work, and the very liberal contributions which have been made for supporting them, by Christians of every denomination, and of every land, are a sign that this kingdom of God is at hand. As it is the duty, we ought to believe it has been the exer- cise of Christians, to offer to God fervent prayers for the progress of this great work, in time to come ; and to give him thanks for the success of it, in time that is past. Some- thing of great importance has already been done. An open- ing has been made into the kingdom of darkness. Light has begun to shine amonsc men. Great exertions have been made, and much success has attended them. For these, let us bring our sacrifices of praise into the house of the Lord. There is reason to hope, that Christians are not negligent in this important duty. Every degree of success that has attended the endeavours, which have been employed to cir- culate the Scriptures, to preach the gospel, or to promote education among men, is entirely of God; for it is He alone who gives the increase. But as this great work is only at its beginning, there is much need also for prayer. When the Lord intends to bestow a blessing on the church, he usually pours out his Spirit on her members, constraining them to cry mightily at the throne of grace for that blessing. Re- specting this important concern, such, we hope, is the dis- pensation of God to his people, and such is their exercise before him. Prayers in secret, in private, and in public; prajer, by concert, and without it; prayers stated and oc- casional, we have reason to believe, are offered to God by Christians everywhere, and of every profession, for the ad- vancement of his kingdom in the world. This may be con- sidered as a sign that the day of the Redeemer's triumph is 95 near. Oh, that Christians would abound more and more .in these duties. — The extraordinary contributions which have been made for supporting this wonderful work are a sign of the same thing. On no former occasion, was there ever so much of the property of man devoted to purposes of this kind, than there has been, during the last twenty years. Multitudes of persons of both sexes, persons in every station, .persons of every age, persons of every religious profession, and persons in almost every nation have contributed of their substance for those purposes, and have consecrated part of their gain to the God of the whole earth. Contemplat- ing the various plans which have been adopted for the re- ligious instruction of men, considering the labours that have been undergone in executing them, and calculating the vast sums which the liberality of Christians has provided for supporting them, we may say, with wonder and praise, it is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. How- ever numerous and grand their objects have been, and how- ever expensive, they have still been supported by those free contributions; and, it is hoped, they will continue to receive efficient support, till, through their instrumentality, the world shall be enlightened, and the millennial day shall dawn* Some reflections from what has been said, on this part of the subject, must be subjoined. 1. The wants of the unenlightened nations are many and great. They want the word of God, the preaching of the Gospel, and the other ordinances of Divine grace. They want the knowledge of the God of salvation, of Christ who is the purchaser, and of the Spirit who is the applier of that salvation. They want the knowledge of the covenant of works, by the breach of which the human family have been brought into a state of sin and misery, and the covenant of grace, of which Jesus is the Mediator and Surety, and which is all the salvation and desire of them who believe. They want regenerating and converting grace, justification into 96 the favour, adoption into the family, and sanctificatiou iiit« the moral image of God. Without these, their condition must be deplorable, their lives immoral, and their end, misery for ever. They want faith in Jesus Christ, and re- pentance of sin unto spiritual and eternal life. These bles- sings, according to the ordinary and appointed dispensation of Divine grace, are bestowed upon men, only by means of the word and ordinances. As their wants are manv, so they are exceeding great. What human wants are to be com- pared with those which are spiritual and eternal ? " For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ?" To those who are Christans indeed, but not to those who are such only in profession, will the wants of the darkened nations appear, in all their magnitude and va- riety. Though the unconverted persons, among the en- lightened nations, labour under numerous and important wants, yet enjoying the revelation of grace, the offers of Christ, the promise of the Spirit, and the command to be- lieve, they are not without hope in the world; but the heathen are destitute of these. Let their situation impress our minds, and fill our souls with pity. 2. The means that are now used for supplying the wants of the darkened nations, possess a suitableness, and a fulness, for answering that end. The word of God, the preaching of the gospel, the schools for education, the circulation of evangelic catechisms and tracts, and the various opportunities for their improvement, which necessarily accompany their enjoyment of them, constitute that system of means which is now employed, for accomplishing this groat end. The human mind cannot conceive any means that are better adapted to their religious improvement. How suited are they to enlighten their minds, to renew their hearts, to rec- tify their conduct, and to train up the youth in the ways of the Lord ! There is also a fulness, or perfection in those means. If tliis system is considered, it will not be easy to 97 conceive of any thing that can render it more complete. Reading and hearing the word, meditation, conversation and prayer, are connected v/ith their enjoying the Scriptures, and evangelic catechisms, and religious tracts. Public preaching and hearing the gospel, prayer, praise, and other ordinances of worship, accompany their enjoyment of the Christian ministry. Reading, hearing, catechising, occasional explan- ations, exhortation and prayer, belong to the exercises in the schools. Besides, the private intercourse that ii?ust subsist, between the preachers and their people, the teachers and their scholars, and the people who are privileged with those means, among themselves, and with others, must be of vast advantage to their religious and moral improvement. All these things taken together form a most complete system of means, for supplying the wants of the darkened parts of the earth. Who would not desire, that since it is so perfect in its nature, it were more perfect in its extent ? These consti- tute the grand engine which God hath instituted, and which Christians are now employing, for the illumination of the be- nighted world. 3. The success that has attended the application of those means, is sufficient to encourage Christians to persevere in the use of them. Their attempts have not been fruitless, the means have not been blasted, nor has their labour been in vain. They have been instrumental already of much good. They have had great success both in providing, and in applying the means. They have had this success, in the publication of the Scriptures, in the evangelic missions, in the circulation of tracts, and in the schools. In those opel'a- tions, this success has attended them both at home, and in foreign nations. What a multitude of Bibles, in many lan- guages, have now been printed and circulated in the world ! They have the prospect, as certain as human contrivance and exertion can make it, of publishing a much greater quantity, in the space of a few years. The evangelic mis- sions are prospering, their number is increasing; and their 98 success is great in the Lord. The schools are also prospeiTr ing exceedingly, and they will soon be brought into opera- tion in places where they have not formerly existed, and where their salutary effects have never been enjoyed. These are promising appearances, (the particular facts 1 cannot here detail,) and they should stimulate Christians to the most vig- orous exertions, that all the ends of the earth, may see the «alvation of their God. 4. The object that Christians are endeavouring to accom- plish among the nations, by their extraordinary and united exertions, is great and glorious. The excellency of an ob- ject adds dignity to the means, and spreads a lustre over the exertions that are made, by the use of the means for accom- plishing it. To no other object can this truth more truly apply, than to that which is now before us. To deliver mankind from their present «tate of darkness, idolatry, ali- enation from God, gross immorality, and, at last, from ever- lastmg misery; and to bring them to the knowledge of the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. May I not express it in the Redeemer's own words to Paul ? *' To open their eyes, to tui'n them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive the forgiveness of sins, and mheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me," Acts xxvi. 18. Their ob- ject contains something which is still higher than this. The object in view is to promote the glory of the God of salva- tion in the earth; to exalt the Saviour's honour among men; to be instrumental in accomplishing God's gracious pur- poses, and in fulfilling the predictions of his word; and to give occasion to the holy angels to raise tlie celestial song, and an opportunity to contemplate those objects among men, which they desire, with holy delight, to look into. The ob- ject to be attained by those means is the demolition of the kingdom of Satan in the world ; and the erection and esta- blishment of Christ's kingdom on its ruin ; that God may be glorified, and that sinners may be saved in the Lord, with 99 an everlasting salvation. Such is the object that Christians have in view, and such shall be the effects of its accomplish- ment. It is, therefore, great and glorious. Who would not desire to have some concern in effecting it ? 5. When the Lord is v/orking, in his providence, for the illumination of the Gentiles, he is not unmindful of his ancient and peculiar people, the Jews. He is also making provision for them. Among their dry bones are begun a noice and shaking, which will terminate in their spiritual re- surrection. Some of them are active members in some Bible Societies. Some of them are searching the New Testament in their original language, so far as it has advanced. Not a few of them have turned to Christianity in other nations, and hopes are entertained of many more. The present exertions of Christians in printing the Scriptures have exci- ted in some of them the hope of their Messiah's speedy ap- peai'ance. In this hope they will not be disappointed; though he may come in a way that they do not expect. In all these things, it is evident, that God is remembering them in their low estate, for his mercy ondurethfor ever; and that he will deliver them from the hand of their enemies, for his mercy endureth for ever. 6. The Divine government is truly wonderful, and hijj agency is brightly displayed, in those new and strange opera- tions. " All things are of God," not in creation only, but also in providence and grace. This agency of God, the prophet describes. Hag. i. l^. " And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel governor of Judah, and the spirit of Josuah the son of Josedech the high priest, and ^ the spirit^of all the remnant of the people, and they came, and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts their God." In the existence, operations and success of the Bible So- cieties, the evangelic missions, the school societies, the tract societies, and the attempts to awaken the Jews, He has exer- ted the same supernatural influence on the spirits of men. By turning the attention of men, to those great objects, enab* 100 ling them to devise schemes for accomplishing them, putting it into the hearts of multitudes to contribute of their sub- stance for their support, disposing the minds of many to en- gage in laborious services for bringing those plans into opera- tion, encouraging and assisting them in their arduous work, and by giving to those schemes extraordinary increase, he has stirred up the spirits of men to come, and to work in the house of the Lord of hosts their God. Some have thouo-ht it wonderful that these schemes have not been devised, and those attempts made at a more early period: and viewing them in one light, it may be true ; but, considering them a ■> the fruit of Divine agency, and as the ordering of Divine wisdom, we may be assured, that they have been brought in- to existence at the most seasonable, because at the appointed time. They are all the execution of his decree, the fulfil- ment of his word, and the effects of his special providence concerning the Redeemer's church. Let us ascribe to the Lord the glory of their being, activity and success; and trust in him for their continuance and prosperity, till all nations shall submit to the sceptre of Christ. 7. There is a duty incumbent on Christians with respect to those endeavours that are now made, to enlighten and convert to true Christianity the nations of the earth. As this is a work for the accomplishment of which the Lord must make bare his arm, or exert his power; prayer to him for this blessing, must be our indispensible duty. The first three petitions in our Lord's prayer, all bear upon this most im- portant object. " Hallowed be thy name, — Thy kingdom come, — Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." O, therefore, let us cry to the Lord, in every prayer of ours, that he would enlighten the world, erect his kingdom on the earth, and bless the means that are, or may be employed, to promote those ends. As great labour must be performed in carrying on this work, much expense must be incurred ; it is, therefore, the duty of Christians to contribute cheerfully for defraying it. Our lot is fallen in a time, when Christiaris 101 are called, according to their religious attainments and world- ly substance, to contribute, by fervent prayers and liberal donations, for promoting this great work of God. Some persons may incline to support one, some another, some more than one, and some even all of those societies. Of his duty in this matter, let every Christian be fully persuaded in his own mind, and perform it faithfully, as in the sight of God. On a particular occasion, Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast in money into it, and many who were rich cast in much. He beheld a certain poor widow deposit her two mites in the Lord's treasury, and gave her a peculiar commendation. The omniscient Jesus still sits over against the treasury, to observe, who contribute, and if their contributions, for the relief of the poor, and for the promotion of his kingdom in the world, are proportioned to his providential bounty to them, and are made from pro- per motives. Since God has assured us his kingdom shall come, since he is giving us signs that it is at hand, since so many means are applied in our day to promote its increase and establishment among men, and since we have calls and opportunities to glorify God with our substance, " let all that be round about him, bring presents to him that ought to be feared." 8. Time, sufferings and the increase of knowledge in the world, have not produced any favourable alteration in the system of Popery, or in the principles and conduct of its supporters^ When God gives men space to repent, and they do not turn from their evil ways, but still persist in their iniquity ; their sin is greatly aggravated, and their condemnation will be more awful. When he corrects men for their iniquity, and they still continue in their rebellion; peculiar criminality attaches to their disobedience. Wlien men enjoy the means of improvement, and harden them- selves in their opposition to God; they render their sin exceeding sinful, and expose themselves to the righteous judgments of God. All these things may be applied t« 102 Antichrist and his votaries. They have enjoyed much time to consider their ways, they have been sorely chastised, and means of information have been administei-ed to them abundantly; " but they repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their forni- cations, nor of their thefts." They are still mad upon their idol worship, and adhere to ail their antichristian errors. Cruelty) tyranny, and persecution, still characterise their administrations. The most wicked decrees of their for- mer councils are still the rule of their government, and their abominable traditions, equally with the Scriptures, if not above them, are the rule of their faith. That most cruel and wicked court, the Inquisition, is again in full operation, in many popish countries. That most destruc- tive order of their clergy, the Jesuites, have been again re- stored to existence in that church. Their enmity at the holy Scriptures is still manifested clearly. The bulk of the Pope, against Bible Societies are a proof of this. Besides that Popish power which is the image of the Roman Empire, has prohibited the entrance and sale of Bibles from foreign Societies, in some parts of his dominions. In these ways they are increasing their guilt, and hastening their terrible fall. 9. For accomplishing liis merciful and righteous pur- poses, the great God performs very different works among men, at the same time. Of this, the providences of God to the nations, during the last twenty-five years, are a satisfac- tory demonstration Those years have been a season oi Divine judgments unto men. The cup of God's anger has gone round among the nations, and has produced such ef- fects, as should cause our souls remember the wormwood and the gall of those calamities, and be humbled in us. But in those very years, that glorious and Divine work, of which we have been speaking, has had its origin, and a part 103 of its progress. When the councils of the nations were deliberating about war, and conquest; many bodies of Christians were consulting about the means of sending the word of God, and the gospel of Christ through the world. When the armies of the nations were attacking one another, and the confused noise of the warrior was heard, and gar- ments rolled in blood were seen ; the Societies of Christians, were " wrestling against principalities, against powers, *' against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against *' spiritual wickedness in high places." When the Lord was threshing the nations in his anger, He was at the same time, giving birth and energy to a complete work, by which, spiritual darkness shall be dispelled, and the whole earth shall be lightened with his glory. These two dispen- sations of God shall contribute, in different ways, to accom- plish the same end. This simultaneous movement of Divine providence stamps both dispensations with peculiar grandeur and significancy. It hath pleased him, at the very time when he poured the vials of his wrath upon the earth, to send forth his word and gospel, the rod of the Redeemer's strength, into all the earth, that his people may be made willing, in the day of his power. Since God has put the means for enlightening the world into activity, at that time, when he seems to be pouring out on the nations the vials of wrath; it encourages our hope, that these means shall introduce the glory of the latter day. Since he has brought those sad calamities on the earth, at the very time when he stirred up the minds of Christians to exert themselves, in an extraordinary way, for the conversion of the world; it strengthens our belief that those judgments are destined for the destruction of Antichrist. As there was a long preparation for the rise of Popery, in the church's gradual defection from the truth and purity of Christianity; so there shall be a long preparation for the millennial day, in the continued use of the means which are now in operation. As the church still grew worse and 104 worse till the man of sin was placed in his seat; so those means shall become more and more efficient, and our signs shall brighten, till the millennial day shall break upon the world. Let Christians then work, and wait, and pray, and hope; let them cast out their anchors, and wish for the day ; for God's combined operations of mercy and judgment may assure them, that his kingdom> in her mil- lennial glory, is at hand. AN INQUIRY INTO THE PROPHETIC NUMBERS WHICH ARE CONTAINED IN THE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND FIVE AND THIRTY DAYS, MENTIONED AT THE END OF DANIEL's PROPHECY. DISCOURSE IV. Mark i. 15. — The time is JhlfillecL and the Mngdom of God is at hand: repent ye^ and believe the gospel. In some Scripture predictions, God has condescended to reveal both the events that shall come to pass, and the time at which they shall be accomplished. This he has done with respect to the wandering and suffering condition of Abraham and his posterity, fi'om the time of the Patriarch's departure from Haran, till the time of Israel's deliverance from Egypt, Gen. XV. 13, Exod. xii. 40, 41. This method is taken, with respect to the Jews captivity in Babylon, Jer. xxv. 11, 12. It pleased the Lord, concerning that most important of all events, the death of Christ, to do the same thing. " And after three-score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself," Dan. ix. 26. In those predictions which re^ late to the rise and fall of Antichrist, and to the church's suf- ferings under that power, and to her deliverance from it, the character and conduct of the former, and the condition and actings of the latter are described, and the duration of both the one and the other is also distinctly marked. If we had 106 a certain knowledge of the time, at which these events began, it would be very easy to fix the season at which they shall terminate. But, in the disj^ensations of his wise and holy providence, God, whose way is in the sea, and his path in the mighty waters, and his footsteps are not known, has so ordered events, at the beginning of that time, as casts a veil of darkness over it; in consequence of which considerable uncertainty about it rests on the minds of men, and different opinions have been held by those who have investigated it. Since the prophetic numbers are revealed, and the principal occurrences are on recoi'd, it is the church's duty to search after the knowledge of the time, when her greatest earthly enemy shall fall, and when she shall enjoy her promised feli- city. With the deepest humility, with the most profound reverence, and with the strongest dependence on Divine di- rection, should imperfect and erring man engage in searching into the mysteries of the word and providence of the Most High God. Desiring these dispositions, though not possess- ing them in an}^ high degree, let us now proceed to consider the IV. Branch of this subject. — To make some remarks con- cerning Daniel and John's prophetic numbers, which are contained in the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days, mentioned at the end of Daniel's prophecy. 1. The J 335 days are Daniel's gross number, which has a respect to the church's low condition, and to the reign and tyranny of the Antichristian horn. It is mentioned Dan. xii. 12, "_ Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thou- sand three hundred and five and thirty days." In this num- ber there are three other numbers included, and they are brought before us in this chapter. The first of them k mentioned in verse 7; " That it shall be for a time, times, and an half." This number, as will afterwai'ds be proved, con- tains three years and half a year, or 1260 days. The se- cond of these numbers is stated in verse 11.. " There shall 107 be a thousand two hundred and ninety days." In this num- ber there is an addition of 30 days made to 1 260 days. Those 30 days constitute Daniel's second number. The third number is discovered by what is said in the 1 2 verse. " Blessed is he that waiteth and conieth to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. From this it is evi- dent, that 45 days are added to the 1290 days which raise that number to 1335 days. The period of 45 days forms Daniel's third number. This is Daniel's statement of the times which represent Antichrist's rise and ruin, and the church's sufferings and deliverance. First 1260 days, then 30 days, and afterwards 45 days, making in all 1335 days. This gross, or general number contains the period, which Daniel's predictions contemplate, and they will not be com- pletely fulfilled till the 1335 days expire. Daniel's three particular numbers, being the component parts of his gross number, are entirely successive, and each of them shall begin at the day when the number before it did end. The only number mentioned by John, in the book of his Revelations, relating to the continuance of Antichrist's power, and to the sufferings of the church is the 1260 days, which corresponds exactly, in duration with Daniel's first number. These are the numbers which we are now to consider. 2. The 1260 days are twice mentioned by Daniel, and htf states this number in the same foiun of words. In chap, vii. 25, it is, " A time, and times, and the dividing of time." In chap. xii. 7, it is, " A time, times, and an half." This number is once mentioned by John, in the same way, In Rev. xii. 14, it is, " A time, and times, and half a time." John also states this number in two other forms, and twice in each of them. We have the following account of it. Rev. xi. 2, " And the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." And again, chap. xiii. 5, " And power was given to him to continue forty and two months." The third form in which John represents this number, is found, chap. xi. 3. " And they shall prophesy a thousand two 108 hundred and three-score days, clothed in sackcloth.'* He also represents in the same way, chap. xii. 6. " That they should feed her there, a thousand two hundred and three- score days." Those different representations describe a number of the same duration. The time, and times and an half, signify one year, two yearsj and half a year; or three years and a half. This number contains exactly forty and two months; and, allowing thirty days to each month, according to the Jewish manner of calculatinfj time, both the three years and an half, and the forty two months contain ex- actly one thousand two hundred and sixty days. The beau- tiful harmony of those descriptions of this number establishes the truth of this explanation of them, and shows that they describe a period of the same duration. This will also ap- pear from the events which are predicted to happen under all those descriptions of this time. That the time, and times, and half a time, of John, are the same with his one thousand two hundred and three-score days, is confirmed by Rev. xii. 6. I*. In verse 6, it is said, " And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there, a thousand two hundred and three-score days," In verse 14, it is said, " And to the wo- man were given the wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the ser- pent." Since the church's low condition, in her wilderness state, and God's care of her there, are represented both by the 1260 days, and the time, and times, and half a time; we must therefore conclude that those two representations must describe the same portion of time. The time, and times, and an half, mentioned by Daniel, signify in general, the same time that is mentioned by John's forty and two months; be- cause, the former describes the season in which the church is given up to the little horn of the Roman beast, and the lat- ter signifies the period during which the Gentiles shall tread under foot the holy city, and when the beast, which is the" 109 head of those Gentiles, shall have power to continue in his blasphemy, persecution and war. As the sufferings of the church under the little horn, are the same with the witnesses prophesying in sackcloth, and the woman's remaining in the wilderness, both of which is for 1260 days, this period must in general coincide with Daniel's three years, and a half. From this agreement in their signification, the similarity of the meaning of these representations of this number is satisfac- torily demonstrated. 3. Each of the days, which is contained in the number of 1260, and in the additional numbers of 30 and 45, is the prophetic symbol for one year. According to this view of the first number the time of the beast's war with the church, and of her depressed state must continue for the long season of 1260 years. Besides, there are two other numbers, which must be added to Daniel's 1260 years, one of 30, and another of 45 days, which must expire be- fore the church's happy condition will begin. The 30 days must also signify 30 years, and the 45 days must re- present 45 years; and these, being added together, form Daniel's gross number, of one thousand three hundred and five and thirty years. From the nature of the predicted events, this method of reckoning the prophetic numbers, is necessary. Since the predictions will not apply to the providences, unless this method is observed; it plainly proves, that this was the design of the Spirit of prophecy, in making those revelations to men, — Besides, this applica- tion of a day for a year, is of Divine institution. To the Prophet Ezekiel the Lord said, " I have appointed thee, each day for a year," Chap. iv. 6. The same thing is in- timated by the Lord's word to Israel, Num. xiv. 34. " After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, and ye shall know my breach of promise." As the writers on prophecy, are agreed in this view of the numbers, and as Christians, who exercise themselves on P 110 those subjects, are understood to be of the same opinion, further discussion on it is unnecessary. 4. Distinct and important events, which will be most con- spicuous accomplishments of Scripture jiredictions, will com- mence at the expiration of each of Daniel's three numbers, which are contained in his 1335 years. The sitting of the judgment will begin at the expiration of his time, and times, and half a time, or his 1260 years. In Dan. vii. 25 we are assured, that, " the saints shall be given into the hand of the Antichristian horn, until a time, and times, and the dividing of time." Again, in ver. 21, 22, it is said, " I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High." From these texts, it is ascertained, beyond the possibility of a doubt, that Anti- christ's doniineering power over the church will continue till the end of Daniel's 1260 years; and that his war with the saints, and his prevalence over them are terminated, at the coming of the Ancient of days, and when the judgment shall begin to sit. These two events must happen together, at the end of Daniel's time, and times, and the dividing of time. His successful war with the church must cease, and the judg- ment to take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it to the end, must begin, when Daniel's 1260 days, or years, expire. The prophetic symbol by which the Prophet is di- rected to represent Antichrist's destruction, is that of a judge sitting on the judicial trial of a great state criminal. As among men, a capital criminal is rendered incapable of re-acting his crime, is suffered to live, and is permitted to defend himself, while the judgment is sitting on him; so the Antichristian beast while the judgment sits on him, shall be restrained, shall be permitted to exist, and shall be allowed to act in his own defence, till the judgment is finished, and the sentence is executed on him. The sounding of the seventh trumpet, and the coming of the third wo, in John's predictions, are the same with the sitting of the judgment, in those of Daniel. Ill These are mentioned, Rev. xi. 14, 15, "The second wo is past, and behold the third wo cometh (|nickly. And the seventh angel sounded." The seventh trumpet introduces the seven vials, and the third wo comprehends all the seven last plagues which are contained in the seven golden vials, full of the wrath of God. It follows then that the sitting of judgment, to destroy the dominion of Antichrist, will com- mence; and the effusion of the seven vials on the Roman earth will begin, at the expiration of Daniel's 1260 years. The effects produced by the sitting of the judgment, in Daniel's prophecy, are the destruction of the Roman beast, and his little horn; and the saints possessing the kingdom. The effects produced by the effusion of the vials are the di- vision of the Antichristian city into three parts ; the fall of the cities of the nations, and great Babylon's drinking the cup of the wine of the fierceness of the wrath of God; and the introduction and establishment on the earth of the mil- lennial song, the marriage of the Lamb, and his marriage supper. From this it appears, that the sitting of the judg- ment in Daniel's prophecy, and the effusion of the vials in the visions of John, relate to the same transactions, shall be fulfilled at the same time, and will produce the same glorious results. That public and solemn transaction which will conmience at the expiration of the 30 years, or, counting from the be- ginning of the time, as Daniel does, the 1290 years, must now be considered. It is the opinion of some writers on pro- phecy, that those 30 years are the time in which the vials of Divine wrath shall be poured on the earth. As those years belong to the season when the judgment shall sit, they must be a part of that time, which is appointed for the effusion of the vials; but that those judgments of God on his enemies shall terminate, when these years expire, is more than we are warranted to assert. Let us attend to the Prophet's words, in which this number is mentioned. " And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomi- 112 nation tliat makoth desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days;" these words very plainly de- scribe what shall be done, at the commencement of the 1290 years, and characterise the time, from which they are to be dated. When the Christian religion, in the purity of its doctrine, worship, and administrations, shall be suspended; and when the Antichristian abomination, which spreads des- solation over the church, shall be established; at that fatal time these 1290 years begin. In the text, however, nothing- is said concerning the event which shall happen at their ter- mination. As nothing is said of this number in any other part of Scripture, we must either remain ignorant of the event which will be brought to pass at its conclusion, or fix it by mere conjecture, or endeavour to come at the know- ledge of it from the preceding context. While we, in con- sidering prophecy, should avoid all conjectures, and be wil- ling to remain ignorant, when God is pleased to withhold in- formation; yet we are warranted to employ the light, which the prophecy in general spreads around us, for explaining any of its parts. If we look into the foregoing part of this chapter, Daniel xii. we will find that the deliverance of the Jews is mentioned once and again, as a special object, con- cerning which Daniel received information. We may, on that account, consider it as the event which will commence, at the expiration of the 1 290 years In this view of the mat- ter, the eleventh verse may be supplied from the first and seventh verses, in the following way. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomina- tion that maketh desolate set up, till the time that thy peo- ple shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book, and the time when he shall have accomplishec! to scatter the power of the holy people, there shall be a thou- sand two hundred and ninety days, or years. We cannot conclude on this with absolute certainty, but from this con- nexion of things, we have some reason to hope, that at the 113 expiration of Daniel's 1290 years, 30 years after the judg- ment begins to sit, and the vials begin to be poured out, the conversion, and the restoration of the Jews to their own land, will have a conspicuous conimencement. We have no reason to doubt of that glorious transaction, which shall be accomplished among men, at the expira- tion of Daniel's number of 45 years, or counting from the beginning of this time, his 1335 years. The words of Daniel, where this number is mentioned, sufficiently explain it. " Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days," or years, ver. 12. The period of great blessedness shall then be introduced. It is not the blessedness of believers in general, which Daniel records in this verse. All those who wait in faith, though they should not come to the 1335 years, are blessed; yea, and they shall be blessed. But it is the peculiar blessedness of those who wait and come to the 1335 days, that Daniel's vision describes. The blessedness of the millennial season, the glory of the millennial church, and the felicity of the millennial saints are here declared. By this part of the vision, Daniel's question, what shall be the end of these things? is fully answered. This is the same with that which is mentioned in Rev. xix. 9. " And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb : And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." Then shall the church completely emerge from the wilderness, put off her sackcloth, and finish her witnessing prophecy. Then shall she celebrate her millen- nial song, partake of the marriage supper, and begin her reicrn with Christ a thousand years. Then shall the church be entirely delivered from the great words, the war, and the dominion of the Roman beast, and his little horn. " A.nd then shall the kingdom and dominion, anurity and rest, shall take its auspicious commencement. The Prophet's words warrant us to believe, that the hist year of the 45 years, or, which is the same, the last year of the 1335 years, will be tlie first year of the blessed millennium. It cannot begin sooner; for the church is not blessed till she wait and come to that year: It cannot be delayed till a following year; for when that year shall arrive, her blessedness shall begin. If we add Daniel's two last numbers together, 30 and 45, we will have 75 years. As the last of those years belongs to the millennium it must be taken from that number which will leave the number of 74 years. This is the time during which the judgment shall sit on the little horn, and the vials shall be })oured out on the Roman earth. These, we are certain, will commence, when Daniel's 1260 years shall ex- pire, on the first year of the thirty years, or which is the same thing, on the first year of the 74 years. As there is no interval between the coiiiplete destruction of the little horn with the Roman beast, and the saints possessing the kingdom; as there is no interval Letween the final ruin of Antichrist with the lamentations of tlie kinffs, of the mer- 11^ chants, and the sailors over it, and the church's millennial son^, but the latter is represented, both by Daniel and John, as immediately succecdinp; the former; the final sitting of the judo-ment, the last drop of the vials, the decisive stroke- of the armajjeddon war, or the consummatino- effect of all the three, shall take place in the T^th year, or, calculating from the beginning of the times, which is the very same thing, in the 1334th year. This work of judgment being finished, the glorious millennium shall begin in the 75th year, or in the 1335th year, according to the infallible declaration of the Spirit of prophecy, speaking in Daniel, "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days." These conclusions are cfeduced with confidence, and reasonable contradiction seems to be impossible. 6. Different dates have been assigned for the commence- ment, and the termination of the 1260 years. On this im- portant matter, writers on prophecy have not agreed. There were different times of the Jews captivity to Babylon, and as many corresponding periods of their return. As Babylon was a type of Antichrist, and the sufferings of the Jews in Chaldea, prefigured the church's low state under popery; it is not unreasonable to suppose, that something of the same kind may be found in the church's liberation from Babylon the great. As there was one principal cap- tivity to Babylon, and one most general and public return, in which Jeremiah's predictions v/ere visibly fulfilled; so there must be one period for Antichrist's rise, and a corres- ponding one for his fall, at the former of which the church is brought into bondage, and at the latter she obtains de- liverance, in which the predictions of Daniel and John shall have their principal and most conspicuous accomplishment. There was about the space of 1260 years, between the time of Constantinc, who, by his extravagant favours bestowed on. the Christian clergy, early in the fourth century, laid the foundation for. antichristian domination, and the establish- 116 ment of tlie Protestant reformation, a little after the niiddle of the sixteenth century. Though there is no reason to con- sider the former of those events as the rise, or the latter as the fall of Antichrist; yet the one was such a preparation for his coming, and the other such a presage of his destruc- tion, as render both those occurrences in Divine providence worthy of our serious consideration. Some valuable writers have fixed the date of Antichrist's rise at the middle of the eight centur}^, when Pepin, King of France, in the year 756, raised him to the dignity of a temporal prince. This period will carry us forward, for the ending of the 1260 years, to the twenty-first century, and it would terminate in the year 2016. As the Pope's possession of civil power is not essen- tial to his Scriptural characters, as the Man of Sin, the Antichrist, and the false Prophet, and as the grant of Pepin rather raised him to his height, than gave him birth, there does not seem to be any valid reason for considering that period to be the rise of the Papacy. Something, however, may take place in the millennial church, at the time which corresponds with this period of the Pope's aggrandisement, near the be- ginning of the twenty-first centuiy, which may be very re- markable. About that time, perhaps, the unexplored parts of the earth, where the foot of civilized man has never trod- den, may submit to the sceptre of Jesus; such as the in- terior of Africa, of the American Continents, of New Hol- land, and some parts of Assia, or the undiscovered islands of the sea. There are other two dates of the rise of popery, and, of course, also of its fall, about which modern writers on prophecy are divided in opinion. One of these dates is in the year 533, when the Emperor Justinian constituted the Bishop of Rome, the Head over all the churches. The other date is in the year 606, when the Emperor Phocas declared the Bishop of Rome to be the Plead of the church. Of the decree of Phocas, it is affirmed, there is no record; it is only mentioned in history. Of the decree of Justinian there is a solemn recoi'd, and all the accompanying 117 documents are yet extant. It has also been said, that the decree of Phocas was only a ratification of Justinian's de- cree, and rather confirmed to the Bishop of Rome the su- premacy over the church, than conferred on" him that Anti- christian dignity. According to this view of Antichrist's rise in 533, Daniel's 1260 years have expired, the seventh trumpet has sounded, the third wo has come, the vials have begun to be poured out, and the judgment began to sit in the year 1792, when that most uncommon, general, destruc- tive, and judgment-like war, that Europe ever saw, had its dismal commencement. From 533 till 1792 inclusive of these years, we have Daniel's number of 1260 years. The 30 additional years, and the number of 1290 years, will terminate in 1822, when the public conversion' and restora- tion of Israel will probably begin. The second additional number of 75 years, and the gross number of 1335 will come to their end in 1867, exactly 50 years from the present time; when Satan's kingdom, in its heathenish, mahometan, and popish forms, shall have fallen as lightning from heaven; when the conversion of Jacob's seed, and their return to their own land will be perfected; when the protestant churches will be revived and purified; when the pagan, mahometan and antichristian nations will be enlightened and turned to the Lord; and when the church, in her mil- lennial glory, purity and rest, will be established on the earth. 7. It is humbly submitted, if the two dates last mentioned, about which modern writers differ, may not be perfectly re- conciled, by the following view of the predictions of Daniel and John. Let us suppose, that the 1260 years, mentioned by Daniel, began at 533, the first of those dates; and that John's 1260 years commenced at 606, the second date. In this scheme John's number will end in 1866, and Daniel's three numbers, reserving the last year in them for the first of the Millennium, will end in the very same year, in 1866. This singular coincidence in the dates, and their answering Q 118 so exactly to the numbers of the Prophet, and to the number of the Apostle, so as to cause both of them terminate in the same year, certainly deserves our attention. The reasons for suQfgesting this idea of the times are the following : The additional numbers of 30 and 45 are necessary, in the propliecies of Daniel, to express the time that must elapse, from the rise of Antichrist till the beginning of the millennium. No notice is taken of those numbers — no refer- ence is made to them in the visions of John. From this we conclude, that these additional numbers are not to be em- ployed in explaining John's number. Since John does not mention Daniel's gross number of 1335, nor his additional numbers of 30 and 45 ; they were not contemplated by him, as belonging to his scheme, nor must they be introduced by us, in order to explain it. John's prophecies, being the last, are the most full and particular; they illuminate the predic- tions of Daniel. They are, however, two different schemes of prophecy, in which, though they most harmoniously agree, different numbers and symbols are employed. John mentions his number five several times, and in three differ- ent forms, and mentions no other number; the symbolical representation of his scheme of prophecy is larger and more systematic than that of Daniel; and by detached visions dif- ferent parts of his scheme are sometimes exhibited in minia- ture, and are sometimes amplified; can we therefore suppose, if the superadded numbers of the Prophet had been necessary to explain the predictions of the Apostle, that they would not be mentioned in his visions ? There is a necessity that John's number of 1260, and Daniel's number of 1335 should terminate at the same time; but there does not appear to be the same necessity for their commencing together. They must terminate at the same time, because John's 1260 years must continue till the be- ginning of the millennium, as he does not mention any other number which intervenes betwixt the end of the former, and the commencement of the latter. In John's 1 260 years, the 119 time of the vials, or the season of judgment, must be includ- ed, because his prophecy mentions no other number of years, in which these transactions are to be accomplished. Daniel's number of 1335 years exceeds John's 1260 years, by 75 years. As the last of those years belongs to the millennial period, it must be separated from the number, and we have 74 years. Since the only wise God, as the Author of pro- phecy, has given us two schemes of time, the one of which exceeds the other by 74 years; and since He, as the God of providence, has given us two conspicuous dates, whose claim to be the rise of Antichrist is so nearly equal, and whose distance from one another, inclusive of the first year, is ex- actly 74 years, there appears to be good reason, from this remarkable coincidence of time, to adopt this method of re- concilinfj them. Besides, if Daniel's numbers do not begin at 533, that most conspicuous and best attested date of Antichrist's rise is altogether overlooked in prophecy; which is a conclusion that those who have a due regard to Him, who is the giver of prophecy, and the God of providence, will not be easily persuaded to believe. If it is maintained that Daniel's 1 260 years do not commence till 606, the judgment will not sit, the Ancient of days will not come, the seventh angel will not sound his trumpet, and none of the vials included in the third wo will be poured out till 1866; for Daniel undoubted- ly fixes the sitting of the judgment, at the expiration of his time, and times, and the dividing of time, or at the end of the 1260 years, as they are mentioned by him. This is a con- clusion entirely at variance with the opinion of those, who plead for Antichrist's rise in 606. If there is not a scheme of prophecy which contemplates the rise of Antichrist at 606, then that providential dispensation, which took place in that year, is also disregarded in Divine predictions, which reflects no honour on Him whose works are the fulfilment of his word. Since God, in his holy providence, has fur- nished us with two conspicuous dates, for the entering of the V20 man of sin into the Lord's temple ; and since he, in his holy word, has revealed a double scheme of numbers re- lating to the rise and fall of Antichrist, and to the subjuga- tion and emancipation of his church, one of which dates exactly agrees to the numbers of Daniel, and the other to the number of John, and both harmoniously terminate in the same year, it must be exceedingly probable, if not ab- solutely certain, that it was God's design to mark out to the church that most important era, by this twofold account of it. No valid objection can be made against the accuracy of those calculations, arising from our beginning Daniel's num- bers with the 533d year of the Christian era, and not at the termination of that year; or from our beginning John's num- ber, at the end of 606, and not with that year. The former was the eastern mode of calculating time, when Daniel's predictions were delivered, and when the seat of empire was established in the east. The usage of the time, and place of Daniel's visions must necessarily be employed, in explaining his pro])hetic numbers. The latter was the western mode of computing time, when John saw his visions, and when the seat of empire was transferred to the western part of the earth. The custom of that time and place must also be ob- served, in explaining the commencement and termination of John's number. Since this method of explaining and reconciling those numbers, so far as I know, has not been formerly used; since it may have a tendency to unite the opinions of authors, on this interesting enquiry, concerning the beginning and the ending of those numbers; since it seems to lay a solid foundation for our hope, concerning the time when all those things shall be fulfilled; and since it appears to display the wisdom and harmony of the word and works of God, it is most respectfully submitted to the consideration of Christian professors. 121 With a few reflections which the foregoing remarks seem to suggest, this disourse shall be concluded. 1. We must carefully distinguish between a Divine pre- diction and an human explanation of it; betwixt scriptural numbers mentioned in prophecy, and men's calculations concerning their beginning and ending The one is perfect and certain, the other may be very imperfect and false. Though human interpretations of prophecy should prove fal- lacious, the error attaches, not to the prediction, but to the explanation of it; not to the Author of prophecy, but to the fallible interpreter. Though human calculations should prove erroneous, the prophetic numbers themselves are with- out error. Our disappointment, by a false explanation of a prediction, ought not to engender in our minds any preju- judice or objection at the prophecy itself Very unreason- able it will be to undervalue the prediction, because of the error of its explanation; and to charge God foolishly, on account of the mistakes of men. Though Divine providence should sweep away, to their very foundations, the explana- tions and calculations of men ; the Divine prediction will still stand sure like an immovable rock, and will be accomplish- ed in its season, and in all its parts. Divine predictions and human explanations must be distinguished also as to our esteem of them. All our esteem of that which is human, should centre on that which is divine. Any regard we may have for the labours of men, on those subjects, should in- crease our love and admiration of the Author of prophecy, who only could reveal it, azid who alone can make it come to pass. There is also a difference between these two ob- jects, in the manner in which we should examine them. In our examination of scripture prophecy, reverence for the glorious Author of it, a certain belief of its truth, and an humble desire to know the mind of God, by the light of his own Spirit, should fill our hearts. In coming to an exami- nation of an explanation of prophecy, the Christian's mind, not being freed from the fear of error in the object of his 122 consicloration, ought to exercise guarded suspicion, and ought rather to delay, than rashly to form his opinion. 2. In scripture prophecy, there will be found such a mys- tery, majesty, and beauty, as should raise our admiration of its Author, and attract our attention to itself. Of all Di- vine predictions, this is the infxllible description; " For the prophecy came not in old time by the vvill of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Holy persons who were sanctified of God, uninfluenced by their own will, and guided and taught by the Divine Spirit, delivered those messages of God to men, messages which are full of mystery, majesty, and beauty. Of all scripture predictions, there are none which possess those qualities more eminently than the prophecies of Daniel and John, respecting the grand Antichrist, and the church of the liv- ing God. The symbols that are used to represent those very diiFerent objects, are most appropriate and significant. Their diversity in the two schemes hurts not their unity, darkens not their meaning, but rather illustrates and confirms their application to the objects which they represent. The differ- ent numbers that are mentioned cordially harmonise, and tend to confirm our minds in the truth of their application. Systematic forms of representing a long series of events, by a long war, and the solemn session of a court of judgment, by the opening of seven seals, the sounding of seven trum- pets, and the pouring out of seven vials; and by collateral visions, some of which give a more summary, and others a more detailed description of the same things, plainly mark the whole structure of the predictions, to be the offspring of Divine wisdom, and the fulfilment of it, to be the effect of Divine power. As the millennial church shall praise him for its accomjjlishment; let us thank him for its revelation, and wait its issue. 3. Divine predictions shall be assuredly fulfilled. The giver of prophecy is the God of providence. He does vv'liat he will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of 1^23 the eaitli. Prophecy contains promises and threatenings; promises when it respects the church, and threatenings when liis enemies are the objects of it. His faithfuhiess and power are engaged to fulfil his promises to his people; prophecy, so far as it contains a revelation of good things to the church, shall, therefore, be fulfilled. The Divine veracity and power are also interested in executing the threatenings against his enemies; prophecy, therefore, in so far as it exhibits them, shall assuredly come to pass. " To me belongeth vengeance and recompence ; their foot shall slide in due time, for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself concerning his servants, wher» he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left." Very considerable parts of those predictions have been already accomplished, and shall we suspect the fulfil- ment of the rest? The most dismal parts of them, concern- ing the rise and reign of the enemy, have come to pass; we should not, therefore, hesitate about the accomplishment of those parts of the prediction, which are more glorious and joyful. As the time of Antichrist's elevation has come, so the season of his destruction shall arrive. Since the predic- tions concerning the church's sufferings have been fulfilled, those which relate to her blessedness and glory shall likewise be accomplished. " God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" Num. xxiii. 19. 4. The present appearances in the religious world en- courage the hope, that some great and happy change among men is fast approaching. The extraordinary endeavours that are now made, to send the word and gospel of Christ into all the earth, seem to be tlie harbinger of this change, and the means by which it will be effected. These endea- vours are of such a nature, of such variety, of such extent, and have produced already such wonderful effects, as render 124 it very probable that the grand millennial season may arrive at the time, to which our view of the prophetic numbers has conducted us. The Bible Societies, for instance, have ex- isted only thirteen j'ears. There are precisely four times that number of years from the present time till the year 1867- If those Societies have accomplished such great things in these thirteen years, in part of which period the scheme has been in its infancy; what may we suppose it will accomplish, if it is continued, v/ith the Divine blessing, for fifty years long- er? It is not at all unreasonable to suppose, that by the time that the Sixty-second annual Report of the British and Foreign Bible Society shall be published, all the parts of the earth will have been, for a considerable time, in possession of the holy Scriptures. If they shall be in possession of the Divine word, may we not hope, that they shall also be turned from dumb idols, to the service of the living God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Respecting the evangelic missions, the schools, the circulation of religious tracts, and the endea- vours to graft Israel into their own olive-tree, the same me- thod of reasoning might be adopted. If these different attempts to set up the Redeemer's kingdom among men, have, in the short time that is past, done great and wonder- ful things ; may we not confidently expect, if their labours are continued half a century longer, the blessing of God, and the working of the Spirit accompanying them, that all the ends of the earth may then see the salvation of our God. From these things it appears, even by the light of human probability, that we have reason to expect, that the great and glorious day of the Lord may come at the time that was mentioned. If the view that we have taken of the prophetic numbers be correct, as we hope it is, then it may be said; " We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts." 1Q5 5. The knowledge of the particular stage, in the church's journey, at which she has now arrived, and in which she is now moving forward to the promised land of her millennial rest, is a very desirable, and important attainment. Though it would be most unbecoming, to speak with presumptuous confidence, or in the language of absolute certainty, con- cerning the precise time; yet a fair application of the pre- dicted events, and the prophetic numbers, to the past and present operations of providence, and to the seasons in which the Lord has brought them to pass, will enable us, with strong probability, to answer those weighty interrogations, *' Watchman, what of the night?" How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? Our opinion is this — That Daniel's 1260 years, began with the 533d year of the Chris- tian era, and ended at 1792; that his additional number of 30 years, which makes his first number 1290, beginning where the former ended, will expire in 1822; and his third number of 45 years, which completes his gross number of 1335 years, will end in 1867, the last year of which will be the first of the blessed millennium. With this calculation, John's number perfectly agrees, when dated from 606, the second date of the rise of popery; because from 606 to 1866 there are 1260 years. The judgment against the little horn, and for the church's deliverance and exaltation, has been sitting, and the vials have been pouring out since 1792. — These will be continued till 1866, and will be com- pletely finished on that year. The blessed state of the church will commence in 1867, the year, to which those who wait and come are blessed. This happy period of the church shall be continued 1000 years, or, for a long time. After which the millennial day will have a short evening, called " a little season", which will be followed by the gen» eral judgment. These are the conclusions to which we are led, by this investigation of the prophetic numbers. Tliat they are perfectly correct and infallibly true, we dare not assert: but that they are probable, and worthy of oui- R ii6 consideration, there h some reason to believe. Accordin'V' to this view, we have now passed through one third part of the time of the sitting of the judgment, and the effusion of the vials; and two thirds of that time, or 49 years, from the expiration of this year, 1817, remain yet to be fulfilled. The 25 years of this season, which have now passed over us^ have been most eventful, both for the Divine judgments which have been on the earth, and for the means that have been employed for illuminating and converting the nations to the faith of Jesus. The 49 years of this season that are yet to come, will also be full of most important events. Dur- ing that time, the Lord will, on the one hand, perform the remaining part of his strange work of judgments, of one kind or another, on his Antichristian enemies, till they are removed from the earth ; and, on the other hand, he will give increasing activity and success to the means of grace that are and shall be used, for filling the earth with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, till all nations are pre- pared for entering into the millennial glory, when " there shall be one fold and one shepherd, one Lord and his name one." 6. An humble examination of the predictions of God's word, and a religious observation of the dispensations of his providence, constitute a necessary part of that duty which is incumbent on Christians especially at such a time as this. The command to search the Scriptures compre- hends the former, and the injunction to regard the opera- tions of his hands includes the latter. The neglect of either of them must be a great evil. Let us, therefore, turn our attention frequently to the word and to the works of God, To his word which foretells the events of those times, and to his works which fulfil his word. Indifference and inat- tention to those things are sinful and profane. The want of zeal for the Divine glory, and a concern for the kingdom of Christ and the salvation of men, are the causes of this ci'imi- nal negligence. Religious exercise about the words of hb 127 mautli, and the doings of his hand, even though we may be disappointed in some of our expectations, is unspeakably better than a careless neutrahty in the cause of God and Tehgion. The difficulties which attend this investigation, should not deter us from: assaying it. In your meditation •on those things, cry to the Lord, by prayer, for his counsel and direction. Take the help of your Christian brethren's knowledge and experience in those matters, by familiar con- versation about them with one another. Compare different parts of Scripture together, and separate dispensations of providence with each other; that the light you obtain from all, may help you to understand that which seems most difficult and dark. Be not discouraged by the want of suc- cess in any one attempt; but renew your endeavours, in the hope of succeedin was more encouraging, but not so perilous as ours. The time that is now passing over the church is in a high degree, both perilous and encouraging. The abounding of sin against God, and the pouring of Divine judgments on men render our time perilous. By them the world is filled with snares^ and believers are exposed to temptation and danger. Ex- isting under the third wo, and living in the world while the judgment is sitting, and the vials are pouring out, our time must be perilous indeed. Times are encouraging, when ex- traordinary exertions are made to disseminate the know- ledge of Godj and of his Son Jesus Christ among men, by sending to them the word of God, and the preaching of the gospel. Times are encouraging, when most comfortable success is attending those blessed endeavours. Times are encouraging, when Christians understand' by the books of inspired prophecy, that Satan's kingdom in the world is aboiK to fall, and that Christ's kingdom, in its prosperous state, will be speedily introduced. Such are the characters of the times, in which we live; andj therefore, though they be perilous, they are also encouraging. Since our times are perilous, Christ's exhortation must be obeyed, if we would be safe; " watch and pray, that ye enter not into tempta- taon," Since our times are encouraging, let us comply 148 with his call. " Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." And since our time is both perilous and encouraging let us join trembling with our mirth, and sing of mercy and of judgment. These mixed features in our time render Christ's exhortation peculiarly suitable to us, Repent ye, and believe the gospel. 5. Without the exercise of faith and repentance, Chris- tians will not be prepared either to bear their sufferings in the day of trial, or rightly to improve the church's triumph- ant deliverance. Though the millennial saints will enjoy an uninterrupted calm, those who live in the ages immedi- ately before them, must pass through a violent storm. The great city Babylon is not yet thrown down, the judgment to consume and destroy it, is still sitting, and there have not yet completely passed over us the vials, nor the earthquake, which shall so terribly shake the nations, that man's hearts, that are not balanced with Divine grace, will fail them for fear, and for looking after the things that are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Without saving grace, supported in its exercise by the Holy Spirit, Christians, like Peter in the storm, will begin to sink, when they shall behold on the earth distress of nations with per- plexity, the sea and the waves roaring. Those who are strangers to faith and repentance, cannot have any solid com- fort, when the Lord doeth this; and those who are not in the exercise of those graces, though they may possess them in the habit, will be deprived of sensible comfort. Chris- tians, in this situation, though they have eyes, they will not clearly see the rock of their salvation; and though they have ears, they will not distinctly hear, with application to them- selves, the voice of mercy, in the promises of support and deliverance. — Nor can they be prepared, in this frame, for the contemplation or enjoyment of the church's enlarge- ment and prosperity. This may be enjoyed in the prospect of faith, in the solacing foretaste, or in the actual possession. Without a believing and penitent frame, what comfortable 149 prospect Can we take of the millennial sabbath, that reniain-» eth for the people of God ? In this condition of soul, what foretaste of that blessed state can we enjoy? Were we to live till the millennial glory appear, and to continue in an un- believing and impenitent frame, we could not properly relish the precious enjoyment. If unbelief and hardness of heart prevail in us, darkness, doubts and fears, both about our own state, and the church's deliverance, will take such hold of our minds as will fill us with hurtful fears, instead of joyful anticipations, or the assured hope of promised good. — In this fi-ame of mind, we will be like the heath in the desart, and will not see when good cometh. O then, let us be dili- gent in the use of the means of grace, that we may receive from God faith and repentance; and that, under the influ" ence of his Spirit, they may grow and flourish in our souls. 6. By the exercise of faith and repentance, we will be prepared both for Divine judgments when they shall be poured out, and for the church's joyful prosperity. Though all believers are freed from the curse in every trouble, have the sanctified benefit of those afflictions secured to them, and will be supported under them all ; yet those believers only, who are walking by faith in a penitent frame, can ap- ply to themselves this comfort. To a believing and penitent soul, no calamity can be truly overwhelming. When the judgment shall sit, the saints, in those exercises, will be assured, that the sentence will be pronounced, neither against them, nor the church of God. When the vials are poured out, the exercised Christian will be persuaded, that they are designed for the inhabitants of the symbolic cal earth, and tl>at the symbolical heavens, in M'hich they dwell, shall be safe. When the voices shall be heard, the thunders roar, and the lightnings flash, the believer can rejoice in the faith of the church's preservation and deliver- ance. When the earthquake shall shake to pieces, and sink into destruction the Redeemer's enemies, the believer's hope is unsliaken, and his refuge shall not be moved. He knows U 150 that the judgments which shall divide into parts the antr^r christian kingdom shall unite the fearers of God; and that the convulsions which shall overturn the cities of the nations, shall establish the city of the Lord. The penitent and be- lieving soul will be persuaded, that when the great haily the plague of which is exceeding gi-eat, shall fall on its devot- ed objects, there shall no evil befal the church", neither shall any hurtful plague come near the dwellings of the saints. — In the exercise of faith and repentance, we will also bepre-^ pared for the church's salvation. By this holy frame bur loins will be girded, and our lights burning, and we will be like to men who wait for their Lord. We will be enabled to appreciate duly this glorious deliverance, and to observe with joy the signs of its approach. Concerning every dis- pensation of his hand' for bringing down his enemies, and every operation of his grace for advancing his ekurch, the ex^ercise of those principles in our hearts will enable us to say; " Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us ; this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and' rejoice in his salvation." As the exercise of grace makes believers ready for communion with God in his ordinances, and for their latter end; so it will make them meet for the church's prorrtised glory, in this world. The nature of it, they will understand; its reality, they will be- lieve; its coming, they will expect ; and for the enjoyment of it, they will have some comfortable preparation. 7. It ought to be the Christian's gi*eat concern, by the exercise of all grace, and by the performance of every duty, to obtain preparation for that season, when the times shall be fulfilled, and v/lienthe kingdom of God shall come. For illustrating this, I may direct your attention to two portions of scripture ; the former of which relates to that change, to which our text did primarily refer; and the latter belongs to that promised and expected alteration, to which our text has been accommodated. The former contains a part of the Angel's words to Zacharias, concerning his son John the 151 'Baptist. " And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias — to make ready a people prepared for the -Lord," Luke i. 17. It was the design of John's ministry to prepare a people for the manifestation of Christ among them, •for the abolition of the mosaic system, and for the erection of the new-testament church. For this purpose, he taught the people the doctrine of repentance, and called them to believe in him, who was immediately to be revealed. The existence and exercise of the same graces in the souk of men, are necessary to prepare themibr the fulfilling of the times, and for the coming of the millennial kingdom. The Kiinis- iry of the gospel should now be go. conducted, "that it may be a mean, in the hand of the Spirit, for making ready a people prepared for the Lord. The doctrines of faith in Jesus Christ, and of repentance unto life, must now be preached, for maldng ready a people prepared for the mil- Jennial church. Repentance .toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, must be testified to Christians and Jews, to Mahometans and Pagans, that many of them may be prepared to compose the innumerable conipany, ,to enjoy the ^millennial ^lory, and to celebrate her trii4mphant song. With this view should ministers preach -those precious doc- trines, and with this view should mankind hear, believe and obey them, that they may be made ready as a people pre- pared for the Lord. The other text of scripture, to which I must now direct your attention, 'has a reference to the church's approaching deliverance. " Let us be glad and rejoice, and give .honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready," Rev. xix. 7. The words I have in view are these, His wife «hath made herself ready. To shew that this preparation lis not of herself, it is added ver. 8, "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white ; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." The careful use of the means on our part, and the Divine blessing at- 4:ending them on his part, will make the saints ready .even 152 for the marriage supper of the Lamb. In a believing and humble dependence on the God of all grace, on the Spirit of grace, and on him who is full of grace and truth, persevere, O Christians, in the use of the means, endeavouring to ex- ercise grace, and to walk circumspectly, so shall ye be pre- pared as a bride adorned for her husband. There is a preparation for ordinances and for dealh. This preparation, both in state and frame, we all need. It is by the exercise of faith and repentance, through the blessing of Christ and the working of the Spirit, that we can obtain it. If we have this preparation, we will be made ready for every revival, which God may give to the church, while we are continued in it. Be concerned that others may be made ready. Pray that the means which God hath sent to Jew and Gentile, to the Barbarian, the Scythian, the bond and the free, may be continued, enlarged, and rendered effectual, for making mul- titudes ready for the millennial church, and for the marriage supper of the Lamb. As the preparation of the heart is from the Lord, pray ye to him, that by means of the word and ordinances, the love of God may be manifested, the grace of Christ may be communicated, and the Spirit may be poured out from on high, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, that the bride, the Lamb's wife, may make herself ready. To conclude, you have heard of some of the times that will be fulfilled when Antichrist shall fall, and when the church shall enter into her millennial state. Endeavour to understand the nature of them. Lament over them, as they dishonour God, oppose the Mediator** kingdom, and hurt the church's purity and peace. Be grieved for those disorders and sufferings which their continuance produce among men. Pray for their removal. Observe every providential occur- rence, which tends to bring them to an end. Wait with pa- tience, in faith and hope, for that happy time when they shall be fulfilled, and taken out of the way. 153 You have also heard of some parts of the church's blessed- ness, in her millennial state. Carefully consider and meditate upon them, and beware of disregarding or despising those glorious tilings. Endeavour to satisfy yourselves concern? ing the import of those Divine promises and predictionssj which warrant our expectation of such an happy time* Send up supplications daily, to him who heareth prayer, that he may hasten that blessed day. Endeavour to live in the faith, to imbibe tlie spirit, and to enjoy the foretaste of that season of Christian felicity. You have also heard of some of the signs, by which you may know that this blessed summer is near. Meditate on every one of them, consider their tendency, and investi- gate their truth. Pray for their continuance, their increase, and their perfection. Do what you can to support the means which are now employed to enlighten mankind. Consider those providential and spiritual operations, by which Christ maintains, encreases, and renders effectual the means of gathering the nations to himself. Christ and Antichrist seem now to have taken the field, the former to accomplish, and the latter to prevent, the illumination of the world, the con- version of the Jews, and the revival and purification of Chris- tian churches. Watch ye the progress of this conflict. Be ye on the Lord's side. Wo shall be to them who are against him. A curse shall come on them who are neutral; *' Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inha- bitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." You have also heard some remarks concerning the propher tic numbers, which state the time when all these things shall be fulfilled. On several things belonging to them we cannot speak with certainty. The most that can be done, relative to thesej is only to give an opinion. The day will particularly declare it. The church must wait and watch, believe and hope, pray and be active, that nothing may be wanting o^ her part, for promoting this work of the Lord. Searchoig 154 into those numbers, since God has revealed them, is certain- ly the Christian's duty; but, till the predicted events are ac-:- complished, they will not be circumstantially known ; known in the specific nature or kind of some of them, in the direct way in which they will come to pass, in the precise time at which some of them shall be accomplished, in the particular places which will be the scene of their operation, in the per- sons who will be principally employed, and in the objects who will be tlie chief sufFei'ers, Since those numbers are mentioned, we may be assured that the duration of the system of darkness is limited, and that the system itself shall perish at the appointed time. From comparing those numbers with one another, and with Divine providences, there is ground to hope, that the following generation will not pass away, till all those things shall be fulfilled. You have likewise heard of the Christian's duty, at the present time; Repent ye, and believe the gospel. As the principles of faith and repentance in the heart, are at all times necessary to make us Christians indeed, and the exercise of them in our spiritual fi-ame is needful to make us in every situation, holy and comforted saints ; so their being and act- ings are peculiarly requisite to prepare us for the Lord's coming to enlarge and establish his kingdom in the earth. Seek from God, therefore, saving faith and true repentance. To all those who have not obtained them, Jesus is saying, Repent ye, and believe tiie gospel. These are spiritual prin- ciples, which, by our own power, we cannot acquire, and re- ligious exercises,^ which, of ourselves, we cannot attain; but they are principles which we must acquire, and exercises to which we must attain, otherwise we shall perish for ever. The Divine injunction in the command is acompanied with a revelation of grace in the promise; and it is by the accom- plishment of the latter, that any sinner is enabled to comply with the former. The holy Spirit, who quickeneth those that are dead in trespasses and sins, is graciously promised ; " I will put my Spirit within you, and c^use you to walk in my 155 statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do therri;*' ye shall repent and believe the gospel, Ezek. xxxiv. 27. O thaC sinners would consider these things, and cry for the Spirit to enable them to obey the gospel call ! O that they would apply the precepts of the holy law to their own hearts and lives, and that the Spirit would convince them of the number, the heinous nature, and manifold aggravations of their trans- gressions ! O that they would apply to their own con- sciences, the threatenings of the broken law, and that the Spirit would convince them of their misery, of their condem- nation, and of that everlasting punishment to which they are exposed ! O that they were constrained to cry out, what shall we do to be saved from our sins, and from the wrath to come ! O that they would turn their attention to the glo- rious gospel which reveals what Christ has done and suffered to expiate their sins, and to purchase for them eternal life. O that they would meditate on the promises, on the cove- nant of grace, on Christ the Mediator of that covenant, and on the Divine warrant that they have to believe in him, that they may be saved ! In this way, they shall obtain the Holy Spirit to implant in their hearts the principle of saving grace, that they may repent and believe the gospel. To all those who are true believers and real penitents, Jesus is also say- ing, Repent ye, and believe the gospel. By the grace of God, they enjoy this blessed principle; how hurtful then, is it to themselves, and how dishonouring to their God and Sa- viour, if they live without the daily exercise of faith and re- pentance ? All the saints are possessed of that high dignity, which is contained in those words, " For the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon, you," 1 Pet. iv. 14-. Let them, therefore, live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit, that they may abound in the exercise of faith and repentance. Seek grace from above, by which you will be enabled to live in a believing and penitent frame, all the days of your life. Be diligent in the performance of all the duties of religion, that your faith and repentance may be exercised and increased; 156 Looking for tlie fulfilling of the time, and for the coming of the kingdom of God, let us all remember and obey Christ's command, *' Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." THE END. ERRATA. Page 23 line '23, for for and ever, read for ever and ever. » I 51 — 16, for us, read as. — 66 16, for person, read prison. — ^— 68 — — 25, for profess, read possess. — 88 — — 13, for kingdom, read kingdoms. — — 108 .^^ 2, for represents in, read represents it in. YiouDg, Gallie, & Co. 7 ftinters. APPENDIX xo IMIO THE PROPHETIC NUMBERS CONTAINED IN Clje I33e5 Dagiei: OCCASIONED BY A PAPER IN THE EDINBURGH CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTOR, FOR MARCH 1818, ON PROPHETIC CHRONOLOGY. By ARCHIBALD MASON, Minister of the Gospel, Wishauitovm. Printed by Young, Gullie, ^ Co. SOLD BV M. OULE ; AND A. & J. M. DUNCAN, GLASGOW; OGLE, ALLABDICE, & THOMSON^ OLIPHANT, WAUGH, & INNE3; A. BLACK ; D. BROWN; AKD T. NELSON, ■KDINBORGH: G. CUTilBERTSON, PAISLEY: W. SCOTT, GREENOCK: J. MEOROS, KILMARKOCK; and OGLES, DUNCAN, & COCHRAN, LONDON. 1818. {Price Sixp&mcB,} AiPiPiisriDas TO AN INQUIRY INTO THE PROPHETIC NUMBERS CONTAINED IN THE 1335 JCjAYSj Occasioned by a Paper IN THE EDINBURGH CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTOR, FOR MARCHi 1818, ON jpropjetic Cjbtonolog^. Near the end of March last, I published five Discourses), containing an Inquiry into the times that shall be fulfilled at Antichrist's fall — The Church's blessedness in her millen- nial rest — The signs that this happy season is at hand — The prophetic numbers contained in the 1335 days — And the Christian's duty at this interesting crisis. A few days be- fore their publication, a very accurate and ingenious Paper appeared in the Edinburgh Christian Instructor, on pro- phetic chronology. In turning our attention to this paper, no hostility is intended to that able, useful, and well-conduct- ed, periodical publication in which this paper has appeared. To all who are employed in that work, 1 ardently wish the greatest success, in propagating by it, wherever it goes, the knowledge of evangelical truth. This paper was preceded by another, containing eleven observations on the prophetic ^yle. These are wisely conceived, accurately arranged, and A illustrated with judgment. It has been followed by another, which contains part of" an Analysis of the Book of Revelation. It is not to the first or the last of those papers, nor even to the second, but in so far as it fixes the numbers in the pro- phecy, to which I mean to state any objections: In doing so, I disclaim every design of opposing any judicious and evangelical writer, as the Author of those papers appears to be; — my only intention is more largely to unfold the views which I have been constrained to entertain concerning the prophetic numbers of Daniel and John. As the time which this writer fixes for the rise and fall of Antichrist, the conversion of the Jews, and the commence- ment of the millennium, are different from the periods men- tioned for those events, in my fourth discourse; it appeared necessary to publish an Appendix to that discourse, stating more particularly our objections to the supposition of Anti- christ's rise in 756, and offering more explicitly our reasons for the opinion that he came into existence in i>33, and that he was confirmed in his seat in 606. The dates of the Jews' conversion, and the millennium's commencement, with some of his sentiments, on collateral objects, may also be con- sidered. The view which this accomplished writer suggests of those dates is the following. He concludes that John re- ceived his revelations in A. D. 90. By adding to this num- ber 666 years, the number of the beast, Rev. xiii. 18. we have 756, when the Pope became a temporal prince. He con- siders this year as the date of Antichrist's rise. The 1260 days during which he is to reign, he, like some other writers, considers to be prophetic years, which, being re- duced to civil years, make 1242. This number being added to 756, makes 1998. In this year, he supposes the last persecution of the church in Europe shall cease, the temporal power of the Pope will fall, and the Ottoman em- pire will be dissolved. The Jews will be converted in 2028. They shall remain under disciphne 40 years, till 2068. Four or five years are then allowed for the battle of Arma- geddon, the binding of Satan, and the establishment of peace in the world. The millennium will then commence in the year 2072. This is the scheme on which we shall make a few remarks. When the writer of this paper proceeds, " to consult the chronology, relative to Antichrist, and the church of Christ," he begins by saying, " We conclude, that the Book of Re- velation was given to John, A. D. 90. Add to this 666, the number of the. beast, and you have 756." On what grounds the Author was led to this conclusion, he does not here in- form us; but we know that some writers have been obliged to use considerable pains to come at this conclusion, and also for the same end. It is, however, at variance with the ancient record of ecclesiastic history, with the accounts of more modern historians of the church, and with the state- ments of commentators. Eusebius, who wrote his History in the fourth century, fixes this date in A. D. 97. Dr. Mosheim fixes the commencement of that persecution, in which John was banished to Patmos, in A. D. 93 or 94. Mr. Brown, late of Haddington, is of opinion that John was banished to Patmos in A. D. 95. Mr. Newton, late of London, in his history of the first century of Christianity, fixes on A. D. 94 for the beginning of that persecution. The statements of commentators are equally hostile to that conclusion. Mr. Durham adopts the date mentioned by Eusebius. The Continuator of Mr. Poole thinks that John received his Revelations in A. D. 94- and 95. Mr. Lowman fixes this date at 95. Dr. Gill states it at 95 or 96. Pr. Guyse says, that the Revelation is most commonly thought to have been written about the year of our Lord, 96 or 97. Dr. Doddridge thinks, that if the ancient re- cords are to be credited, the date of this book may be fixed about the year 96. From these authorities, which might easily be increased, we are warranted in declaring the date which is assumed in this paper to be entirely uncertain, if no J 4 completely incorrect. On that account, the calculations which are connected with it, so far as they derive probability of truth from that connexion, must be fictitious and unsatis- factory. There are not 666 years from the time, in which John received his revelations, to the date of the Pope's temporal power; and, therefore, if this '* is the epoch from which other calculations shall be computed," uncertainty must attach to them all. I do not object to the application of the number 666, as it describes a period of years, at the expiration of which. Antichrist should be revealed. Of this number, there are two s_:iptural descriptions, to which we should attend. It is repiesented as "the number of the beast," Rev. xiii. 18. And it is expressed as " the number of his name, Rev. xiii. 1 7 — XV. 2. The latter of those descriptions of this number, *' the number of his name," warrants the common use to which it has been applied, in proving the church of Rome to be the grand apostacy, and her Popes to be the great Antichrist, by finding the numeral letters in her name amount to 666. The former description of this number, *' the number of the beast," authorizes the application of it, ^.s a statement of a number of years. To direct and en- courage us to count the number of the beast, it is added, *' For it is the number of a man." It is not the number of a Prophet, but it is the number of a man. Its duration must be calculated by the ordinary rules for computing time among men; and not by those methods that are used for fixing the continuance of prophetic numbers. This number must signify 666 years, and as it is applied to the beast, it is the number of the beast's years. It signifies the number of the years in which the Roman power should exist, as the fourth beast in Daniel's vision. When the Roman govern- ment should be 666 years old, in the character of the fourth beast which Daniel saw, the Roman ecclesiastic beast should rise up in the church. The first and the second beasts which were presented to Daniel, in liis prophetic vision, the Babylonian and Medo-Persian powers, were Asiatic gov- ernments. The third and fourth beasts, in his vision, thp Grecian and Roman powers, were originally European dynasties. The first beast, or the Babylonian monarchy, was in its full vigour, and at the height of its power, when Daniel saw the vision. When the Medes and Persians began their attack upon the Empire of Babylon, the second beast of Daniel appeared. When the Grecian armies, under the command of Alexander, the notable horn between the eyes of the he-goat, crossed over into Asia, and began their rapid and successfulconquest of the Persian Empire, Daniel's third beast arose, and began to operate on the scene of pro- phecy. When the Roman power first got possessions in Asia, and commenced their more tlow and difiicult, but equally successful conquest of the nations of the east, then the fourth beast in Daniel's vision made its appearance, and Rome entered on the scene of prophecy. This happened in the year in which Attalus, king of Per- gamous died. By his testament, he bequeathed his ef- fects to the Roman Senate, and they instantly claimed \ih kingdom as their own, sent an army to take possession of it, subdued it under their power, and reduced it into a Roman province. The greater part of Asia the less, was contained in this kingdom, by the government of which the Romans became an Asiatic power, and commenced their destruc- tive operations, as the fourth beast that Daniel saw. Attal- us, king of Pergamus, died, and the Romans claimed that kingdom as its rightful sovereign, in the 133d* year before Christ. If we add to this number, 533 years, our first date for Antichrist's rise, we have exactly 666 years. The Roman power was 666 years old, in the prophetic charac- ter of the fourth beast of Daniel's vision, when the Bishop of Rome, by Justinian's decree, was constituted the head of all the churches, when the little horn sprang up among hi^ f Prideaiix, Con. vol. III. p. 319. a ten horns, and that beast rose up out of the earth, wliich had two horns like a Iamb, and which spake as a dragon. If we attend to the time at which the Roman power was completely established in the east, and all their enemies were first subdued before them, we will find another remarkable epoch in their history. In the 61st year before Christ, Pompey having returned to Rome from his victorious con- quests in the East, obtained a triumph in that city for his great services, and wonderful success. In the 60th year before Christ, the Romans having seen their Empire ex- tended and established in Asia, Pompey, Crassus, and Julius Caesar entered into a confederacy for supporting each other in their pretensions in the Roman state, engrossed the whole power of it into their hands, and divided it among themselves.* This laid the foundation of those destructive civil wars, which soon terminated in the dissolution of the Roman republic, and in the erection of tlie Roman monar- chy. If we add to the 60 years before Christ, 606 years, our second date for Antichrist's rise, when he triumphed over all his rivals, we will again have 666 years, the number of the beast. By either of those calculations, especially the former, or by both taken together, we have a much more satisfactory explanation of the number of the beast, than by that representation which is given in this paper, both from the nature of the things themselves, and the certainty of the dates. Since it is undeniably evident, that 666 years inter- vened, from the time when the Roman state began to act as the fourth beast in Daniel's prophecy, till the time when the Emperor Justinian constituted the Bishop of Rome the head of all the churches; and since there are also 666 years betwixt the time when the Romans triumphed over their enemies in Asia, and the time when the Pope, by the de- cree of Phocas, silenced his rivals, and consolidated his ecclesiastic supremacy, there must be good reason to conclude, * Prideaux, Con. vol. IV, p. £K that, in those transactions, the words of John were fulfilled. " Here is wisdom. Let him that hcith understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred three score and six." Wiien the Author speaks of the time when Antichrist rose, after mentioning some of the dates which expositors have fixed for it, he says; " We are, however inclined to the opinion of those, who date the rise of Antichrist from A. D. 156i when Pepin, king of France, raised Pope Stephen II. to the rank of a temporal prince; for it is in that character that the head of the Roman hierarchy may be considered as the beast." Blame should be imputed to no man, for being inclined to the opinion of those, who date the rise of Anti- christ from 756, though our opinion may be different, and we may believe and hope he is mistaken; but it is not so easy to pass over the reason he assigns for it; " For it is in that character that the head of the Roman hierarchy may be considered as the beast." In opposition to this, I am still of opinion, that the Pope's possession of temporal power is not essential to his scriptural character, as the Man of Sin, the Antichrist, and the false Prophet; and, therefore, there is no valid reason for considering the 756th year of the Christian era, as the date of his rise. In that capacity, in which inspired predictions describe Antichrist's characters and actions, to him, in that same capacity, must the pro- phetic numbers be applied, for fixing the time of his rise and fall. It must be unreasonable to suppose, that the pro- phecies should delineate his characters and deportment, under one denomination of him, and that the numbers, which are contained in the same prophecies, should measure his duration under another denomination of him. In order to ascertain the precise idea, in which the numbers in pro- phecy exhibit the beginning and ending of this Antichristian. beast, we shall now take a view of the descriptions which are given of this object, in those predictions. As the man of sin, he is described by the apostle Paul; ^ Thes. ii. 4. " Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped." On account of their office, emperors, kings, and temporal princes are called gods, and are entitled to honour from men. In the fulfilment of this prediction, the head of the Roman hierarchy has assumed sovereign authority over them, and has claimed, and sometimes exercised a pover to excommunicate and dethrone them, and to absolve their subjects from their al- legiance to them Did he arrogate and exert this power in his civil, or in his ecclesiastic capacity? Certainly not as the temporal potentate of Rome, but as tlie vicar of Christ, and as the su})reme head of the church on earth. The apdstle adds, " so that he as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." These words re- present his blasphemous conduct, relative to the great Je- hovah. In the apostate church, he has set himself as God, and as being above God, by dispensing with Divine laws, by commanding the worship of creatures and images, in opposi- tion to that law, by making the meaning and obligation of the Divine Word depend on his authority, and by placing himself on the throne of God in the church below, in ffivinar laws to it, appointing ordinances in it, exercising unlimited power over it, and receiving blasphemous titles and worship from its members. Whether do these things apply to him in his civil, or in his ecclesiastic capacity? As he is raised to the rank of a temporal prince, he has no connexion with any one of them; but as he is the spiritual and supreme head of the church, every one of them belongs to him. Whether was it his coming as a temporal prince, or as the blasphemous head of the apostate church, that Paul describes in those affecting words, ver. 9, 10. '* Whose coming is after the \\orking of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved?" Whether was it by his; 9 temporal or spiritual authority, that the head of the Roman hierarchy forbade to marry, and commanded to abstain from meats? These questions must be answered in the same way, that those things belong to him, and are performed by him, as the head of the church, in his ecclesiastic capacity. The prophetic numbers must also determine his duration, in the same capacity. The apostle John, in his first epistle, describes this head of the Roman hierarchy, several times, by the name of Antichrist : " Little children, it is the last time ; and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." chap. ii. 18. This emphatic designation represents him as the peculiar enemy and opposer of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. By opposing all the Redeemer's offices, the Pope of Rome carries on a wicked opposition, to the one Mediator between God and man. He states himself as an enemy to Jesus, in his prophetic office, by corrupting the Divine word, by denying the doctrines which it reveals, by propagating those errors which it condemns, and by with- holding from the people, that word, concerning which Jesus says to all who profess his name, " Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me." He is the enemy of Jesus in his priest- ly office, by maintaining the merit of good works, by the blasphemous sacrifice of the mass, and by employing and depending upon the intercession of saints and angels, as well as on the intercession of the great Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. In Christ's kingly office, he also opposes our Redeemer, by suspending liis Jaws, alterin.fi- the form of worship, the office-bearers, and the administrations that he hath appointed, and by claiming and exercising that absolute power over the church, which belongs to him who hath said, " All power in heaven and in earth is given unto me." In all this opposition to Christ, whether do we recoo-- nize the head of the Roman hierarchy in his temporal, or B lu spiritual capacity ? As a temporal prince, lie is incapable of it; but it is congenial and essential to him as vested with his spiritual supremacy. The numbers in prophecy must be applied to him in his ecclesiastic, which is his antichristian, character. In the Revelation of John, there are many things said of this object, by the consideration of which we shall be brought to the same conclusion. The things contained in chap. xvii. only are to be considered. " So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman sit on a scar- let coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns," ver. 3. The Roman Pope is here exhibited as a woman, which cannot symbolize him as a tempoial priiTce, but is a most appropriate symbol of him, as the head of the apostate church. The same thing is evi- dent from the inscription on her forehead. " And upon lier forehead was a name written. Mystery, Babylon the great, the Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth," ver. 5. What mystery is fomid about him as a temporal prince ? Is not this attached to him only in his ecclesiastic character and government? What lesentblance is there be- tween the Pope's temporal power, and the extensive sway of the rulers of ancient Babylon ? None at all. But there is a very striking likeness in the Pope's spiritual supremacy over all popish Christendom, to the universal dominion of the Babylonian monarch.s. Was the Pope the mother of harlots and the abominations of the earth, as a temporal prince ? Was this the effect of his temporal rule over his small state in Italy? This is impossible. It was as the corrupt and blasphemous head of an apostate and adulterous church, that every species of profanity went forth from him throughout all the earth. John saw this " woman drunken with the blood ot the saints, and with the blood of the mar- tyrs of Jchus." ver. 6. It was not by the exercise of his temporal power, which was very limited, but by the influ- ence of his spiritual supremacy over the kings of the earth. 11 that the head of the antichristiaii church stirred up cruel, bloody, and exterminating wars against the saints; and ex- cited perecution unto death, and execrable, faithless, and indiscriminate massacres against the maityrs of Jesus. *' And when I saw her," says John, " I wondered witli great admiration." What objects of wonder and great admiration could John see in the head of the Roman hierarchy, as a temporal prince, who reigned over a small part of Italy ? But if we consider him in his characters and actions as the blasphemous rival of Christ, the enemy to the doctrines and ordinances of the Christian religion, the persecuting foe of the saints, and as the monstrous head of the antichristian apostasy, all of which belong to him in his ecclesiastic ca- pacity, we will see a terrific and extraordinary figure, which was better calculated to produce wonder and great admira- tion in such a mind as John's, than any other earthly object, that was ever presented to the observation of man. In this vision, the subjection of the Rulers and the pr.ple on the Roman earth, to this antichristian beast, constitutes two other particulars, which will establish the same truth. Con- cerning the subjection of the rulers to this beast, John de-' clares, ver. 3, "I saw a woman sit on a scarlet-coloured beast, full of namesof blasphemy, havingseven heads and ten horns." The angel said to John, ver. 7, " I will shew thee the mys- tery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath seven heads and ten horns." It is afterwards said in explanation, ver. 12, 13, " And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings — These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast." The beast that carrieth the woman is the same with that beast that was to continue 42 months. Rev. xiii. 5. It does not signify the Pope's temporal power; but it represents the whole secular power which should exist in that part of the ancient Roman empire, to Avhich the Pope's spiritual jurisdiction extended. The secular Roman beast, having existed 666 years, from the time at which it began its operations as the fourth beast 12 in Daniel's vision, did then identify itself with tlie antichris- tian power, and voluntarily became the beast that carrieth the mother of harlots. As the prophecy informs us that they shall perish together, Rev. xix. 20, so the duration of the secular power in the Roman empire, in its new character and connexion, must be the same with the time in which the woman who sits on it must exist. As a rider has the direction of the beast that carries him, and as its power and strength are exerted for his benefit; so the secular power in the Roman empire, existing either in the secular beast or in the ten horns, has been subjected to the Roman Antichrist, and exercised for his support and aggrandizement. Did these kings subject themselves to the Pope as a temporal prince ? Was it not to him, as the pretended vicegerent of Christ, that they yielded obedience ? Did the Pope rest his claim to subjection to himself from the kings of the earth, on his temporal dominion over them ? Did he not rest it entirely on his spiritual supremacy over them ? It must be perfectly evident that the kings of the earth were subject to the Pope, not as the man who sat on the throne of the Cesar's ; but as the dignified Ecclesiastic who occupied the chair of St. Peter. — The inhabitants of the Roman earth, as well as its rulers, have also yielded subjection to the Pope of Rome. *' Come hither," says the Angel to John, ver. 1, *' Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore, that sitteth upon many waters." This symbol is explained, ver. 15, "And he said unto me, the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." This prediction as- sures us, that multitudes of people, belonging to various nations, and speaking different languages, should submit to the power of the antichristian beast ; and we all know that this prophecy has been fully accomplished. In what char- acter were they obedient to his will ? Was it in his civil character as a temporal prince ? By no means. This kind of subjection to him is peculiar to the few miserable inhabi- 13 tants of the small state, over which his temporal power is exercised. It is to hira in his antichristian character as the head of the church, that the peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues, are subjected. The characters and operations of this beast, as delineated in prophecy, apply to him in his spiritual, or ecclesiastic capacity; but, from his temporal power, it does not appear, that he is at all described, in those visions of God. His temporal power must, therefore, be adventitious, and not essential to him as the beast of Rome. What concern can his possession of a small part of Italy, or his temporal power over it, have with his essential and comprehensive charac- ters, as the man of sin sitting in the temple of God, as the Antichrist who is the principal enemy of Jesus, and as the false prophet who has deceived the nations ? The Pope's enjoyment of his small territory, part of which has been cal- led St. Peter's Patrimony, is not more essential to his esta- blishment as the head of the Roman hierarchy, and of the antichristian church, than the actual possession of the glebe- land, which is bestowed on some gospel ministers, is neces- sary to constitute their pastoral relation to the people of their ministerial charge. In this opinion we are the more confirmed, because, after the Pope's elevation to temporal power, many of his bishops, from motives of policy or super- stition, were constituted temporal princes. We may now ask. How shall we distinguish between the Roman beast, and the secular bishops ? Not by his possessing temporal power, for this belonged to them as well as to him; but it is in his spiritual supremacy, and antichristian headship over the church, by which he is distinguished from them, and from every other man in the world. It is, therefore, in that character that the Pope of Rome may, and ought to be con- sidered as the beast. It has also been insinuated, that the Pope's temporal power is essential to him as the Antichrist, because, in the visions of Daniel he receives the denomination of an horn. 14 If we attend to Daniel's account of this horn, we will find it to be very different from the rest. To this horn are ascribed peculiar properties, which corresponds not to the temporal, but to the ecclesiastic character and conduct of the Pope. Of him the prophet says, "And, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things." Dan. vii. 8. The words of the Prophet are of the same import with those of the Apostle. " And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." Rev. xiii. 1 1. In these two verses, the Pope of Rome is described by three most significant tokens: *' In this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man." These eyes import that this horn should possess wisdom, knowledge, discernment, and counsel in a degree superior to the other horns. When these things be- long to an unprincipled and immoral power, they enable it, by exercising cunning, deceit, dissimulation, and falsehood, more effectually to accomplish its designs. In every age, this has been notoriously fulfilled, in the conduct of the Pope of Rome, and his council, acting in their ecclesiastic capacity; but, in their temporal rule, they have never evi- denced, that they were possessed of the eyes of a man. This beast " had two hoi'ns like a lamb." Claiming a relation to the lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world, he pretended to meekness, humility, innocence and purity ; while he was more cruel, proud, injurious, and polluted, than any of the horns of the beast. This description cannot be applied to him with so much propriety in his temporal rule, as it accords with him in his spiritual characters and administrations. He is represented also, as speaking gi^eat things, and speaking like a dragon. In him as a temporal prince this prediction cannot be verified; but, in his eccle- siastic character, it has received an exact accomplishment. By his blasphemous decrees, edicts, bulls, anathemas, ex- communications, and commands, as St. Peter's successor, and Christ's vicar, he hath spoken great things against God, 15 against Christ, against gospel doctrines and ordinances, against the true church and her members, against his own vassals when they dared to dispute his will, and against the temporal, spiritual, and eternal welfare of men. In him, therefore, as an ecclesiastic head, exercising a spiritual su- premacy over emperors, kings, princes, ecclesiastics, and the laity, all those representations are most minutely fulfilled. From all these considerations, we are forced to conclude, that it is not in his temporal power, but in his spiritual ju- risdiction and operations, that the Roman beast is the object of prophecy — that his temporal power is not essential to his scriptural characters, as the man of sin, the Antichrist, or the false prophet — that it is not in the character of a tem- poral prince that he may be considered as the beast — that his rise should be dated from the time in which he, being constituted the head of all the churches, as God, took his seat in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God — and that the year 756 cannot be the date of Antichrist's rise. In his antichristian character, which is his true one, the world had seen him more than 200 years, before that period. From the days of Justinian, they had se^n him, in 533, constituted, by an imperial decree, the head of all the churches. During the reign of Phocas they had seen, in 606, his antichristian headship over the church recoo-nised and solemnly established by another imperial decree. They had seen him, during all this period, grasping at this power and actually exercising it, by sending out swarms of monks, like locusts out of the bottomless pit, to convert, as he cal- led it, the nations to Christianity; by investing the Leader of those who were sent to Britain, with power over all the British bishops, and Saxon prelates, constituting him the first archbishop of Canterbury; by conferring similar digni- ties on others whom he sent to other countries; by encour- aging and employing the different orders of monks, as his most faithful auxiliaries, in extending Iiis power over the rulers of the church; by maintairang and propagating the 16 doctrines concerning the worship of saints and images, the purifying fire of purgatory, the necessity of observing human rites and institutions in order to obtain salvation, and the efficacy of rehcts for curing the diseases of soul and body; by adding continually new ceremonies to the ordinances of worship, changing the Lord's supper into the sacrifice of the mass, appointing litanies, or prayers, to be said to the saints, and erecting temples, and instituting public religious festi- vals to their honour; by pleading for the authority of the church, claiming it to himself, and pretending to work mi- racles; by resisting the edicts of emperors, and condemning the decrees of councils; by excommunicating emperors, and liberating their subjects from obedience to them; and by en- couraging appeals to his tribunal, deciding in them by his own authority, and punishing, as far as he could, those who refused to submit to his sentence. Since all those things, and many more, were done by the Bishop of Rome, long before he became a temporal prince, we are warranted to conclude that the foundation of his beastly power and blas- phemous supremacy was laid by the decree of Justinian, and that the ghostly fabric was finished by that of Phocas. The observations that are contained in this paper con^ cerning " the chronology of numbers and the chronology of events," are very judicious. But, alas ! while men are as ready to err in applying " the eventful chronology," as they are in calculating " the numerical chronology," no infalli- bility can attach to our speculations in any " path." It is necessary, therefore, to consider the reasons he assigns, for fixing the other numbers. Concerning the Jews conversion, he says, " We con- clude that the Jews shall be converted, A. D. 2028." His proof of this is the following: " Our Lord said; 'Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.' And Paul said; * Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.' Luke xxi. St. Rom. xi. 25, 30 — 38. The Jews, 17 Trom the call of Abraham until their unbelief during our Loi'd's ministry, enjoyed the benefits of revealed religion, to the exclusion of the Gentiles, for 2000 years. As the common era is four years later than his nativity, their un- belief may be dated from the 28th 3'e3r of his age, according to the common era; adding these to the 2000, it makes 2028, when the equity of the Divine government between them and the Gentiles shall be balanced, and when they shall be con- verted," In a note, he also says; " Until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled, that is, until the Gentiles shall possess Jerusalem as long as did the Jews; or, until Christianity should be enjoyed by the Gentiles, as long as the benefits of Divine revelation were enjoyed by the Jews, prior to the in- carnation, which was about 2000 years; and in this last sense the contrast is stated by Paul (Rom. xi. 25 — 30) and to his conclusion we ought to accede." In the first sense, the contrast will not hold; because from the days of Joshua the son of Nun, till the days of Titus the son of Vespasian, the Jews possessed Jerusalem, including the time of their captivity in Babylon, only about 1520 years; and by his own showing, *' the Romans, Saracens, and Turks^ have, in succession, possessed it for nearly 1800 years." The whole of this statement may be invalidated on two grounds; the arbitrary and uncertain manner, in which the dates are fixed — and the entire silence both of our Lord and Paul, concerning the duration of the times of the Gentiles, or of the length of the time, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. The date assigned for the commencement of this period, at the call of Abraham is very unsatisfactory. May it not, with more propriety, be supposed, that the time when the Jews began to enjoy the benefits of Divine revelation, to the exclusion of the Gentiles, should be fixed from the date of their complete organization as a church, at the giving of the law, and at the erection of the tabernacle among them, in the C 18 second year alter they came out of the hind of Eoypt ; or, from the era of their pcacefid settlement in the promised land, a few years after they had passed over Jordan. We cannot consider them, as a people, in the possession of the benefits of Divine revelation, or placed under their peculiar economj^, till the former or the latter of those periods. Besides, we nmst not conclude, that the Jews, from the call of Abraham, enjoyed the benefits of revealed religion, to the exclusion of the Gentiles. The saving knowledge of God and his worship, by traditional revelation, in the light of which the saints, during the patriarchal ages, were guided in the ways of faith and holiness, was not at that time re- moved from the Gentile nations. Of this truth, the know- ledge and piety of Melchizedek, Jethro, Job, his three friends, and Elihu, are most satisfactory demonstrations. As the date which is mentioned for the commencement of this period is uncertain; so also is the time which 's assigned for its termination. The date of the Jews' unbelief, or their rejection of Christ and his gospel, is arbitrarily assumed and improperly fixed It does not appear that the compassionate Redeemer considered the Jews as fixed in their unbelief at his death; when he, after his resui'rection, said to his apos- tles, " Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke xxiv. 4'6j 47. Immediately before his ascension, he again declared to them, " But ye shall receive pcwer, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you ; and ye shall be m itness- e;s unto me, bot^- in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts i. 8. Though the fixing of this date is of no avail, in calcu- lating the time of the Jews' conversion ; yet it may be affirm- ed, that the time of the burning of their city and temple, of the miserable destruction of many of themselves, and of their banishment from their own land, is the more eligible 19 date of the two. We have, therefore, abundant cause to conclude, that those calculations and conclusions, to the support of which, such uncertain dates as these are essential, must be a visionary fabric. But the uncertainty of the dates of this season is not our only, nor indeed our principal objection to this scheme of calculation. We are obliged also to deny that either our Lord or his apostle says one word, in the texts quoted, con- cerning the duration, either of the Jews enjoying the bene- fits of revealed religion, to the exclusion of the Gentiles, or of the Gentiles enjoying the gospel, to the exclusion of the Jews. In Luke xxi. 24, our Saviour predicts the uncom- mon slaughter of the Jews by the edge of the sword, and the total dispersion of the remainder of them into all nations; adding, " And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." In these words, our Lord utters a plain and singular predic- tion, which has been accomplished for about 1750 years. That idolatrous and unbelieving Gentiles should occupy Jerusalem, and possess the land of Canaan, until the times, in which the Christian and enlightened Gentiles should en- joy the gospel exclusively, shall be fulfilled. Not one hint is given concerning the duration of those times. To assert, therefore, that they shall be of the same duration with the time, in which the Jews enjoyed their peculiar privileges, is without any authority from the words of Christ. Nor does Paul, in Rom. xi. 25 — 30, say any thing concerning tht? duration of this time. He compares the hoi}' and sovereign procedure of God with the Jews and Gentiles, in the nature of his dispensations to them both ; but says nothing concern- ing the continuance either of the one or the other. Let the reader examine this important prediction, and judge for himself; if this is the conclusion of the apostle, in those ver- ses, *' that Christianity shall be enjoyed by the (i entiles exr clusively, as long as the benefits of Divine revelation were enjoyed by the Jews, prior to the incarnation, which was m about 2000 years." For my part, I cannot find in it any such thing. Instead, therefore, of feeling any obligation to accede to it, as an apostolic conclusion, there is sulficient cause to reject it, as an invention of men. Since this ground- less conjecture is necessary to uphold this scheme of calcu- lation, the whole system, which is built on it, must fall to the ground. Will the blessed Millennium commence when the Jews shall be converted? No. " The Jews," says he, "shall be converted, A. D. 2028. They shall be under discipline 40 years, Mic. vii. 14, 15, which make 2068." Micah's words, which are here referred to, are the following: *' Feed thy people with tiiy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in tlie wood in the midst of Carmel; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew imto him marvellous things." For two reasons, I am oblig- ed to say, that these verses contain no proof of this opinion. The immediate context seems to prove tliat they do not refer to the millennial deliverance; and though they should pre- dict the iinal restoration of Israel, they neither countenance nor support the supposition of a forty years' discipline. In the two following vei'ses, the Prophet says; *' The na- tions shall see, and be confounded at all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth ; they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee." At Israel's deliverance, which is here predicted, the nations are represented as filled with malignant astonishment and confusion, as desiring neither to speak nor to hear of it, as seized with great grief and perplexity, and as overwhelm- ed with terror at the Divine operations, and at his people's salvation. That the Jews may have some enemies, who may have such emotions excited in them, at Israel's glorious de- liverance, there is no reason to doubt; but that the nations .shall be so affected may justly be questioned. By this time, the nations will be enhghtened with the holy scriptures; will understand the nature of those dispensations of providence and grace; will see in them a display of the Divine glory, the fulfilment of scripture predictions, and the approach of blessedness to the churcli ; and will be disposed to hail the happy day, by singing songs of praise to the Lord for this wonderful deliverance. We all know, however, that this is a true description of the dispositions and conduct of the na- tions when the Jews returned from their Babylonian captivi- ty, to which event this prediction may be more properly applied. As I am not inclined to restrict the application of Old-testa- jnent predictions; let it be granted that the Jews' final return to their own land, is the event which is here foretold. Upon this admission, this prophecy will not prove that the Jews, after their conversion, will be under discipline forty years. By the " days of their coming out of the land of Egypt," we certainly should understand the period immediately before and after their triumphant march from the house of bondage. These days include the season of the plagues; of their keeping the first Passover; of the preservation of their first-born; of their solemn departure from Egypt loaded with the spoils of their oppressors; of their miraculous passage with their little ones and cattle through the Red Sea, while the Egyptians, who wickedly pursued them, sank like lead in the mighty waters ; of their religious observation of this deliverance by songs of praise to the Lord; and of the blessings which the Lord bestowed on them in the >Vilderness, till the day when the people rebelled against him, and believed the false report of the unfaithful spies concerning the land of Canaan. It was in those operations of Divine grace and power, that the Lord had shewn to his people marvellous things, in the days of their coming out of the land of Egypt. In all their generations they were taught to sing; " Marvellous things did he in the sight of their Fathers, in the land of Egypt, S2 in the field of Zoaii. He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through ; and he made the waters to stand as an heap," &c. Psal. Ixxviii. 12— 16.— On the fifteenth day of the first month of their sacred year, the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt. As soon as they began their march, " The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them in the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light." — On the fifteenth day of the second month, they came to the wilderness of Sin, where the Lord gave them manna, bread from heaven to eat. At Rephidim, immediately after, he brought forth water to them out of the rock. — On the third month after they had come out of the land of Egypt, they came into the wilderness of Sinai, and Israel encamped before that mount. At this place, the God of Jacob, in the most solemn man- ner, delivered to his people his most holy law, and gave them many other statutes and judgments. — In the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle, according to God's command to Moses, was reared in the wilderness. The house of Aaron was then concecrated to the priesthood, and the tribe of Levi to the service of the tabernacle. At this time, the days of their coming out of the land of Egypt were terminated. These are the marvelleus things which the Lord shewed his people, in those days — The forty years, during which that rebelli- ous generation were doomed to bear their iniquities in the wilderness, and to perish there, commenced immediately after this, and continued till they arrived at Canaan. Micah's prediction assures the Jews, that when the Lord shall deliver them from their unbelief and dispersion, he will accomplish for them all those marvellous works, whicii their difficult and dangerous situation may re- quire, as he did to their Fathers coming out of the land of Egypt, by feeding them as the flock of his heri- tage with his Pastoral staff, while they may be in distress as in the midst of Carmel, till he bring them to their own A '25 land, and cause them feed in Baslian and Gilead, as in the days of old. There is a great difference between these two expressions, " The days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt;" and, " ye shall bear your iniquities forty years." The former were fulfilled before the latter com- menced. The days of their coming out of Egypt, and the forty years bearing their iniquities, are two different periods of time, not coeval with one another; but the latter immedi- ately succeeds the former. Their bearing their inquities forty years, must not be mistaken and substituted for the days of their coming out of tlie land of Egypt- This is us- ing a liberty in explanation, that no text can bear. This opinion also supposes, that the Jews, after their conversion, shall, like their Fathers in the wilderness, commit against God, some heinous and aggravated transgressions, which will provoke him to prevent their entering into their own land for the space of forty years, after they have found the Mes- siah. With all deference to those great men, who have adopted this sentiment, and built it on this prediction, I am obliged to declare, that it gives no authority for believing any such thing. There is the more reason for this aver- ment, because no other prediction, that I can recollect, bears a clearer reference, or indeed any reference at all, to this opinion. On these accounts, it must be considered as an unwarranted conjecture, and that system of calculation, of which it is a necessary part, may be considered as fala- cious. Will the Millennium begin at the expiration of these forty years' discipline? No. " Allowing," says he, " four or five years for the battle of Armageddon, binding of Sa- tan, and establishing peace in the woi Id, we have 2072, Rev. XX. 1 — 8" A short enough allowance of time, surely, for accompUshing transactions, which are so solemn in their nature, and important in their consequences. Besides those opinions which have been considered, there are several other sentiments which are objectionable; but f>s 24 they do not properly belong to my design, I shall not inves- tigate them particularly. They are the following : That the temporal power of the Pope is the tenth part of the city; —That the seventh trumpet will not sound, and none of the vials will be poured out, till the Pope's temporal power shall be destroyed, and the Ottoman empire be dissolved; — That the death of the witnesses shall take place immediately before 1998; — That the battle of Armageddom shall be fought near Jerusalem; — And that John's 1260 years do not include the period of the vials. On the first of those opinions, it may be said, that the tenth part of a city is a strange symbol for the Pope's tem- poral power, and that the falling of the tenth part of a city is a very unsuitable representation of the destruction of that power. Of this great city we read, that it is spiritually cal- led Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified, that it was divided into three parts, and came up in remem- brance before God, when the seventh vial was poured out. It is not easy to conceive, how the Pope's temporal power can be the tenth part of a city, which is thus described. The falling of the tenth part of the city has been understood to symbolize the defection of a conspicuous part of his ad- herents, from their subjection to him. This is easy to be understood; but the other is not so As this opinion obliges the Author to place the removal of this power, under the sixth trumpet, it may be considered as one of his funda- mental errors. But at the battle of Armageddon, which, according to him, is seventyfour years after the destruction his temporal power, the head of the Roman hierarchy will be all that ever he was, in any period of his existence, Rsv. xix. 19, 20. The second and third of those opinions are the necessary consequences of the first. Having adopted the one, the other two, strange and singular as they are, must also be maintained. The fourth opinion is founded in Dan xi. 45. This pre- diction seems to have had its accomplishment in the cruel fM' vintl implbus conduct of Antiochus Epiphanes, and in \m miserable end. Though he was a type of the great Anti- christ, it cannot be perfectly satisfactory to apply to the anti-type, every circumstance in the prediction, which was ac- complished in the type. It is a pity that judicious writers should have, with so much confidence, built such a mighty fabric as this, and the things connected with it, on so slender a foundation as the detached part of an Old Testament pre- diction, which in the events of former times, has had a most unequivocal accomplishment. The destz'uction of the Anti- christian beast, in any place, must sufficiently verify the prophecy, without bringing him to- the very spot, where the object which prefigured him, came to his miserable end. The last of those opinions deserves a more particular con- sideration. If John's number of 1260 years comes no far- ther than 1998, according to his view of the times, there is a period of 74 years left out of his prophetic chronology; while he gives most minutely, in chap. xv. xvi. and in some other parts of his book, a prophetic account of the events of that period. How can this be accounted for? That John should exclude from his numerical chronology that season, of which, above all others, he distinctly foretels the trans- actions, is really not to be believed. It will appear to be still more difficult to embrace this opinion, if we consider, that at the expiration of the 74 years, the period to which his number is supposed not to extend, he begins a new chron- ology of the events, in two particulars, the one numerical, the other descriptive. The account which is numerical, is the 1000 years for the duration of the church's prevalence, purity, and peace; and that which is descriptive is the *' little season," during which Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, when the 1000 years are expired. Can we sup- I)ose, that John would give prophetic numbers, which begin at the rise of Antichrist and terminate at the day of judgment, and exclude 74 years about the middle of that period, out of his chronology ? It must be very irrational to suppose, D ad that John's numbers are not successive. As'Daniel's 1260 days, his 30 days and his 45 days exactly succeed one an- other; so John's 1260 days, his 1000 years and his "little season" are equally successive, and closely follow each other. As John's little season will begin when his 1000 years are expired; so his 1000 years must commence when his 1260 days run out. It is not, therefore, reasonable to suppose, that the prophetic chronology of John for that period, the events of which he largely predicts, must be supplied from that of Daniel. There is no defect in either of these schemes of prophetic numbers to be supplied from the other; but each of them is a distinct and perfect scheme by itself. We will introduce confusion into our views of the word and works of the God of order, if we blend them together, and do not keep them entirely distinct. Those calculations which are formed, by using, at one time, the numbers of John, and, at another time, the numbers of Daniel, building one pro- phetic number upon another, till we erect a fabric of many- stories, and stretch out the time to its greatest conceivable extent, may justly be suspected of error. By this scheme, the Pope of Rome was in possession of his blasphemous supremacy over the church 223 years, before he became a temporal prince, and will continue in the enjoyment and exercise of that antichristian headship for 74 years after his temporal power has been destroyed ; and yet it is as he is possessed of temporal power that he may be considered as the beast, whose existence, in that character, is 1260 pro- phetic, or 1242 civil years. From this scheme it must also follow, that the time of his existence in his ecclesiastic su- premacy, that denomination of him under which prophecy describes his characters and conduct, will be 1539 years. Such are the conclusions, to which our mingling the numbers of Daniel with those of John, necessarily conduct us. In opposition to the scheme which has been examined, I shall bring into view what I have now said, concerning the prophetic numbers, in connexion with what I have 27 formerly said, in that discourse, to which this is a supple- ment. From the year 133 before Christ, when the Roman state became an Asiatic power, to the time when the Em- peror Justinian, by an imperial decree, constituted the Bishop of Rome the head over all the churches, in A. D. 533, there are 666 years, the age of the Roman secular beast, from the time when he began to devour in Asia, to break in pieces, and to stamp the residue with his feet, till the time when he identified himself with Antichrist, and became the beast that carried the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth. From 533 to 1792 inclusive, we have Daniel's number of 1260 years, when the judgment began to sit, and the seven vials to be poured out. From 1792 to 1822 we have Daniel's 30 years, at the expiration of which the Jews* conversion is expected to commence, or a new scene of judg- ments may begin, or perhaps both of them together, Dan. xii. 1. From 1822 we have Daniel's 45 years, the last of which, as belonging to the millennium, being subtracted from that number, gives us the 1866th year, as the time when the judgment shall be finished, and the vials completely poured out. From the 60th year before Christ, when the Romans had conquered Asia, had made the eastern nations Roman pro- vinces or tributary states, and had triumphed over their ene- mies, there are 666 years till 606, when the Emperor Pho- cas, by another imperial decree, ratified to the Bishop of Rome his Antichristian supremacy, caused him triumph over his rivals, and enabled him to overcome his competitors for the chair of St. Peter. When John's 1260 years are added to 606, we are brought to the very same year, 1866 : after which the blessed millennium will commence, in the year 1867, which will be the 1335th year of Daniel's numbers, and the first year of John's number of one thousand years. Dan. xii. 12. Rev. xx. 6. These two remarkable epochs of the Roman secular beast, 133, and 60, before Christ, by the addition of 666, then urn r S8 ber of the beast, to each of them, answering so exactly to 5SS and 606, the dates of the imperial decrees concernino" the Antichristian power, may fill us with wonder, and engage our serious attention. The addition of Daniel's 1334? years to the former of those numbers, and of John's 1260 years to the latter of them, terminating as they do, in the same year, 1866, may also fill us with astonishment, and command our careful consideration. Thus I have given some of the rea- sons for disagreeing with the statement of dates contained in this paper; and some of the grounds, by which our belief in the calculations I have opposed to it, is encouraged and strengthened. If any are disposed to object to those calculations, because there is a twofold date mentioned in them for the rise of An- tichrist; it maybe observed, for their satisfaction, that this is not contrary to the analogy of similar predictions. The captivity to Babylon had a commencement and a perfection ; the same may be the case with the rise of the Antichristian beast, and the subjection of the Church to his power and op- pression. The principal reason, however, that can be as- signed for this twofold date is, the double scheme of num- bers representing this period, with which the Spirit, who indicted prophecy, has furnished us; and the double system of providential operations, by which both of them appear to be fulfilled. We are led to this view of the dates, not by choice, but from necessity. Since Daniel, the prophetic statesman, the man greatly beloved, has given us a series of numbers, from the first appearance of Antichrist, till the first year of the millennium, which answers exactly to one chain of the providences; since John, the prophetic divine, the disciple whom Jesus loved, has given us a prophetic num- ber, which agrees to the other operations of providence, and both terminate at the same year; and since John has given us another number, descriptive of the secular beast's age at Antichrist's rise, and Providence has furnished us with two conspicuous eras of the secular beast, when he m entered on the scene of prophecy, and when his power was estabhshed in the east, between each of which, and the times when Antichrist was placed in his seat, and was afterwards confirmed in it, there are precisely 666 years ; we are en- couraged to make this apphcation of the numbers to the events, and to look and hope for their consummation, in 1867. The judicious writer of this paper candidly says; " But be it remembered, that in all the calculations, it is not in- tended to assert any thing dogmatically." It becomes us all, in treating subjects of this kind, to say the same thing. Those Old and New Testament predictions, relative to Anti- christ, consisting of so many parts, referring to such num- erous and important transactions, and extending to so long a time; predictions to which so much attention has beei> given, on which so many have written, and concerning which so many different opinions have been entertained, mu^t pre- sent themselves to the mind of an inquirer into their meaning, as a subject of difficult investigation. A strong desire of the happy time which their accomplishment will introduce, may insensibly dispose us to antedate the period of their fulfilment. A sense of the number of the events, which it may be suppos- ed are yet to t^ke place before this desirable day can dawn, may have a secret and powerful influence in determining us to postpone the date of this glorious season. The present dispensations of providence, being mixed with indications of its speedy approach, and with visible obstructions to its coming, may either excite in us too sanguine expectations, or fill our minds with too much despondency. The same person may be at one time under the influence of the former, and at another time he may be affected with the latter. On this momentous concern. Christians should think soberly, should live by the faith of the Son of God, should wait on him for the accomplishment of his word, should pray ^'arnestly for the prosperity of the church, should commit to God the accomplishment of his own word, and should live under the daily impressions of death, judgment, and eternity. There is reason to believe, that the Church will not be kept long in suspense, concerning those important matters. If nothing of a singular nature take place, either among the Jews, or among the European nations, in, or about the year 1822; and if all things continue in their present situation, after that time, Christians may conclude that there is some mistake in the above calculations. But if a visible shaking among the dry bones of the scattered nation of the seed of Israel shall take place about that time; or, if the tranquillity of Europe shall then be disturbed, and nation shall again rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, this may be considered as a presage of the last sorrows, and the church may lift up her head and rejoice, for the day of her redemption will appear to be drawing nigh. The church will never be able to attain, with per- fect certainty, the knowledge of the termination of those times, till the predictions themselves are fulfilled. We ought to enquire into these things, we should also form an opinion concerning them, we are warranted, with humility, even to make this known to others ; but we should carefully avoid presumptuous and dogmatical assertions. This partial un- certainty, under which the Lord is pleased to place his church, has not, in itself, any tendency to darken our know- ledge of the church's happiness, to weaken our faith in it, or to discourage our hope of its coming. From the revela- tion of those things to us in the Divine word, we are fur- nished with as ample means for knowing its nature, for believing its truth, and for hoping for it at the Lord's time, as if we knew the day and the hour, when all those things shall be fulfilled. Neither can this uncertainty have any tend- ency, in itself to damp our spiritual concern, about the coming of this season ; or to paralyze our active endeavours for promoting the interests of our Redeemer's kingdom. It has, however, a blessed tendency to increase our humility 31 and dependence on God ; to enlarge our hearts in waiting on him, and watching for his coming; to excite us to search the Scriptures, to meditate, to pray, and to talk to one another concerning his doings ; and to obey the command, to improve the information, and to believe the promises, which are contained in the Apostle's words, with respect both to our own salvation, and the church's enlargement : *' Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience; that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith." From the things that are coming to pass in our times, it is the Divine call to the followers of Jesus; " Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." The saints, who exercise aright their spiritual wisdom, will be making constant preparation for ordinances and providences, for death and a future state. The church may look for a season of public calamities, and a day of glorious deliverance. Since the cessation of bloody wars, the nations, especially our own, have suffered, in different ways, unparalleled distress. There is I'eason to fear, that at one time or another, the storm will increase. For this we should make preparation. The exercise of faith in Jesus as our Saviour, and in God as our Father and Portion in him, should be our study; saying, " Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast." Freedom from immoderate attachment to worldly enjoyments should also be our concern; hearkening to the Divine call, " Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not; for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord." A scriptural view of God's design in all the judgments of his hand constitutes a part of this preparation; *' The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name." Ckaving to the truths of the gospel in our profession, and to the pre- 32 cepts of the holy law in our practice, make an important pan of this preparation which is required of us. We should also seek preparation for the church's deliverance. When the mind is deeply affected with a conviction of the glory that shall be given to God, the honour that shall redound to Christ, and the felicity that shall be brought to men, by the church's enlargement; when the heart is filled with desire that Satan's kingdom, in all its forms, may fall like light- ning from heaven; antl when these impressions constrain to prayer, expectation, and zealous concern that the Sun of righteousness may arise upon the nations with healing under his wings, the Christian has some comfortable preparation for that happy day, " When the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound." THE END. ^ouDg, Gallie, & Co. Printers, Glasgow,