С НА Р. III.

The Tumult not ending, GOD fends the Meffiah his Son who alone overcomes his Enemies; drives them out of Heaven, and returns with Triumph to his Father.

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OW all Heaven had gone to Wreck, overfpread with Ruin, had not the Almighty FATHER in his moft holy Sanctuary, where he fits and beholds all Things and their Confequences, foreseen this Tumult, and permitted it all, not without Design; that fo he might fulfil his great Purpose to honour his Anointed SoN, by making him avenged upon his Enemies, and by declaring all Power to be transferred to him: Whence to his Son, who fat by him upon his Throne, he fpake thus:

BELOVED SON! the Brightnefs of my Glory! in whofe Face is feen what is otherwife invifible, what I am by Deity, and by whofe Hands I do what I decree, who art fecond Omnipotence! there are past two Days (that is two Days as we make Computation in Heaven) fince MICHAEL and his Powers went forth to refift those difobedient Angels; their Fight hath been very fore, as it was likely it fhould be, when two fuch Foes meet in Arms: For I left them to themselves, and thou knoweft they were formed equal in their Creation, excepting what Sin hath impaired, which as yet hath wrought infenfibly, because I have fufpended their Condemnation for a Time; for which Reason they must fight for ever, and no Determination be which shall overcome; War hath performed what War can do, is wearied out, and hath let loose the Reins to raging Disorder, armed with Mountains as with Weapons, which makes strange Work in Heaven, and might prove of dangerous Confequence.

quence. As two Days therefore are paft, the third is thine; I have ordained it for thee, and have fuffered thus far, that the Glory may be thine of putting an End to this great War, which none but thyfelf can. Into thee I have transferred fuch immenfe Virtue and Grace, that in Heaven and Hell all may know thy Power to be above Comparison; and this perverfe Commotion thus governed, to make manifeft that thou art worthiest to be the Heir of all Things, and to be King by holy Anointment, which is thy deferved Right. Go then, Thou moft powerful, in the Might of thy Father! afcend my Chariot, and guide those Wheels that shake the Foundation of Heaven; bring forth all my Inftruments of War, my Thunder and my Bow; gird on my all-powerful Arms, and take to Thee my Sword; purfue thefe Sons of Darkness, and drive them out from Heaven into the utter Deep; there let them learn at Leifure to defpife GOD, and his anointed King the MESSIAH.

He spoke thus, and fhone fully with direct Rays upon his Son, who in an unfpeakable Manner received all his FATHER into his Face, where his Power and Glory was expreffed at full; and thus the SoN made Answer:

OH FATHER! Supreme of all heavenly Powers ! the firft, the higheft, holieft, and beft! Thou always art feeking to glorify thy Son, and I always, as is moft juft, to glorify Thee: This I account my Glory, my Exaltation, and all my Delight, that Thou well pleased in me declareft thy Will to be fulfilled, which to fulfill is all my Happiness. The Sceptre and Power which Thou haft given I affume, and fhall more gladly refign, when at last Thou shalt be all in all, and I in Thee shall be for ever, and in me all those whom Thou lovest; but whom Thou hateft I hate, and as I put thy Mildness on, so I can put on thy Terrors, being in all Things thy Image: and being armed with thy Might, Dd

fhall

fhall foon rid Heaven of thefe rebellious Spirits, and drive them down to the ill Manfion prepared for them, to Chains of Darkness, and the Worm that never dies; who could revolt from their juft Obedience to Thee, whom to obey is entire Happiness. Then fhall thy Saints, being far feparated from and unmixed with the Impure, furrounding thy holy Mountain, fing to Thee (and I the Chief among them) unfeigned Hallelujahs, and Hymns of the highest Praise.

HAVING faid thus, bowing over his Sceptre, he rose from the Right-Hand of God, where he fat; and the third holy Morning began to fhine through Heaven. The Chariot of GOD the FATHER rufhed forth with a Sound like a Whirlwind, flashing thick Flames, having Wheels within Wheels, which needed not to be drawn, having in themfelves the Power of Motion, but yet were led on by four Forms, like Cherubim, each of them having four wonderful Faces, and all their Bodies and their Wings were set with Eyes like Stars; the Wheels had Eyes of BERIL (d), and Fires went up and done between: Over their Heads there was Chryftal Firmament, where upon a Throne made of Saphire, inlaid with pure Amber, and adorned with great Variety of Colours) the MESSIAH afcended, completely armed in heavenly Armour of radiant URIM (e)

(d) Berilor Beryl; Chald. Burla Arab. Albelor; which the Greeks and Latins turned into Beryllos. But Exod. xxviii. 20. and Ezek. i. 16. x. 9. it is called Tarhifh which is also the Name of the Ocean. P. xlviii. 8. becaufe this Stone is of a Sea Colour. The Septuagint tranflates it, Chryfolite, Gr. i. e. the gold-coloured Stone. It is a precious Stone of a feint green Colour like the →ater of the Sea. Afer was engraven upon it; predicting that

being

his Habitations fhould be upon the Sea Coaft, as it happened Fob. xix. 29. This Defcription of the Chariot of the Deity is taken from the Prophet Ezekiel and the Revelations.

(e) Urim; Heb. Plural, i. e. Lights. This Word with Thummim, i. e. Perfections, was put in the High-Prieft's Breaft Plate; to enquire and to receive Answers from God; which continued in that Church 'till the Babylanish Captivity, Ezra ii. 63. Neh.

being all of divine Workmanship; at his Side was hung his Bow and Quiver, ftored with three-bolted Thunder; and round about him rolled fiercely Smoke, kindling Flame, and flying Sparks of Fire. He came onward, attended with ten thousand thousand Saints; fhining at great Distance, and twenty thoufand Chariots of God (for I heard their Number) were feen half on each Hand. He rode fublime on the bright Sky, upon the Wings of Cherubim, upon a Throne of Saphire, confpicuous far and wide: But being firft seen by his own Angels, they were furprized with unexpected Joy, when they faw the great Enfign of the MESSIAH blaze, born up aloft by Angels, which is his Sign in Heaven; under whose Conduct MICHAEL foon reduced his Army, which were spread round about on either Wing, and made them all one Body under him their Head: Power divine prepared the Way before him, and the Hills that had been torn up by the Roots, at his Command went back to the Places from whence they had been taken, for they heard his Voice and obeyed it; the Face of Heaven was restored to what it was before, and the Hills and Vallies were again covered with fresh Flowers.

His unhappy Enemies faw all this, but stood obdurate, and rallied their Powers to rebellious Fight, Defpair pushing them forward, thinking (infenfible as they were) that they could not be worfe: Is it poffible fuch Perversenefs could dwell in heavenly Spirits? But to convince the Proud; how little Signs or Wonders avail to move the stubborn Heart to Repentance, they became hardened the more, by that which ought to have most reclaimed them; for grieving to fee his Glory, they were feized with Envy at the Sight, and afpiring to his Height stood ready to reingage in fierce Battle, trufting either by Force or Fraud to profper,

vi. 63. And the Tirfhatha faid unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy Things, till

there flood up a Prieft with Urim and with Thummim.

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and

and to prevail against GoD and MESSIAH, or else at laft to fall in univerfal Ruin: And now difdaining Flight or Retreat, they drew up to final Battle, when the great SON of GOD to his Army on both Sides spoke thus:

STAND ftill in bright Array, ye Saints and here. ftand ye armed Angels! reft this Day from Battle! your Warfare hath been faithful, fought without Fear in the righteous Caufe of God, and is accepted by him, as ye have received great Power, fo have ye acted invincibly: But the Punishment of this curfed Crew belongs to other Hands, for Vengeance is God's, or those only whom he appoints. Number nor Multitude is not ordained to do this Day's Work: Stand onlyftill, and behold the Indignation of GOD, poured by me on thefe impious Rebels; for it is me they have defpifed, me whom they envied, not you: All their Rage is against me; because the FATHER, to whom in Heaven appertains the fupream Kingdom, Power, and Glory, according to his Good-will hath honoured me: Therefore he hath affigned to me to give them their Doom; that they may have their With, to try with me which proves the strongest in Battle, they all united, or I alone against them; fince they measure every Thing by Strength, and strive not after, or care who outgoes them in Goodnefs and other divine Perfections.

THUS spoke the Son of GOD, and changed his Countenance into Terror, too fevere to be beheld, and full of Wrath rushed upon his Enemies. At once the four Cherubim fpread out their Wings, that were full of Eyes, which touching one another made a dreadful Shadow, and the Wheels of his fierce Chariot rolled, as with the Sound of many Waters, or the marching of a numerous Army: He drove directly onward upon his impious Foes, as gloomy as Night; the firm Heaven fhook throughout under his burning Wheels, all except the Throne of GoD: He foon arrived among them, holding in his Right-Hand ten Thoufand Thun ders, which he fent before him, and fuch they were

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