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yea, as if it shall have its own proper and peculiar season and opportunity to appear; and that with some signal testimony. Lastly, we have, Rev. xxi, 24: And the nations of them that are saved shall walk ' in the light of New Jerusalem:" which relative word 'saved,' must needs have respect to a Saviour and salvation. So that at the least it seems to signify thus much: viz. that Christ, when he burns the world, reserves these out of the fire, to be an appendix of the new creation, (as Lactantius, Sixtus Senensis and Dr. Twisse understand,) whatever Christ doth more for them afterwards.

I propound these as things, that are not absolutely put out of all doubt by the Scriptures; whereby the candid Reader may either make a stand and consider, or launch out further, as he sees cause. At the same time, he may be stayed from invectives against my labors herein, by considering that what we have discoursed in this present section, is not of what God does ordinarily, but what he does extraordinarily viz. but once, and by extraordinary means, to an extraordinary end and degree. So that ordinary rules and notions of men cannot be meet judges of these things, but must submit to the sentence of the sacred Scriptures.

There is yet one knot concerning Gog and Magog remaining: viz. whether the time of their insurrection and destruction falls at the end of the thousand years, or at the beginning, as Ezekiel (chap. xxxviii and xxxix) seems to fix it: who first prophesies the insurrection and destruction of Gog and Magog; and afterwards (in chap. xl, &c.) prophesies of the glorious state of the

e Chapters xxxviii, 22; xxxix. 6.

Church, as if it were to follow the other.

To clear this, fix we in our minds that golden rule of Mr. Mede, "That the old prophets for the most part spake of the great things of Christ indefinitely, as to the time." This he instances of the coming of Christ; concerning which they spake without distinction of his first and second. Whereas then Ezekiel prophesies the destruction of Gog in the land of Magog by fire, as St. John also does,d some of the most learned ancient fathers, (as Cyprian and Ireneus, &c.) expected a double fire of destruction to be executed upon the world namely, one at the beginning of the thousand years, to destroy the wicked that shall be then extant; another at the end thereof, for the destruction of the wicked that shall then rise up against the kingdom of Christ. And this they expected according to the Scriptures: for of the first fire mention is made, 2 Peter iii, (according to our former exercitation ;) and of the latter by St. John, Rev, xx, 9 : though he also had before hinted the first fire, Rev. xix, 20. Which things being so, do very well reconcile Ezekiel and St. John.

:

Furthermore, and yet nearer to the matter, several others of the most learned ancients (as Tertullian,e) conceive Ezekiel's Gog to be the same with that of John. And what is still more to the purpose, Ezekiel himself, (notwithstanding the order of placing his prophecy before urged,) lets fall several passages which intimate to us, that the final destruction of Gog and Magog is not at the beginning of the glorious state of the Church on earth. He averreth, that first" the people of Israel shall dwell safely in their

d xx, 9. e Lib. adv. Marc. c. xxiv.

own land, before Gog shall come up against them;" and then " in the latter years shall Gog come into the land of Israel."f And he assures us, that, after the destruction of Gog, "there shall be seven years to burn their weapons, and above seven months to bury the slain of Gog:"g which, (whether we take it figuratively, to intend a long complete time; or literally,) is too long a time, and too incongruous a condition, to be inserted into the very body and heart of the glorious estate of the Church on earth as it is stated and terminated by St. John, Rev. xx, 1-6; and therefore far more fit to be placed at the end of that glorious state, at which last time, St. John is positive, that there must arise an enemy. And therefore, from the order of placing distinct histories or prophecies in the Old Testament (the weakest argument that can be, to state the time and order of the things themselves!) we have no more reason to infer, that Ezekiel puts the destruction of Gog at the beginning of that glorious estate, than that St. John does, who also describes the mode of that estate, Rev. xxi, after he had spoken of the destruction of Gog, chap. xx.

Thus, having set the goodly stem (I say not every twig) of this discourse, and earthed the roots thereof with the choice mould of sacred Scriptures, at last there springs out thence three chief branches, with fair fruit hanging thereon, which, being gathered, eaten and digested, are very cordial for our practical edification.

1. First, that no external consideration whatsoever is sufficient of itself to restrain a graceless creature

from running into gross sins. Ham saw the dreadful flood upon the ungodly old world, and enjoyed his share in the miraculous preservation of his pious father: yet he went graceless into the ark, and such, or worse, he came out of it; inasmuch as he survived upon the waters only to receive his prophetical father's curse on him and his posterity.h In like manner, the Israelites had seen the stupendous miracles of God,-in bringing them out of Egypt, in carrying them through the Red Sea, and in his appearance at Mount Sinai to give them a law, at which they trembled,-and they had also felt the hand of God upon themselves, for the sin of murmuring;i yet for all these, they committed that horrid idolatry of dancing about the molten calf, and that whilst the mount was burning before their eyes !k Likewise Judas Iscariot heard the terrible threatnings which his master Christ denounced against obstinate, hypocritical and ungodly men1-yea, against himself, when Christ said, "Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil ?”m and "woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed; it had been good for that man, if he had never been born."n And on the other hand, he heard those celestial sermons, that Christ preached to win melting sinners, and to comfort the weakest saints; and had a sight of all the glorious miracles his master did, he himself also being enabled by him to work miracles. Yet a Judas will be a Judas; as sure as the devil (that entered into him) will be still a devil. For notwithstanding all that he had seen, heard, and enjoyed from and under his master Christ, he doth so unh Gen. ix. i Ex. xvi. xvii.

m John vi, 70. n Matt,

naturally, ungratefully, and traitorously betray him, that the horridness of the fact in his own eyes caused him to shut his eyes by strangling himself! Yea let us ascend (for I rise by steps) unto that perfect state of Adam and Eve, who had heard sufficiently that direful threat,--that if they did eat of the forbidden tree, they should surely die the death; who also had seen all the new created glory of paradise, and felt the joy of their own perfection. Yet for all these (as ye well know the story) they hearken to the devil (and that in the unlovely shape of a serpent) to an unbelief of God, and to their own ruin. The angels that fell, go beyond all these; who having no tempter, or matter of temptation without them, (but, contrariwise, were in perfect glory, beholding the face of God, and enjoying all happiness to encourage them to keep their station,) yet tempted themselves, fell from their own stedfastness, and were tumbled (O dreadful catastrophe!) down to hell.o Thus likewise do Gog and Magog; who (whether you will receive them as in Adamitical perfection, or whether you had rather look upon them as in an inward state of corruption, whilst they live the thousand years,) will have seen and heard enough of the late burning of the world, and all the open wicked; of the transcendent glory of the Church, by a resurrection and mutation; and not have been unwarned (out of this our text) of a future Gog and the judgement to come on him : and yet you see (for God cannot lie) they will prove a Gog-Magog. Gog will be Gog to be seduced, as sure as the devil will be a devil to seduce them, and to rise and attempt the ruin of the most glorious Church

that ever was, to their own fatal and infernal destruction by fire. Out of all which, we have great reason affectionately to infer the slippery uncertainty of a graceless heart, though otherwise as innocent as Adam;-the aptness of man to believe the devil before God;—the intestine antipathy and enmity of all that are not of the Church, against the Church; though never wronged by the Church, but dealt well with for their sakes ;-the audaciousness of sin, when once it hath conceived: in that nothing daunts it ;—and lastly, how little reason we have to rest in any state whatsoever, (either of innocent Adam, or the new created angels; much less in an unregenerate estate,) till we be established with the inspiration and infusion of never fading sanctifying grace from Christ.

That

2. The second branch is, that the highest created perfection of nature cannot, of itself, persevere in that its native goodness, without an establishment by addition of a gracious immutability. The final intent of God in such a frame of creatures is, that all, both angels and men, might see their need of God at last, as well as at first, and so be held in a dependance on him from first to last: so that Christ in all things might have the preeminence. not any Adamitical perfection, or angelical glory, but Christ alone might bring the stability of a state. And hereby is set forth a most glorious manifestation of God's justice and mercy: justice on them that fall, for their non-pursuance of an establishment; and mercy on them that persevere, who waited on him till he did, through Christ, settle them for ever. So that as we hereby learn, that God hath so constituted

P Col. i, 18.

man, that he hath nothing in himself by nature; yet by grace he becomes partaker of the divine nature, and so united to God, as to stand by His power. This union is fully expressed, Col. iii, 3,—“ Our life is hid with Christ in God;" and in John xvii, 21-23,-"That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us ;-that they be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.' And the power grounded on this union is fully expressed, 1 Pet. i, 3 to 5,-" Blessed be God, that hath begotten us again to a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation." Thus, upon the ground of union and interest in Christ's resurrection, through faith (a great bond of union,¶) we are kept infallibly, by the power of God, to that inheritance of glory; as that glorious inheritance is kept incorruptibly and unfadingly for us. And then upon that union follows a suitable communion: for as the union is continual, so from thence flows a continued emanation of gra

cious influences from God through Christ into believers,- -as a stream from a living fountain, and beams from the sun.

3. The third branch is, that there is a superexcellency of the state under the covenant of grace in Christ, above that under the covenant made with Adam. For by virtue of the Adamic covenant, men shall be restored in soul and body to the natural perfection which Adam had in the state of innocency. But those under the covenant of grace shall have, superadded to this, a spiritual and angelic body, whereby the Spirit, instead of being hindered, shall be aided. And besides the perfection of all their natural faculties, they will have the perfection of all their graces. And whereas those only under the covenant of nature may and will fall; those under the covenant of grace never can again decline. Therefore never rest in any estate but that of the covenant of grace. If you have that, you have the cream of all the covenants perfected and perpetuated in you, and so will continue for everlasting. Neither be confident that thou art really partaker of the covenant of grace, until thou art by it effectually endowed with spiritual light and life to a sincere and inward holiness.

Time, the surest interpreter of prophecy next to God himself, has confuted the opinions of many concerning the Two Witnesses, and left others in hopeless darkness. I venture, nevertheless, but with diffidence, to propose another interpretation. I confess it differs from all I ever read or heard of: but on this account I claim the more indulgence, as venturing on so lonely a task to serve others.

I shall first set my view of it before the Reader in the following short thesis, or proposition, which I intend to discuss: viz. That believing Jews, as well as GENTILES, from the time of Christ to his next advent, may be of the Two Witnesses: who shall more especially give their testimony in the troublous times of the last days.

Now, if we mind the definite number two; none can be more distinctly so than believing Jews and Gentiles. And if we rather mind an indefinite (i. e. a sufficient) number; there is no readier way to find such a sufficiency of witnesses, than to look among believing Jews and Gentiles. Yea, even if we hanker after the opinion that the two Witnesses are the Old and New Testaments (though these were rather the matter witnessed, than the Witnesses ;) or that magistrates and ministers are the two Witnesses; still the fullest witnessing to both Testaments, and the most magistrates befriending them, will be soonest found by putting believing Jews and Gen

tiles into the society of the two Witnesses. Thus we see partly already the harmonious convenience of the thesis.

But some will ask, What necessity is there to take in the believing Jews? I shall give three reasons in reply.

1. First, it would be a wonder, I think, to all intelligent readers of the Scriptures, if the believing Jews, who are brought in, throughout that whole volume, as the PRINCIPAL holy actors, (more especially in that future glorious scene on earth; the Gentiles being mentioned only as accessories,) should not act a part also in the testimony of the two Witnesses. Isaiah xiv, 1-3, sets forth the priority of the Jews before the Gentiles, at the time of the restauration of the Church; inasmuch as the people chosen, are before the strangers adjoined to them. Isaiah xlix, 22, 23, speaks more fully to the same point: "" Thus saith the 'Lord God, behold I will lift up my 'hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people, and they shall bring THY sons in their ( arms; and THY daughters shall be 'carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be THY nursing fathers, ' and their queens THY nursing mo'thers: they shall bow down to thee, ' &c." The apostle Paul tells us plainly,a that we Gentiles are but a subrogated Church, placed for a time in the room of the principal;

the Jews being the genuine olive tree, and we the wild olive tree;