tion being uttered with a loud voice, intimates a public declaration and general conviction, that adhering to the fyftem of Popery, fubjects men to eternal torments.

But notwithstanding this conviction in the members of the true church, fuch as adhere to the fyftem of Popery, fhall make fome efforts to maintain its influence, even after the battle of Armageddon; but these efforts shall prove abortive, owing partly to their own divisions, but chiefly to the Jewish arms. We are told, that "the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell," Rev. xvi. 19.; that is, the rulers of the system divided

when the wrath of God fhall come on that devoted fociety to the uttermoft, they who adhere to her communion, fhall be confidered as irreclaimable, and therefore juftly configned to everlasting deftruction. This doctrine, which would be confidered as uncharitable at the time of the Reformation, or even in the prefent age, shall then appear perfectly confiftent with reafon and charity: 3. That the voice of this angel is coeval with the time immediately following the battle of Armageddon, appears from its coinciding in fentiment and expreffion with other paffages, which, without controverfy, refer to that period. Compare Rev. xvi. 19. and chap xix. 20.

(1) The city fignifies fometimes the feat of the beast, but most frequently, as here, the fubjects of his spiritual jurifdiction.

divided into three feveral parties, which induced the nations who adhered to them, either as members of their communion, or as allies, to withdraw their fupport.

The nature and cause of these divisions, the event only can explain. But while they are thus divided among themselves, and deserted by their friends and allies, their fyftem, as far as it is vifible in the world, is finally deftroyed by the arms of the Jews, who conquer the countries over which the blafphemous king had authority, as we shall presently fee. They are the inftruments in God's hand, "to give unto

great Babylon the cup of the wine of the "fierceness of his wrath." After all, fome fhall continue fecretly attached to Popery, fo forcible is the influence of fuperftition over the human mind; but these shall be worn out gradually, by the prevailing power of the Gospel of Chrift, according to that declaration, "And the rem"nant were flain with the fword of him that fat 6c upon the horse, which fword proceeded out ❝of his mouth;" Rev. xix. 21.

3 B

SEC

SECTION III.

Conqueft of the Countries in the neighbourhood of Judea by the Jews.

ANOTHER remarkable event, which takes place betwixt the battle of Armageddon and the Millennium is, the conqueft made by the Jews of the feveral countries over which the blafphemous king had authority. We learn from Rev. xvi. 21. that after the battle of Armageddon, "there "fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, 66 every stone about the weight of a talent: And "men blafphemed God because of the plague of "the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding "great." Hail fignifies war, as in the first trumpet; great hail, heavy or grievous war to the party conquered; its coming "out of hea "ven,” fignifies that it proceeds from the church, under the authority and direction of God.

It appears from the prophets, that this war is carried on by the Jews, who, after the victory at Armageddon, lead their victorious army into the feveral countries in their neighbourhood, from which forces were fent to refift them. They undertake this war, not to gratify ambition or covetoufnefs, but as followers of him, who "in righteousness doth judge and make

" war,"

“ war," to break the power of those who had concerted their deftruction, to extirpate fuperftition, and establish the truth.

The rapidity of their conquests is in general afferted by Ifaiah, chap. xi. 14. "They shall

fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines to"ward the weft, they shall spoil them of the "east together; they shall lay their hands upon "Edom and Moab, and the children of Am"mon fhall obey them." A particular account of the conqueft of all Palestine is given, Ifa. xiv. 29.-32. to the close. As in the paffage quoted immediately before, the Jews are compared to an eagle, fo here to a fiery flying ferpent darting on his prey. They are faid to come from the north, because they march up from Affyria. The effect of their coming is, that “all Palestine "is diffolved," the government is overturned, and the inhabitants are destroyed. Verses 30. 32. are a description of the Millennium; and the conqueft foretold being interwoven with that event, fhews, that the one immediately precedes the other. We have another account of this conqueft, Ezek. xxv. 15.-17. "Thus faith the "Lord God, because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it (the house of Ju"dah) for the old hatred; therefore thus faith "the Lord God, Behold, I will stretch out mine

66

hand

"hand upon the Philiftines, and I will cut off "the Cherethims, and deftroy the remnant of "the fea-coaft. And I will execute great ven66 geance on them with furious rebukes; and they fhall know that I am the Lord, when I fhall lay my vengeance upon them."

A fimilar account is given by Zephaniah, chap. ii. 4.-8. " Gaza fhall be forsaken, and "Afhkelon a defolation; they fhall drive qut "Afhdod at the noon-day, and Ekron fhall be "rooted up. Wo unto the inhabitants of the "fea-coafts, the nation of the Cherethites, the "word of the Lord is againft you: O Canaan, "the land of the Philistines, I will even deftroy "thee, that there fhall be no inhabitant. And

the fea-coafts fhall be dwellings and cottages "for fhepherds, and folds for flocks. And the "coafts fhall be for the remnant of the house of

Judah; they fhall feed thereupon, in the "houfes of Afhkelon fhall they lie down in the "evening for the Lord their God fhall vifit "them, and turn away their captivity.”

Thefe laft words fhew, that the conqueft in view, is coeval with the return of the Jews from their captivity; but no fuch event took place upon their return from Babylon; therefore it shall take place upon their return from the present difperfion, confequently after the battle of Armageddon.

The