Judgments of God upon the kingdom of the beaft. In like manner when Daniel hath predicted the fall of the king of the north or of the Othman empire, he fubjoins immediately (XII. 1.) that there shall be a time of trouble, fuch as never was fince there was a nation, even to that fame time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book; agreeably to which St. John alfo faith (XX. 15.) that whofoever was not found written in the book of life, was caft into the lake of fire. The 1260 years of the reign of the beast, I fuppofe, end with the 1260 years of the witneffes prophefying in fackcloth; and now the destined time is come for the judgments of God to overtake him; for as he might exift before the 1260 years began, fo he may exift likewife after they are finished, in order to be made an eminent example of divine juftice. For the greater confirmation and illuftration of this fubject, and to make the ftronger impreffion upon the minds of the readers, thefe judgments are displayed under variety of figures and reprefentations. Firft they are defcribed in a more general manner (Rev. XIV.) as the harvest and reaping of the earth, and as the vintage and wineprefs of the wrath of God. Then they are represented in a more particular manner (Rev.

XV. XVI.) as the feven vials, or the feven laft
plagues, for in them is filled up the wrath of
God; which are fo many fignal judgments upon
the kingdom of the beast, and so many steps
and degrees of his ruin. Afterwards the fall of
Rome is delineated (Rev. XVII. XVIII.) as
of another Babylon; and it is declared that the
fhall be destroyed by fire, and her destruction
fhall be a complete and total deftruction, fuch
as hath never yet been the fate of Rome.
Some of the princes, who were once of her
communion, fall hate her as much as they
loved her, and burn her with fire. It is far-
ther intimated that the fhall be swallowed up
by a fubterraneous fire, fhall fink like a great
milftone in the fea, and her Smoke fhall rise up
for ever and ever: and the foil and fituation
of Rome and the neighbouring countries greatly
favor fuch a fuppofition. As St. John faith,
(XI. 8.) the Spiritually is called Sodom; and
fhe fhall refemble Sodom in her punishment as
well as in her crimes. After the fubverfion of
the capital city, (Rev. XIX.) the beast and the
falfe prophet, the powers civil and ecclefiaftical,
with thofe who fill adhere to their party, fhall
make one effort more; but it shall prove as
weak and vain, as it is impious; they shall both be
taken, and caft alive into a lake of fire burning with

brimstone. The deftruction of Antichrift therefore, of himself as well as of his feat, fhall be in a terrible manner by fire. Daniel afferts the fame thing, (VII. 11.) I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn fpake, I beheld even till the beaft was flain, and his body deftroyed, and given to the burning flame. So likewife faith St. Paul, (2 Thef. I. 7, 8.) The Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jefus Chrift: and more particularly (II. 8.) The Lord fhall confume the wicked one, the man of fin, with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy bim with the brightness of his coming.

About the time of the fall of the Othman empire and of the Christian Antichrift, the Jews fhall turn to the Lord, and be restored to their own land. Innumerable are the prophecies concerning the converfion and reftoration of this people. Hear only what Hofea faith, who prophefied before the captivity of the ten tribes of Ifrael, (III. 4, 5.) The children of Ifrael fhall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a facrifice, and without an image or altar, and without an ephod, and without teraphim or divine manifeftations: Afterward fhall the children of Ifrael return, and feek Dd 3

the

the Lord their God, and David their king, and fhall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days. Hear alfo what Ezekiel faith, who prophefied during the captivity of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, (XXXVII. 21, 25.) Thus faith the Lord God, Behold, I will take the children of Ifrael from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every fide, and bring them into their own land: And they Shall dwell in the land that I have given unta Jacob my fervant, wherein your fathers have dwelt, and they shall dwell therein, even they and their children, and their childrens children for ever, and my fervant David shall be their prince for ever. (XXXIX. 28, 29.) Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, who caufed them to be led into captivity among the heathen, but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there: Neither will I hide face any more from them; for I have poured out my Spirit upon the boufe of Ifrael, faith the Lord God. Ye cannot but remember what St. Paul faith upon the fame occafion, (Rom. XI. 25.) I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this myftery, that blindness in part is happened to Ifrael, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, and fo all Ifrael fall be faved. Now thefe and the like predictions, we fuppofe, will take effect,

my

and

and this great revolution be accomplished, about the time of the fall of the Othman empire, and of the Chriftian Antichrift. Ezekiel's Gog and ·Magog (XXXVIII. XXXIX.) we believe to be the Turks or Othmans, and they shall come up against the children of Ifrael in the latter days to oppose their refettlement in their own land, and they fhall fall in fome extraordinary manner upon the mountains of Ifrael, they and the people that is with them: fo the boufe of Ifrael fhall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day and forward. Daniel too (XI. 45. XII. 1.) predicts the fall of the king of the north upon the glorious holy mountain: And at that time shall Michael fland up, the great prince who ftandeth for the children of Ifrael. The restoration of the Jews and the fall of Antichrift fhall also happen about the fame time. If the fixth vial (Rev. XVI. 12.) which is poured out upon the great river Euphrates, whofe waters are dried up to prepare a palage for the kings of the east, is to be understood, as Mr. Mede and others think, of the return of the Jews; then the return of the Jews is one of the feven laft plagues of Antichrift. But this notion is expreffed more clearly in Daniel, as it more immediately concerned his people. (XI. 36.) He Shall profper till the indignation, that is God's indignation against the Jews, be accomplished: and Dd 4

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