gave authority at first to the beast, and governed all along unseen by his means, fo now he appears openly as his fupporter. As Popery was all along Paganism, varnished over with an appearance of Christianity, fo now the Pagan powers avowedly support the Popish party, in resisting the converted Jews.

The emiffaries of this triumvirate go forth to the kings of the earth, to procure their fupport for the beaft, in his laft extremity. And they are fordid, loquacious, and amphibious, like frogs. They use the meaneft shifts to form alliances, croak portentuous ills to mankind, arifing from the dominion of the Jews, and suit

their

"In that day the Lord, with his fore and great, and strong "fword, fhall punish Leviathan the piercing ferpent, even "(and) Leviathan that crooked ferpent; and he shall flay "the dragon that is in the fea." Our tranflators feemed to have confidered the names here mentioned, as belonging to one enemy, or at most to two; but whoever reads the paffage in the original, will immediately perceive that three diftinct enemies are pointed out. Accordingly Lowth fo understands it in his tranflation. their punishment is after the converfion of the Jews, mentioned Ifaiah xxvi. 12, 13. The two Leviathans are described by characters that fuit the first and fecond beafts in the Apocalypfe. The character of the first is pride and tyranny; that of the fecond, fubtilty and cunning. The fecond beast is the fame with the falfe prophet. The dragon retains the name and character in both paffages. Tt

The time of

their arguments to the peculiar circumstances and difpofitions of those whom they address.

These are perilous times; an exhortation is therefore inserted, intimating the suddenness of the judgments which fhall overtake these enemies of the truth, and cautioning Chrift's faithful followers from being led away by the delufion. Behold, I come as a thief. Bleffed is " he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, " left he walk naked, and they see his shame;" Rev. xvi. 15.

The delufion spread by the Popish emiffaries is fo great, that the kings of the earth are perfuaded to enter into a league, and bring together their combined forces, in order to support the beaft and refift the Jews." And he gathered "them together into a place called in the He"brew tongue Armageddon ;" Rev. xvi. 16.

CHAPTER V.

Of the Battle of Armageddon.

HE battle fought at Armageddon is fo de

THE

cifive for the intereft of religion, that it is largely described by the ancient prophets. I fhall therefore take the benefit of their united light, to discover-the place of the battle,—the parties engaged,-the manner of the event,and the confequences of the victory obtained.

SECTION I.

The Place of the Battle is near Jerufalem.

THAT the place of Armageddon, or mountain of destruction, is Judea, we might infer from the refidence of the beast in Judea, previous to the battle, and his collecting allies for a defenfive war. It is moft natural to fuppofe, that he will make his last stand in the country where he refides. But waving this, his deftruction in Judea, is clearly afferted in the following paffages of fcripture: "The Lord of "hofts hath fworn, faying, Surely as I have

66

The

thought, fo fhall it come to pafs; and as I "have purpofed, fo fhall it ftand; that I will "break the Affyrian in my land, and upon my "mountains tread him under foot: then shall "his yoke depart from off them, and his bur"den depart from off their shoulders. This is "the purpose that is purposed upon the whole "earth; and this is the hand that is ftretched "out upon all the nations. For the Lord of "hofts hath purposed, and who shall disannul "it and his hand is ftretched out, and who "fhall turn it back?" Ifa. xiv. 24.-27. Affyrian can be no other than the king of Babylon, mentioned in the preceding part of the chapter, and the king of ancient Babylon cannot be intended, because no fuch event took place, as his destruction in the land of Ifrael. But as the name is elsewhere bestowed on the head of spiritual Babylon, fo the character here given fitly agrees to him; ver. 13.-15. This deftruction takes place at the time the Jews are reftored to the favour of God and their own land; but the description of that restoration can by no means apply to the return from Babylon; ver. 1.-3. The yoke of this Affyrian laid on the Jews fhall then depart from off them; ver. 25. "The whole earth," "all nations," inimical to the true religion, fhall be punished together with the Affyrian; ver. 26. exactly corresponding

with the Apocalypfe, which represents the destruction of the kings of the earth, and their armies, together with the beaft at Armageddon. But this deftruction takes place "in the land "of Ifrael, and on the mountains of Judea ;" ver. 25. Therefore Judea is Armageddon.

"Through the voice of the Lord fhall the "Affyrian be beaten down, which fmote with "a rod.-For Tophet is ordained of old: yea, "for the king it is prepared: he hath made it "deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and "much wood: the breath of the Lord, like a "stream of brimftone, doth kindle it ;" Ifa. xxx. 31-33. Here the fame Affyrian mentioned formerly is introduced, for he is faid to be "beaten down" at the time the Jews are reftored to their land, and enjoy the bleffings of the Millennium, largely described ver. 18.-26. Again, the manner of his deftruction correfponds with the representation given of it in the Apocalypfe, chap. xix. 20. "The beaft was taken, "and with him the falfe prophet.-These both "were caft alive into a lake of fire burning with "brimftone." But the place where he is beaten down is Tophet, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, which lies to the east of Jerufalem. "Then "fhall the Affyrian fall with the fword, not of a mighty man; and the fword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from

"the