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Hail was exceeding Great. It may poffibly be this Hail that fob means by the treasures of Hail, which God hath referved for the Time of Trouble, against the Day of Battle and War, Job. 38. 22. This being indeed the Great Day of Battle and Destruction of the Antichriftian Powers out of the whole Earth, to which that Ancient Writer frequently refers.

II. THE Second Great Tranfaction, and which more immediately concerns this dif course is the Destruction of Antichrift and his Great Army at the Battle of Armageddon. It is the Opinion of fome, that the Prophe cy of Ezekiel, Chap. 39. concerning Gog and Magog is to be understood of Antichrift and his Army; though all know very well that by Gog and Magog, Rev. 20. is to be underftood that vaft Diabolical Multitude that fhall encompass the Holy City after the Millennium. How true this Opinion may be I fhall not prefume to fay, but must acknowledge, that it feems to be favoured by Several Circumftances of that Prophecy. 1. The fame Invitation is made to the Fowls of Heaven, Ezek. 39. v. 17-21. as is made, Rev. 19. v. 17, 18. for the Slain of the Battle of Armageddon. 2. The Gog and Magog mentioned in the Revelations are to be devoured by Fire, and confequently not left to be eaten by the Fowls of Heaven. 3. The Deftruction of the laft Gog by Fire in the Revelations is faid to be immediately followed by the Great and laft Judgment. Whereas in Ezekiel, the destruction of Gog

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is mention'd with no fuch Confequences, but rather with a happy Succeffion of Peace and Repose to the Church in the very fame Earth; mention being made of burying the Dead, burning the Weapons, and a Duration of Seven Years of Strangers travelling that way, and of the Heathens glorifying God upon the Account of his Judg ments, which may be understood of their Converfion, even as we believe that the Millennial Glory will follow after the Deftruction of Antichrift. Before this Battle of Armageddon, there is an Invitation to the Fowls of Heaven made by an Angel ftanding in the Sun, Rev. Chap. 19. v. 17, 18. faying,Come and gather your felves together to the Supper of the Great God, that ye may eat the Flesh of Kings, and the Flesh of Captains, and the Flesh of Mighty Men, and the Flejh of Horfes, and of them that fit thereon, and the Flesh of all Men (i. e. all forts of Men) both free and bond, both fmall and great. As it is alfo Ezek. 39. 17, 18, 19. Many different Opinions there are about this Place among the Commentators. Those of them who interpret it in an Allegorical and Myftical Senfe, infift upon the Incongruity of fetting an Angel in the Literal Senfe to invite all the Fowls of the Air to a Banquet. But fuppofe we fhould grant that this part may be nothing more than an Oriental form of Speech; who attributed every thing, efpecially in Prophetical Writings, to the Miniftry of Angels, yet I fee no reason why we may not understand the other Part literally, that is, O 4

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cast into the Bottomless

Pit.

if this Antichriftian Army be to be deftr ed or flain in a literal Senfe, then their b dies will be literally dead, and when for proper Food for ravenous Birds, and wi Beafts of the Earth, and why then may not exprefs, that there fhall be fuch gear Multitudes of them deftroyed, that all the Fowls of Heaven may come and feaft up their Bodies? Though I must acknowle that there are good Reafons given Dr. More in the laft of his Divine Dialog to prove that this cannot be understood therwife than in a Myftical and Spirit Senfe.

Antichrist. § 26. AND now follows the Grand Ca taken and tastrophe. Whilft the Antichriftian Army are thus gathered together, Behold the He vens were opened, Rev. 19. 11. and a whit Horfe, and be that fate upon him was calle Faithful and True, and in Righteousness he de Judge and make War. By the white Horfe ma be fignified Chrift's Royalty and Glor from his Refurrection to his Second Com ing in his Kingdom. The Rider is faid t be Faithful and True; becaufe of his appear ing in his Kingdom, according to his Pro mife, which Atheists, Deifts, and they c the Antichriftian Party had called in Que ftion, asking, Where is the promise of his com ing? These Unbelievers he will in his Righ teoufnefs judge and deftroy.

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V. 12. THIS Rider is defcribed. H Eyes were as a Flame of Fire (penetrating judging all things in a quick and terrible manner) And on his Head were many Crow

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(denoting the Amplitude of his Dominion) And be bad a Name writen which no man knew but Himself. By Name in Scripture, is of ten fignified Nature, and fo this Mysterious Name may be fomething expreffing the Hypoftatick Union of the Two Natures in our Bleffed Lord; which as it does infinitely transcend the fhort limited Capacity of Human Nature to comprehend, fo it will appear now more Illustrious and Glorious than ever.

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V. 13. HE was cloathed with a Vefture dipt in blood (expreffing his Triumph through the Blood of his Crofs) and his Name is called (or he is) the Word of God. i. e. He is the Eternal word of God, the Second Perfon in the Ever-Bleffed-Trinity, the Word by whom God spake when he made the World; and fpake alfo to our Forefathers under the Old Teftament, and to us in the Gofpel.

V. 14. ARE defcribed his Companions and Attendants. The Armies which were in Heaven (i. e. the Angels and Saints, whether dead or living, in whom the Kingdom of Heaven is perfected) followed him white upon Horfes, Companions and Partakers with Christ in his Glory and Kingdom, cloathed in fine Linnen white and clean. Their Robes or Righteousness having been washed and made white in the Blood of him who is cloathed with the Bloody Garment. v.15. AND out of his Mouth goeth a Sharp Sword, (viz. his Word, which is harper than any two-Edged Sword, Heb. 4. 12.) that with it

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be may fmite the Nations of the Earth, and them with a Rod of Iron, (during the co nuance of his Glorious Kingdom) treadeth theWine-prefs of the fierceness andWrati Almighty God (as he once trod it by himfe alone when in his own Body he borewor the Crofs the Iniquities of us all, Isab So will he now tread down the wickedw are the accurfed Vine of Sodom,or rather fpeak in the Language of Ifaiah in the fore-cited Place, make them tread it the felves whilft they fuffer that Vengean which he inflicts upon them.

V. 16. AND be bad upon bis Vesture, and s on his Thigh a name Written KING. KINGS, and LORD of LORDS. ( wore and discovered Glorious and Illu ous Symbols and Characters of his Supre Univerfal Monarchy.) Some think cha his former Name mentioned v. 13. den ted his Divinity; fo this may denote Kingdom as Son of Man, therefore wears a Title on his Vefture, as Kings d their Royal Cognizances, by which they are diftinguifhed and made known.

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WITH this Glory, this Might, and Au thority he fcatters and confounds the Dia bolical Army, that are faid, v. 19. gathered together to make War again him. They fall before him as the fhades of Darknefs before the Rifing Sun. See how the Lightnings flash in their Faces, how they tremble and are amaz'd, they reel, and ftagger, and are at their Wits end, and in this confufion they fhall as in

the

Day

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