errors of which this age is witnefs-errors which have spread, and are yet fpreading-those of infidelity and atheism, with their usual attendants, immorality in every hideous form. We fhould therefore "remember the words which were fpoken before"-the warnings which have been given us of thofe defections, which were to intervene those of Antichrift, and the coming of the Son of

man.

THE Apocalypfe, though of more difficult interpretation, contains fome particulars fufficiently intelligible, and to our purpofe. The writer enlarges on the Romish apoftacy, which he defcribes more minutely than any who had preceded him, both in its rife and progress, and also in the circumstances which should attend its overthrow. He foretells the spirit, pride, riches, glare of ornaments, strange abominations, and unprecedented cruelties; the power, figns and lying wonders, which were to render Rome the wonder and dread of the whole earth. The portrait is in every part fo exact and circumftantial, that none who are acquainted with the hiftory of that church, can mistake it; unless blinded by intereft or prejudice.

THE apostle predicts alfo the other great defection which was to follow the antichriftian, though in language more obscure and figurative. "And I faw three unclean fpirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the falfe proph et. For they are the fpirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the

earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.'

Ir deserves particular notice that all these strange declenfions, which were foretold, as to take place in the church, and world, are reprefented as antecedent to Chrifl's reign on earth, and terminating before the commencement of that bleffed era.

Ir is farther to be observed that during the whole antichriftian defection, God's "two witnesses were to prophecy clothed in fackcloth." God would have a fmall, but fufficient number of faithful fervants, who, in low and humble circumftances, would maintain the truth and be witneffes for him during the reign of the man of fin. But about the end of his reign, they will have finifhed their teftimony. Their enemies will then prevail against them and deftroy them, and for a fhort term there will be none to ftand up for Godt · -none to warn the wicked, or to disturb them in their chofen ways. And they are reprefented as exulting in their deliverance from the fociety of those who amidft their departures from the living God, had tormented them, by warnings of future

* Vid. a difcourfe on this fubject, by Timothy Dwight, D. D. Prefident of Yale College, printed at Newhaven, A. D. 1798.

+ COMPARATIVELY NONE. The number will be exceeding small--the times refemble thofe juft before the flood, when Noah was faid to ftand alone. The pageantry of Romish worship may be kept up in that church, till mystical Babylon fhall be destroyed, in the awful manner foretold in the Revelation; but infidelity hath long fince, fapped the foundations of the catholic religion, being grafted on the ruins of fuperftition. The abfurd doctrines, and legendary tales of popery, may have been credited in the dark ages, when many of the clergy were unable to write their names, or fo much as read their alphabet; but the belief of them is utterly inconfiftent with the light every where diffufed fince the revival of literature.

TORMENTED THEM. This language is remarkable. It intimates that

wrath, and an eternity according to their works. For this is the way in which God's witneffes torment the wicked.

GOD's witneffes teflify not only against antichristian errors, but also against infidelity and the immorality it occafions. When he ceases to have witnesses there will be none to teftify against either the one or the other. The world must then be deluged in infidelity and atheism. This agrees with the representation given by the apostle; who defcribes the enemies of God as refufing graves to his flaughtered witneffes, and caufing their dead bodies to lie expofed to public view, that they may rejoice over them, and congratulate one another on their deliverance from the compa.

ny of those who had disturbed them in their finful indulgences; and fuch as continuing to be the ftate of the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations," till the witneffes are raised from the dead and afcend to heaven in the prefence of their enemies; when Chriftianity will revive, and Christ's reign on earth begin.

THESE reprefentations may be defigned to intimate that the term in which infidelity will appear to be univerfal, will be fo fhort that the warnings of the faithful will not be forgotten-that they will

the pains occafioned in the wicked, by the warnings of the faithful are the fame, in kind, as those of the damned, and that they are often fevere. This accounts for the mad joy of infidelity—for the frantic triumphs of those who have perfuaded themfelves that religion is a fable. It accounts for the reprefentation here given of the conduct of an unbelieving world, when infidelity shall have become universal, and the dead body of religion lie exposed to public fcorn. Such is the time here foretold-a time when the age of atheism may be vauntingly termed the age of reafon.

be kept in mind by the exultations occafioned by deliverance from the fears of religion, and from the prefence of those who had excited those fears, by exhibiting proofs of religion which they could not refute. And how natural and common are fuch exultations, with thofe devoid of religious fear? But agreeably to the view given by the apoftle, when fuch fhall have become the ftate of the world, and the nations shall be thus felicitating themselves in full perfuafion that all religion is a dream, and death an eternal fleep, the fignals of Chrift's coming to take the kingdom, will be given, and witnesses of the truth of Christianity, which cannot be disputed, fuddenly arife, to the fur. prize and confufion of fcoffing finners; mul. titudes of whom will be fwept off by defolating judgments, to prepare the way for "the people of the faints of the most high, whofe kingdom is an everlafting kingdom." For that defolations are to clofe the fad fcene of apoftacy, and prepare Chrift's way is clearly foretold; particularly by St. John, who beheld, in vision, "the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, gathered to the battle of the great day of God Almighty ;" and faw fuch an effufion of their blood, that "the harvest of the earth might be confidered as reaped, the vine of the earth as cut and caft into the great wine prefs of the wrath of God, whence flowed blood to the horses bridles."*

THUS from the general tenor of prophecy it appears that infidelity will have overfpread the world when the Son of man fhall come to reign upon

Revelation xiv. 15, 20.

it And as this agrees to no other coming of his foretold by the prophets, there can be no reason. able doubt what coming is intended in the text. If we keep these things in mind, we shall not wonder at the declensions of religion and prevalence of infidelity. They will remind us of the remark made by our Savior to his forrowing disciples juft before his fufferings, "these things have I told you, that when the time fhall come, ye may remem. ber that I told you of them."

BEFORE, or about the time of this coming of the Son man, Antichrift will fall-Mahomedan de. lufion terminate-" The Jews look to him whom they pierced, and mourn-be gathered the second time" from their difperfions, and returned to their own land, and the fulness of the Gentiles be brought in. Perhaps these may be the signs of Christ's coming, intended by the refurrection of the witneffes. When these events fhall take place "the Lord will be king over all the earth. In that day there will be one Lord and his name one."

REFLEXIONS.

If we do not miftake the coming of the Son of man, here referred to, gloomy is the prospect now immediately before us. Hitherto God hath had his witnesses; but ere long they will ceafe from their labors, and leave infidelity undisturbed.

THAT the caufe of the redeemer was to be de preffed, before its universal prevalence in the latter days, is plainly revealed. The only difficulty is to afcertain the manner. Bifhop Newton expects. another confederacy of the catholic powers to de