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are to diftinguish themfelves in this grand confederacy, are events of which the prophet gives no direct. information; and therefore we muft wait for any certain knowledge of them, until the events themfelves fhall come to pass. However, we have reason, to be collected from the text, which induces us to believe, that they will be the fame enemies of Chrif tianity who have heretofore oppofed it, and to which we have repeatedly referred. Correfponding with this, the prophet informs us, that out of the mouth of this three-headed monster, or out of their councils, there fhall come "three unclean spirits,' which he compares to "frogs" (the ugliest, filthieft, and noifieft of all creatures), to describe the principles and wickedness of the three confederated powers. For in a "frog" we may fee the deformed principles of polytheifm, or pagan idolatry, which, though it acknowledges the exiftence of one fupreme Spirit or God, yet teaches the adoration of beafts, and the moft disgusting and distorted images made with hands. To the filthy Aime which covers the body of a frog, and the long continued gratification of its luftful paffion, may be compared the extreme fenfuality of Mohamedan and papal apoftafy; and the noify and difcordant jargon of the notes of the frog, appofitely represents the unintelligible nonfenfe, the lies, the vaunting threats, blafphemies, and all the anarchy of atheism.

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The confpiracy being determined upon by these three enemies of God, and his Chrift, they are to fend forth their ambaffadors, cunning, crafty, and deceitful; for they are the fpirits of devils working miracles,' to go to the kings of the earth firi; that is, in the literal fenfe, to the kings or ftates profeffing atheism. Having engaged them in the confpiracy, thefe emiffaries of Satan are to proceed to the kings of the

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whole world; evidently meaning to all the carnal, unregenerate, and ungodly kings and ftates of the world; for fo the unbelievers in the word of God are ftyled in many parts of the New Teftament.

The infernal league concluded," he (Satan) fhall gather the kings of the earth, and of the "whole world together, unto a place called in the "Hebrew tongue Armageddon." The place is evidently fo named by the prophet, to intimate the immense overthrow of the ungodly, which shall be made in this great day: for the word " Armaged"don" being interpreted means, The mountain of deftruction, or the great deftruction of the PROUD and UNGODLY. Upon this tremendous occafion, we may suppose, from the tenour of the texts, that an immenfe multitude of hardened and unrepenting liars, fornicators, adulterers, thieves, robbers, traitors, affaffins, murderers, idolaters, and blafphemers of the name of God, a mighty hoft of Pagans, Mohamedans, Papifts, and Atheists," fhall be gathered "together to battle" againft Chrift, and the pure remnant of his church.

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The time of this battle, whenever it may be, ("for it is to come as a thief") is called "the great "day of God Almighty;" that is, the great day of the coming of Jefus Chrift, with all power and glory for, in many paffages of the New Teftament, Chrift is called Gont, and he himself affumes the name of THE ALMIGHTY ; and the prophet,

* It is a remarkable fact, and ought furely to increase the veneration of the fubjects of fuch a prince, that the Sovereign of thefe British dominions was among the very few, if not the only ruling power that the agents of atheism, &c. did not dare to tempt to bring over to their party.

St. John, viii. 1 John, iv, 4, Ibid. v. 5: ...
Rom. ix. 5. 1 John, iii. 16. Ibid. ver. 20, &c.
Rev. i. 8.

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when defcribing his coming, and the joy and praise of the juft upon that occafion, calls him the Lord God Almighty *; and it is here called HIS DAY, because Chrift fhall then come with all power, tó fubdue and put all his enemies under his feet, tó confume them according to St. Paul, with the spirit of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming.

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Indeed, the events of this great day are defcribed, or referred to, not only by the other apoftles, as well as the prophet here, but by Chrift himself. It will not, therefore, be an unneceffary digreflion to attend to what he himself, and the apoftles, have faid on the fubject, as introductory to the prophet's account in this place. It will tend to the elucida tion of the great and awful events of the "feventh "vial of the wrath of God." Let us first hear our bleffed Redeemer." Verily, verily, I fay unto you,

that the hour is coming, when the dead Thall hear “the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear Shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given the Son authority to execute judgment ❝alfo, because he is the Son of man. "Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the grave fhall come forth; they that have done good, to the refurrection of life, and they "that have done evil to the refurrection of damna“tion ." - John the Baptift, when fpeaking of the coming of Chrift, fays, his fan is in his hand, and "he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather

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the wheat into his garner, but he will burn up the

chaff with unquenchable fire : meaning, that Chrift, at the great day of his coming to judge mankind, will purge the world of finful and ungodly men, by feparating them from the juft and righteous, and taking the fecond under his divine mercy and

* Rev. xv. 3•
St. Matt. iii. 12.

+ Theff. 8. St. John, v. 25-30.

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protection (the "fea of glafs"), and condemning the firft to everlafting torments. St. Luke informs us, that Chrift commanded the apofiles" to preach "to the people, and to teftify, that it is HE which

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was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and “dead." And St. Paul, when writing to the Theffalonians upon the fame fubject, "I would not have you ignorant, brethren," fays he, "concerning "them which are afleep, that ye forrow not even as "others who have no hope; for if we believe that "Jefus died and rofe again, even fo them also "which fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him.— "For this we fay unto you, by the word of the "Lord, that we which are alive, and remain to the "coming of the Lord, fhall not prevent them that

are afleep. For the Lord himself fhall defcend "from heaven with a fhout, with the voice of the "archangel, and with the trump of God, and the "dead in Chrift fhall rise firft. Then we which "are alive, and remain, fhall be caught up together "with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the "air, and fo fhall we be ever with the Lord. "Wherefore, comfort one another with these "words." So St. Peter, in his fecond epistle, "But the heavens which are now, by the word of "God are kept in ftore, referved unto fire against "the day of judgment, and perdition of the ungodly. "But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,

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that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, "and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is "not flack concerning his promife, as fome men "count flacknefs, but is long-fuffering to us-ward, "not willing that any fhould perish, but that all "fhould come to repentance. But the DAY OF THE "LORD will come as a thief in the night, in the "which the heavens fhall jus away with a great

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"noife, and the elements fhall melt with fervent heat; "the earth alfo, and the works that are therein, "fhall be burned up. Seeing then that all these "things fhall be diffolved, what manner of perfons

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ought ye to be in all holy converfation and godli"nefs, looking for and haftening unto THE DAY OF "GOD. Nevertheless we, according to his pro"mife, look for new heavens, and a new earth, "wherein dwelleth righteoufnefs *." St. Paul, again, in his firft epiftle to the Corinthians, is yet more exprefs and full on the fubject: a chapter which I earnestly recommend to the repeated and careful perufal of every Christian, as it contains the fum total of the Chriftian faith. I fhall only cite a part of it. He there treats of the "great day," of the coming of Chrift, of his reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet, even death itself, and the furrender of the kingdom to God, even the Father, that God may be "all in all." He teaches us, that "fince by man came death, by man came also the "refurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all "die, even fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive. But

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every man in his own order, Chrift the first-fruits; "afterwards they that are Christ's, at his coming."Then cometh the end, when he shall have deli"vered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, "when he fhall have put down all rule and all au"thority, and power: for he must reign till he hath "put all enemies under his feet. The laft enemy "that fhall be deftroyed is death: for he hath put "all things under his feet. But when he faith all "things are put under him, it is manifeft that he is

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excepted which did put all things under him. And "when all things fhall be fubdued unto him, then "thall the Son alfo himself be subject unto him, that put all things under him, that God may be ALL

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