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"which is without the temple, measure it not ;" and the reafon affigned is, "for that court, which was formerly an appendage to the temple and altar, was now to be given to the two Gentile apoftacies, the Mohamedan and Papal; as if the angel had faid, You have already written a particular narra!tive of the first, under the metaphor of "the star which fell from heaven," and you shall write 'the hiftory of the other hereafter. And, befides, 'I am about to unfold to you a different fubject, (unconnected with the perfecutions of those two 'hierarchies; namely, the hiftory of a "beaft that 'fhall afcend out of the bottomlefs pit;" or, as it will presently appear, of an infidel and atheistical power, more hardened, more mifchievous, and confummately wicked, than either of the two that rofe before it."

The angel having thus briefly anticipated the rife of the two apoftacies, the depreffion of the Gofpel by them, and the period of its continuance, proceeds to defcribe the condition in which it fhould remain during that period; and even under the tyranny of thebeaft of the bottomlefs pit," which latter should take place a fhort time before that depreffion fhould end.

Ver. 3.- "And I will give power unto my Two "WITNESSES; and they fhall prophefy one thoufand "two hundred and threefcore days in fackcloth."

It is certainly very neceffary to the right explanation of this verfe to afcertain, in the first place, who, or what, these two "witneffes of God" are; for without it we muft ftill go on in the darkness, and inconfiftency of all former commentators. Some of

* Chap. ix, 1,

+ Chap. xii. xiii.

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them have thought that Enoch and Elias were the "two witneffes;" others, John Hufs and Jerome of Prague; others, Luther and Calin; and others again, all thofe men who have been eminent for their piety; and, at the fame time, oppofers of the church of Rome*. This variety of opinions is, of itfelf, a proof of their uncertainty, if not of their error. Indeed none of thofe men can anfwer to the metaphorical expreffion of two witneffes" having one "mouth" (ver. 5.), and prophefying 1260 years: for they all differed in opinion refpecting one article or other, of the doctrine of the Old and New: Teftaments. Moreover, thofe men were only teachers, and not prophets, nor ever pretended to the gift of prophecy; and, even had they been prophets, they could not have continued to prophefy 1260 years, according to the exprefs words of the text. Befides, the "two "witneffes" have power to "fhut heaven" (the upper atmosphere)," that it rain not, in the days of their pro"phecy," and "to fmite the earth with all plagues, as "softenas they will: (ver. 6.). Thefe are powers which, in their full extent, had never yet been conferred by God on any man, or any two men, nor ever pretended to be poffeffed by any of the perfons, marked out by former commentators. Indeed it feems abfurd to look for them among the human race, as, according to the fettled courfe of God's providence, the lives of any two men have never, fince the date of this prophecy, been extended to one feventh part of the period, during which it is declared, by the voice of truth, they fhall continue to prophcfy.

Where then fhall we find in the world the "two witneffes here introduced by the angel? For they must be of great antiquity; they must be only two in number, and thefe two must have but one "mouth," and be the witneffes of God, or of his re

me.

Newton; Differtations, vol. ii. 235

vealed

vealed word and will to mankind. They are, I will venture to pronounce, and can be nothing else, but the TWO TESTAMENTS, the Old and New. These two holy prophets and pracles of God, alone, among all the variety of things upon the earth, can fatisfy and fulfil the figurative description of the text. The angel fpeaks of them as in being at the time, and well known to the prophet; and why they have not been fo to the commentators on the prophecies, is dif ficult to conceive, as they must have had them con-> ftantly in view. Indeed the very name of these books, or witneffes, affords an unerring clue to the discovery. Aiteftament, from the plain definition and common acceptation of the word, is a writing,' or record, which teftifies and bears witness to the mind and will of man. So that which reveals, and bears witness to the word and will of God, is certainly his witness and it is worthy of obfervation, that they are called, by the voice of truth, coming from God, my two witneffes." It may next be afked, what two witneffes has God been gracioufly pleafed, in the courfe of his providence, to fend into this fallen world, to reveal and attest to mankind his divine word, but the Old and New Teftament? Isr it not by thefe two facred and infallible records, one of which is, by many ages, the most ancient in thei world? a record, a part of which has, in a moft. miraculous manner, during the courfe of 3400 years, been preferved amidst the wafte of all-devouring time, the ravages of wars, the wrecks of books, and even during the dark ages of Pagan fenfuality, of Mohamedan ignorance, and Papal fuperftition. I afk, is it not by these two holy records alone, that God has been pleafed to reveal and atteft his righteous and immaculate will to mankind? Have not thefe "two witneffes" alone given the cleareft teftimony of his omnipotence, his infinite wisdom, his justice and mercy? And have not all thofe divine

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and exalted attributes of his glory and perfection, been demonftrated by innumerable events foretold and recorded by those two facred "witneffes," even during the Mohamedan and Papal apoftacy and darkness?

But had the names of thefe "two witneffes" been more mysterious, there are other marks given by the angel, which clearly fupport this expofition of the text: they are reprefented, by the angel, as having "one "mouth *;" to denote that they both, when rightly understood, teftify the fame facred truths. And we know that the two Teftaments, in this fenfe, have but one mouth; that is, form one regular, confiftent, uniform hiftory of the will and providence of God: and, when not perverted, agree in attefting to mankind the fame great and important truths, in which their happiness here, as well as hereafter, is concerned. Thefe "two witneffes" were, moreover, to continue to "prophefy in fackcloth" 1260 years, during the perfecutions and depreffions of the Gofpel of Chrift, by the Gentiles of "the court which is "without the temple;" and there have been notwo men who have lived fo long; nor any true prophets fince John wrote his Revelation, except thofe two facred and living oracles, which have and do yet. foretel all the important truths needful for mankind to know, that have happened in the world, and fhall happen to the end of it; and therefore have rendered all other prophets, and every other kind of holy witnefs, unneceffary.

Ver. 4." Thefe (witneffes) are the iw olive "trees, and the two candlesticks ftanding before "the God of the earth."

The literal and natural meaning of this allegori cal verfe is, that the two Teftaments are the only

1

* Verse 5.

two

two most perfect codes of moral, focial, and religious precepts, for the regulation and government of the thoughts and actions of men, towards the Supreme Author of their exiftence, themfelves, and their fellow-creatures; and that, by a practical obfervation of them, mankind may regain the state of immortality and happinefs, from which they have unfortunately fallen by their difobedience. The two great laws are here alfo reprefented; by which mankind fhall be tried, and acquitted or condemned, according to the deeds done in this probationary ftate, before the "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF

"LORDS,

In fupport of this interpretation of the text, I fhall only obferve, that, in my humble opinion, a more apt and comprehenfive figure of the two Teftaments could not be invented by the wit of man, than the "two olive-trees:" for, of all the vegetable tribes, the olive-tree affords the richest oil, and a very nutritious food for the fuftenance of the body of man. It is also a sweetener of the blood, and an antidote to poifon. In the fame manner thofe facred oracles of God's righteous will, afford the most perfect and excellent inftruction, the richeft food for the foul or spirit of man. They direct him in the path in which he fhould walk, and in the ufe of the means by which he may recover from his fallen state. They teach and feed him with the knowledge, fear, and love of God, and an entire fubmiffion and holy obedience to the divine will. They fill him with patience, hope, faith, and comfort, under the deepest afflictions: they prepare his foul for a life of eternal happiness, and are antidotes against the poifon of all manner of evil. Zechariah, in his prophecy of the restoration of the church, defcribes them by the metaphor of "the two anointed ones," or (as the

*

Chap. xvii. 14.

Chap. iv. 3. 14.

E

Hebrew

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