nations who sprang from Magog his fecond, Tubal his fifth, Mefhech his fixth fon, and Togarmah his grandfon, by his oldest fon Gomer.

What particular nations thefe shall be, at the end of the year of Chrift 3000, is not fully agreed by learned men, who have turned their attention to this fubject. But the best founded opinion is, that the Sythians are defcended from Magog. It is alfo faid, that the Mogul Tartars, a people of the Scythian race, are fill called Magog by the Arabian writers, who beyond the writers of every other country have preferved ancient names and cufftoms. That they fhall be a northern nation Ezekiel plainly declares in chap. xxxviii. 15. “And "thou fhalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou and many people with thee."

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This he predicts of Gog in the latter days, verses 14, 15, 16. Hence, it is highly probable that Gog and Magog fignify the Mogul Tartars, and certain that they fignify thofe nations, be who they will, who fall in fact be the lineal defcendants of Magog, Tubal, Mefhech, and Togarmah, at the end of the millennium.

Both Ezekiel and John, predict that some other nations, befides these northern ones, fhall be ftirred up by the devil to the fame war. In verfe 8. John fays," and he fhall go out to deceive the nations, who are in the four quarters of the earth; garan, the word in the original, which is tranfla

ted

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ted quarters, fignifies corners, that is remote and obfcure parts of the earth, and is with propriety oppofed to πλατος της γης. There nations Ezekiel calls, chap. xxxviii, 5. Perfia, Ethiopia, and Lybia." In great numbers as the fand of the sea, these nations shall attack the Chriftians, especially those of them who fhall then be living in the land of Canaan and city of Jerufalem. But they shall be suddenly and totally destroyed, most probably partly by fire from the heavens, as a mark of the divine displeasure for their great wickedness in re-kindling in the world thefe wars and contentions, which proceed from the lufts of men fet on fire from hell. At least fuch fhall be the manner of their complete overthrow, as to convince the whole world that they are destroyed by God himself, whether mediately or immediately, and for ever to banish war and bloodfhed from the face of the earth.

This alfo is the laft effort, which the devil fhall make to deceive and difturb the world. When they are conquered, he shall be remanded to hell, from whence he fhall never return. He and his fervants, especially those who have been most active under him in deceiving the world, and oppofing the truth as it is in Jefus, fhall be tormented day and night forever.

From Ezekiel chap. xxxix, it is evident that this world fhall not end immediately on the overthrow

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of Gog and Magog, and the fecond and final im. prifonment of Satan in hell. For in verfe 14, we are informed in what manner Chriftians fhall be employed for feven months, and in verfe 9, how they fhall be employed for feven years, after the total defeat of Gog and Magog. For the remaining years of the world, truth, righteousness, peace, and joy, fhall prevail without much interruption from wicked men or devils. When thefe years fhall end, it is not for us to fay, because it is not revealed. "That day knoweth no man, not e

ven the angels in heaven, but God only. The "fecret things belong to the Lord our God: but "thofe things, which are revealed belong to us." Let us never difcover our folly by attempting to be wife above what is written.

Verfes 11th-15th. And I faw a great white throne, and him that fat on it, from whofe face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I faw the dead, fmall and great, ftand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of thofe things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the fea gave up the dead which were in it; and

death

death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were caft into the lake of fire: this is the fecond death. And whofoever was not found written in the book of life, was caft into the lake of fire.

This hieroglyphic predicts and defcribes the general and final judgement of the world, and the confequences of it. By the great white throne, and him that fat upon it, is reprefented the majef ty, purity, and final nature of this judgement. A throne is the fymbol of fupreme dominion, rather than of judgement. But from the context, particularly verfe 12, it is perfectly clear that this throne is the fymbol for judgement. This fymbol is used with peculiar propriety to fignify the final judgement. A judgement from the throne in any government is at once fupreme and final. There is no higher tribunal to which an appeal can be carried, and no perfon who can grant a pardon. The Judge of all the earth is the supreme Sovereign of the univerfe; there is no higher tribunal than his to which the condemned finner can appeal. Neither is there any king to pardon the condemned criminal, becaufe God the judge is King, and it is God only who can forgive fin. All

the

the fentences which fhall be passed at that awful day fhall be final.

This throne is great. Great on account of the Judge, the great God of heaven and of earth ;-of his attendants, myriads of glorious angels;-of the number and characters of those who shall be judged; all the men who have lived in every age and country of the world, however diverfified in their fituations, ftations, advantages, and characters, and on account of the fentences which fhall be paffed of final, unfpeakable, and eternal blifs or misery.

This great throne is white. White is the fymbol for purity, as hath been uniformly fhewn in this book. The whole of this judgement shall be conducted with the most perfect purity and juftice. When God is the judge, we may be perfectly certain that this fhall be the cafe. All the divine perfections unite in affuring us, that he whofe natural, intellectual, and moral perfections are all infinitely, immutably, and effentially perfect cannot pass a wrong fentence either through error, intention, or compulfion. The Judge of all the earth must ever do that which is right. Even those persons who fhall be condemned will be obliged to acknowledge the juftice of the fentence and the purity of the Judge. The juftice of the divine procedure at that awful day is very particularly defcribed in Rom. ii. 2. 16. That paffage the

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