rarchies, mentioned Eph. 6. 12. Moreover, v. 9. The Meat-Offering, and the Drink-Offering is cut off from the Houfe of the Lord. This may be upon a double Account. First, In refpect of the Famine, and decay of the Fruits of the Earth, fo that there will not be Corn and Wine enough for the Continuation of fuch Offerings. And, 2dly, In refpect of Antichrift, who will not fuffer fuch Oblations to be made, but take away the daily Sacrifice, according to Daniel, Chap. 8. 11, 12. Which is another Argument that the Vermin, v. 4. and the ftrong and innumerable Nation, v. 6. is the Army of Antichrift; as the Meat-Offering and Drink-Offering is the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Chrift. V. 11, 12. faith Joel, Be ye ashamed ye Husbandmen, bowl O ye Vine-dreffers, &c. because the Harvest of the Field is perished, the Vine is dried up... Whence it appears, that

this Antichriftian overflow will be in Autumn; which is alfo confirmed by Jer. 8. 13, 16, 20. Myftically it expreffes the laft Times, when the Fulness of Bleffings (expreffed by Harvest or Autumn) is expected. Chap. 2. v. 1. Blow the Trumpet, Sound an Alarm; the firft gathers the Congregation together, and the latter founds an Alarm against the Enemy, Numb. 10. 7, 9. and ferve both here to advise of the coming of the Enemy, and to gather the Congregation to the Temple to afflict their Souls. This great Sounding before the Day of Affliction, answers to the Feast of Trumpets on the first Day of the Seventh Month,

which

which precedes the great Day of Humiliation on the Tenth; and fhews that a Miniftry will go forth to convince the World of Sin, Ifa. 58. 1. call them to a folemn Repentance and Humiliation, and forewarn them and prepare them against the coming of Antichrift, that they may be ready to oppose him. V. 2. A Day of Darknefs, &c. See Zeph. 1. 15. A Fire devoureth before them, and behind them a Flame burneth. Hence it appears, that they are the fame with the Judgments mentioned before, Chap. 1. v. 4. otherwife the Land devoured by thofe, could not have been as Eden before the Face of thefe. The Fire may be Oával, and the Flame "Ads, which are reprefented marching together in the Northern Army, Rev. 6. 8. compared with Zech. 6.3, 6. Ifa. 28. 15, 18. It is obfervable in the fame Place of the Revelations, that Oaval and "Ads, or the Northern Army, deftroy by Four Means, ἔν ῥαμφάιᾳ, ἐν λιμῷ, v davare, and od 7 Ineiwr i ys which, as they are the fame mention'd Ezek. 14. 21. fo may they very well correfpond to the Four Kinds of Evils enumerated Joel Chap. 1. 4. it being certain that Antichrift, the End and Accomplishment of the Four Beafts, contains in himself, and comes in the Properties of all the Four, Rev. 13. 2.

V. 4. The Appearance of them is as the Appearance of Horfes, Jer. 6. 23. 8. 16. As Horsemen fo fhall they run, Ezek. 28. 4, 15. Hab. 1. 8. Expreffions denoting their Strength and Agility.

V.S.

7.5. He fays, They fhall be like the noife of
Flame of Fire that devoureth the Stubble.
e Prophet Nahum fays, they fhall feem
→ Torches, they fhall run like Light-
g, Chap. 2.4. Fire, Flame, Lightnings, &c. * Seelf.9.5,
ng common Metaphors in Scripture, to 1o. 17.50.
prefs the Powers of both the light
-k World *.

18.4.4.

and 11.

Zech. 2. 5.
Mal.3.2.
Ecclus. 3.

V.7,8. They fhall run like mighty Men:
ey fhall climb the Wall like Men of War, &c. 6, 7.
ere is an Account of their affaulting and Mat. 3.11.
king Jerufalem; under which alfo may Luke 11.
comprehended and understood the other 18.
ities belonging to the Church of Chrift.
here is, v. 8. one very remarkable Ex-
-effion which doth strongly exprefs their
[agical Power, that when they fall upon
e Sword (or Dart) they shall not be wounded.
omething like that Privilege granted by
ir Lord to his Apoftles, Luke 10. 19. That
othing fhould by any means hurt them.
Mark 16. 18. If they fhould drink Poyfon,

fhould not hurt them. That Jerufalem hall be taken in this laft and great Invaon, is evident from Zech. 14. 2. Rev.

I. 2.

Jews I hall have their City & Semiple ancient thirs

§ 18. IF Jerufalem is to be taken, it must of the be reftored, and the Temple rebuilt before taking his Invasion, and be inhabited by convert-m Jerufa ed Jews, as will appear by the fequel of his Prophecy. Now the Fathers who talk of Antichrift's fitting Blafphemously in the Temple at Ferufalem, as if he were God, do generally agree that both Temple and City fhould be rebuilt by Antichrift him-t + It is very remarkable self "Priestly, who is certaining a com sor of Antichrist, holds that the

་་

felf, Vid. Sulp. Sev. Dial, 2°. Cyril Hierof.
Cat. 15. 7. Hippolytus de Confum. p. 12.
Edit. Biblioth. Patrum &c. Upon what Au-
thority this Opinion was grounded, I am
not ab
to determine; but that it is erro-
nious I am verily perfwaded, particularly
by this Expofition of the Prophecy of
Foel, which I believe the more it is confi-
dered, the more reasonable it will appear.
For thereby it is plain, that the Temple
fhall be ftanding, and the true Worshippers
affembled in it at the Approach of Anti-
chrift, Chap. 1. v. 18. Unless perhaps the
afore-mention'd Writers meant by Anti-
chrift, the Eastern falfe Prophet (whom
fome of them call by that Name) as he
that should rebuild the Temple, and place
the Image of the Western Beaft in it, which
is the Opinion of fome. But for my Part
I think it more probable, that both fhall
borebuilt by the Jews themselves, many
of whom no doubt fhall be converted by
the Miniftry that fhall go forth with the
Everlafting Gofpel a little before the great
Defolation, they being inftructed in fome
of thofe great Truths that have long been
hidden under the covering of Darkness
and Error, and finding how far Jerufalem
fhall be concerned in the great approach-
ing Revolution, fhall retire thither and
build up the City and Temple (the Turkish
Empire being perhaps at an End, or at
leaft fome of those Parts in the Hands of
the Christians) where the Chriftian Wor-
ship may be Celebrated in great Purity and

Exact

Exactnefs, as may be in a great Measure collected, Dan. 11. 31. where mention is made of the Daily Sacrifice (viz.) of the Body and Blood of Chrift, which fhall be then counted as an Effential Part of the Daily Worship, without which (as I before obferved) the Service of the Church is Imperfect. (See Mr. Mede's Chriftian Sacrifice.) Upon the approach of the Antichriftian Army an Alarm is Sounded, and' Advice is given upon the Ceffation of the Daily Sacrifice by reafon of the scarcenefsinni of Provifions occafion'd by the Multitude of the Armies, and perhaps by a Curfe flowing from these Magicians on all fides; upon this (I fay) advice is given, Chap. 1. v. 13. to the Priests to gird themselves and Lament, to lie all Night (or Day and Night) in Sackcloath, to Sanctifie a Faft, to call a Solemn Affembly, to gather the Elders, and all the Inhabitants of the Land, &c. i. e. to humble themselves, that they may be worthy to escape this Curfe, and enjoy the following Bleffings. v 14. See Zeph. 2, 3. From v. 14. it plainly appears, that upon the beginning of the Invafion, before the City fhall be taken, the Daily Sacrifice fhall be cut off, that being the Signal for the great Humiliation. Chap. 1. 9, 13, &c. The Fruit of this great Humiliation is v. 18 of the Second Chap. that God will be jealous for his Land, and Pity his People. By which it cannot be fuppofed to be meant that God will immediately oblige the Enemy to retire from Jerufalem; no, the City fhall

be