formed, but injured characters; while the unjust afperfions, which the partifans of the other fide threw upon them, fhall rebound upon their own heads, with double juftice and double vengeance.

This is the view of the comparative fituation. of the church of Chrift and of the church of Rome, which is given in this book and in the prophecies of Daniel, which are, by it, unfolded. During this period, Chriftians are like witneffes; they declare the truth as in the presence of God and accountable to him. They are misrepresented by those whofe prejudices, worldly interefts, and paffions, engage them on the fide of error. They are called heretics, weak men, wild men, fools, artful hypocrites. As bad things are faid of them as were faid of Chrift himself, and the children of the devil could pronounce nothing worfe, nor could the devil himfelf with all his fkill and malice dictate any thing worse. Some take one fide of the queftion, and others take the other. Some, with the fe witneffes, fay, that that fyftem of religion which is taught in the facred fcriptures alone, is the religion of Jefus, the kingdom of God; that kingdom which is not meats and drinks, but righteoufnefs and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft; whilst great multitudes fay, that that religion which is taught in the church of Rome is the true religion of Jefus, the kingdom of God. From the commencement of this period to the prefent day, fuch hath

been

been the conduct of the votaries of both churches, and fuch fhall be their conduct to the end of it. But when at the end of it, the Papal hierarchy fhall be completely and finally overthrown; and all the kingdoms of the world fhall become the kingdom of our God and of his Chrift, then the decifive judgement of God, the fole object of all religious worship, and the only infallible Judge of controverfies, fhall fhew to the whole world, that thefe witneffes have through the whole of that period declared the truth. Thus, in the fymbolical or prophetic language, the end of this period when the Papal hierarchy fhall be finally overthrown, and the Chriftian church established in purity, peace, and triumph, over the whole world, is ftiled the judgement of God. Chap. xiv. 7. "Fear God "and give glory to him, for the hour of his

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judgement is come."

Chap. xx. 4. " And I faw thrones, and they fat upon them, and judge"ment was given unto them." Chap. xix. 2. "For "true and righteous are his judgements; for he "hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornications, and hath avenged the blood of his faints at her hands." See alfo Daniel vii. 23,-27.

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These witneffes are two, not to fignify any two particular persons, or any two churches, but to fignify, first, that during this period the votaries of Chriftianity fhould be comparatively few; and fe

condly,

condly, that they fhould be fufficient to bear evidence to the truth of Chriftianity. Two is a very fmail number; but the concurring teftimony of two good witneffes is as legal and fufficient evidence as that of 200, or any given number.

During that period, the witneffes for the truth as it is in Christ should be few, but ftill they should be a fufficient number to atteft and prove it. We are not to fuppofe that true Chriftians, reprefented by these two witneffes, were to be equally few duing the whole of this period. The contrary is evident from the hieroglyphic. At first their num ber and power is greater; gradually they become lefs; then they increase again, and continue to increafe to the end of the period. At first their power is marked in strong terms, verfes 4th, 5th, and 6th; their number and power greatly diminish; they are killed; they lie dead three days and an half, verfes 7th, 8th, 9th, and oth; then they greatly increafe, and go on increafing to the end. They become alive, ftand on their feet, and ascend to heaven in a cloud, verfes 11th, 12th..

Thefe witneffes are to prophefy 1260 days in fackcloth. They are faid to prophesy, not because they fhall predict new and diftant events in confe. quence of the power of divine inspiration upon their minds, but because in confequence of that information which they have received from God through the means of the facred fcriptures, and the

gracious

gracious and ordinary illumination of their minds by his Spirit qualifying them for perceiving the true meaning of fcripture, they firmly believe and openly profefs that God will judge and avenge his church even in this world; that the religion which is from God cannot be overthrown by men and devils: and that Chrift's kingdom fhall undoubtedly come at the time and in the manner predicted in the facred fcriptures. Like thofe of the prophets of God, their declarations will be despised by many as idle dreams, and they shall be hated and perfecuted.

"Clothed in fackcloth." The period of their prophefying shall be one of perfecution and mourning. But at the end of the 1243 years, all their declarations and hopes fhall be fully accomplished, and the days of their mourning fhall end for ever.

They are denominated "The two olive trees "and the two candlesticks ftanding before the "God of all the earth." In the fymbolical language, candlesticks fignify churches, chap. i. 20. "And the seven candlesticks which thou fawest, "are the feven churches." The lamps which burn in these candlesticks must be fupplied with oil. The largeft quantity of oil would be exhaufted by long and conftant confumption. Hence, as oil is made of olives, olive trees are neceffary to fupply, by their annual crops, the annual wafte of

oil in the lamps by burning. The two olive trees therefore fignify, that that God, who in the course of his providence preferves the vegetable life, and by the growth of vegetables fupplies that vegetable food which is conftantly needed for the prefervation of man and beaft, fhall, by his providence and grace, effectually provide for the fupport, illumination, and comfort of his church during this period, in fpite of all the power, cunning, and malice of Rome.

They are faid to stand before the God of all the earth, because they do not fignify any particular conftituted churches, but because they fignify the church univerfal, the true Catholic church which confifts of every individual perfon, of whatever outward or visible church he may be through the whole earth, whom God knows to be his true worshipper and fervant, and who names the name of Chrift and departs from evil.

Such in the fymbolical language is the meaning of two candlesticks and two olive trees ftanding before the God of all the earth, when ufed abfolutely, and without any other reference than that which by the term two is evidently made to the two witnesses mentioned in the preceding verfe, of whom it is faid, "these are the two candlesticks and the two olive trees." But they are here used in reference to, and as a citation from, fome well known writing, in which mention is made of two VOL. I. candlesticks

3 B