"fand of the fea. And they went up on the "breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp "of the faints about, and the beloved city: and "fire came down from God out of heaven, and "devoured them," Rev. xx. 7.-9. This account is fhort, because the fame enemy of the church, had been already largely described by the Old-Teftament prophets. This serves chiefly to note the time of his appearance in the world.

The prophet Ezekiel gives a minute account of the enemy by the fame name, chap. xxxviii. and xxxix. throughout. No doubt some of the moft eminent commentators on the Apocalypfe, as Mede and Newton, apply the description of the prophet to a different period, and to quite another perfon than this mentioned by the Apostle: However, a minute examination and comparison of both paffages, muft convince the unprejudiced that they refer to the fame perfon:

1. The prophet repeatedly enforces on Judea, that a long period of time fhould intervene betwixt the prediction and the accomplishment of it. "After many days thou shalt be vifited: in "the latter years thou fhalt come into the land," (Ezek. xxxviii. 8.) "It fhall be in the latter

days," ver. 16. " Art thou he of whom I have

fpoken in old time by my fervants,-which "prophefied in those days many years, that I "would bring thee against them?" ver. 17. Gog and his army are "to come up against the peo

ple

"ple of Ifrael, as a cloud to cover the land" of Judea, ver. 16. And this circumftance not only refutes the application of the prophecy to times and events already past, but likewise directs our attention to the laft event predicted, that which immediately precedes the general refurrection, and last judgment, with which the apostle has explicitly connected it.

2. The prophet carefully notes another circumstance relative to the time of Gog's appearance, that the Jews fhould then be in poffeffion of their own land, after a long difperfion. "Thou shalt come into the land that is brought "back from the fword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Ifrael, "which have been always wafte: but it is

brought forth out of the nations," Ezek. xxxviii. 8. "to turn thine hand upon the defo"late places that are now inhabited, and upon "the people that are gathered out of the na❝tions," ver. 12. This circumftance, in conjunction with that mentioned in the preceding paragraph, clearly demonstrates, that the prophet has an eye to the re-fettlement of the Jews in their own land, after their prefent difperfion. Now, from the time the Jews go up to take poffeffion of their native land, until the day of judgment, the Apocalypfe fhews, that no memorable battle is fought betwixt the members of the church and her enemies, excepting two, the bat

tle

tle of Armageddon immediately before the Millennium, and the battle of Gog and Magog immediately after it; therefore, the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel, muft refer to one or other of these. But there are other circumftances in the relation, which effectually prevent the application of it to the battle of Armageddon; and therefore the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel, and of St. John, must be the fame.

First, The prophet represents the Jews in poffeffion of their land previous to the invasion of Gog; but they only take poffeffion by the battle of Armageddon, and were not in poffeffion before it was fought.

Secondly, He represents them as dwelling at eafe, not dreading an enemy, nor prepared for an attack; "And thou fhalt fay, I will go up "to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to "them that are at reft, that dwell fafely, all of "them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates," Ezek. xxxviii. 11. This can by no means apply to Armageddon, for at that time they are reprefented as being aware of the preparation of their enemies; yea, as being trained up and employed as the inftruments in God's hand, to fubdue them.

Thirdly, He represents them as wealthy, poffeffed of cattle and goods in abundance. "To "turn their hand upon the people which have 66 gotten

gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the "midst of the land, haft thou gathered thy com-'

pany to take a prey? to carry away filver and "gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take "a great spoil, Ezek. xxxviii. 12, 13. All this fuppofes them to have been long in poffeffion of their own land. Both the facred and the prophane hiftorians fhew, that wealth is not the attainment of an infant ftate; it is a bleffing acquired by a course of years. This reprefentation, therefore, cannot apply to the battle of Armageddon.

Fourthly, The prophet represents the Jews on the defence in the invasion of Gog, and their enemies on the offenfive. This is obvious from the whole ftrain of the narrative; but in the battle of Armageddon, the enemies of the church are on the defence, (see vial 6.) and the Jews on the offenfive, (see Rev. xix. 11.); therefore, the Gog of Ezekiel, and the battle of Armaged-" don cannot relate to the fame event.

But all these circumftances fitly apply to the Gog and Magog of St. John. The time of their invasion is at the end of the Millennium, when the Jews have been a thousand years in poffeffion of their native land. During all that period, univerfal peace prevails, and therefore they dread no enemy;-outward profperity abounds, and therefore they have cattle and goods; love and communion subsist betwixt them and the 3 M Gentile

Gentile church, and therefore they are not difpofed to make any hoftile attack.

Bishop Newton allows, that the prophecy of Ezekiel and this of St. John, remain yet to be accomplished, and cannot be abfolutely certain, that they may not both relate to the fame event, but thinks it more probable that they relate to different events'. I fhall juft glance at his reafons, "The one is expected to take effect be"fore, but the other will not take effect till af"ter the Millennium." To this a fufficient answer has been given in the observations already made, on the time of Gog's appearance.

Gog and Magog are faid exprefsly to come "from the north quarters and the north parts; "but in St. John, they come from the four quar"ters, or corners of the earth. Gog and Ma

gog, in Ezekiel, bend their forces against the "Jews refettled in their native land; but in St. "John, they march up against the faints, and "church of God in general."

Thefe circumftances do not contradict but illuftrate each other. Some of those which the Prophet had omitted, the Apostle mentions; and or thers which the Prophet had mentioned, the Apostle omits. May we not fuppofe, that the leader of this vaft army comes from the north quarters, and yet that multitudes of a fimilar fpi

rit

(1) Newton's Diff. on Prophecies.