very great." "The Lord is a man of war; the Lord of hosts is his name. "He rideth upon the heavens by the name Jah." "He bowed the heavens, and came down; darkness was under his feet, and he did ride upon the wings of the winds." See the view given of Christ, in the first seal, Rev. vi. 2; to which the riding forth of Christ in our text is very similar, but is a rich improvement in imagery, as this battle of the great day was clearly typified by the destruction of the Jews in that seal. The scene of this riding forth of Jesus Christ in our text, has been so frequently brought to view in the preceding pages, that less need here to be said. His white horse of victory, his flaming eye of omniscience, his crown denoting him as the King of kings; his unknown name of infinite divinity!("no man knoweth the Son but the Father;") the bloody vestments of his works of vengeance now on hand, his accompanying armies on white horses of victory, denoting the church, and perhaps her guardian angels-"the mountains were full of horses and chariots of fire, round about Elisha"); the sharp sword from Christ's mouth, indicating the fatal power of his word against his enemies;-and his name in capitals on his vesture and on his thigh, as the binding on of the whole armor! these are emblems of vast significance in the presentation of Jesus Christ, as riding forth to meet his enemies in the battle of that great day of God in our text. The blood and slaughter indicated by the standing of an angel in the sun, and with a loud voice calling on all carnivorous fowls to come to a great supper which God would prepare for them, will exceed every thing of the kind ever before known. This stroke rests on Ezek. xxxix. 17-20; which we may view as its parent text, inviting all beasts and fowls to convene on the same occasion, to eat the flesh of kings and captains, and of vast slaughter. The two passages allude to the same time and event.*

* That Gog in Ezek., chapters 38 and 39, and the beast from the bottomless pit, are the same, may appear from the following:

1. If this Gog be another power, distinct from the last head of the Roman beast; then we have in the prophecies a fifth notable monarchy upon the earth, contending with the church. For Gog is a most notable power, that collects innumerable hosts from at least three-quarters of the world, in a furious array against the people of God; as may be seen in these chapters of Ezekiel. But the prophecies admit of but four such notable hostile monarchies before the Millennium. This is distinctly decided in the great image, Dan. ii.; and the four great beasts, Dan. vii. Such a fifth power then, cannot be admitted.

The remainder of the chapter of our text is so expressive and definite, and the subject has, in these pages, been so

2. The Gog of Ezekiel is a power just antecedent to the Millennium. This is manifest in the whole description of this power, and of his deeds in these chapters of Ezekiel. Gog here attacks the Jews soon after their return from their long dispersion. And upon the destruction of Gog and his bands upon the mountains of Israel, the Jews enter upon their millennial glory. Hence this is a distinct power from the Gog in Rev. xx., that rises at the close of the Millennium. The fact is, the latter (being but an apostasy over the face of the earth) derives his name from the latter; being, in the figure, "the rest of the dead,' or old Antichrist raised to life again, and raised under this distinctive name, in which he goes into perdition just before the Millennium.

3. Gog and the last head of the Roman beast, are the same power found described in the ancient prophets. The prophets unitedly present a great wicked power, to be destroyed in the battle of the great day of God. And we find the same allusion is had to these ancient prophecies, both in the case of Gog, and of the Roman beast; which shows them to be the same. See instances of this fact;-Ezek. xxxviii. 17, and on, "Thus saith the Lord God, Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old times by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days many years, that I would bring thee against them?" Here we find that Gog is not a little accidental power, rising for once in some northern region. But he is a great and notable dynasty, long predicted by the prophets of Israel to come against Israel in the last days. But surely this description applies only to the Roman beast. See Dan. ii. 40-45; and vii. 19-26; and other prophets, which testify to the same event, of God's gathering the nations, and assembling the kingdoms (at the time of the restoration of the Jews), as a coalition against them in Palestine. Turn to Joel iii. 1, 2; Zeph. iii. 8, 9; Zech. xii. 9, and xiv. 2, &c., &c. But in the Revelation we are assured that all this is fulfilled by the last head of the secular Roman beast, as has been shown. In Rev. x. 7, where the seventh trumpet is spoken of (manifestly the same event with the destruction of Gog), the event is said to be only "as God hath declared to his servants the prophets." And the seventh vial poured upon the Roman beast, Rev. xvi. 14, is only "the battle of THAT great day of God Almighty," as a day well known in the prophets.

4. Gog and the last head of the Roman beast are found precisely alike, in arms against the people of God, at the same time and place, and both sink under the same destruction. Gog goes into perdition in a conflict with the Jews restored to Palestine. See Ezek. xxxviii. 18, to the end; and xxxix. Turn then to Dan. ii. 34, 35; and vii. 11, 26, 27; Rev. xix. 19-21; and xvii. 8; and xvi. 10, to the end; and xiv. 14, to the end; and you find the same destruction, at the same period, of the last head of the Roman beast. The time and circumstances of this signal destruction decide that the power then destroyed, or Gog and the Roman beast, must be the same. Possibly a reason why the Roman beast should, at last, be denominated Gog, will be better understood when this power, "that was, and is not, and yet is," shall again rise into his last and terrible destination. Gog is a natural abbreviation of Magog; and may be understood as the name of a mighty dynasty of the descendants of Magog, in the last days. Magog was a son of Japhet, and grandson of Noah. His descendants peopled ancient Scythia, which lay east and north of the Euxine and

often noted, that little need here to be added. This is the great battle, which occupies a great portion of the prophetic scriptures. The following are several out of scores of texts which predict this battle, and its result; and may here suffice. "Thus saith the Lord, Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies. The destruction of the transgressors shall be together. The strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them." "He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." "Behold the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and with fierce anger; to lay the land (earth) desolate, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it." "The foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down-is clean dissolved. It shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and it shall fall, and not rise again. Then shall the moon be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.'

Caspian seas, north of Syria; thence they spread and peopled the vast regions of Tartary. They peopled the north of Europe and Asia for 5,000 miles. "There can be no doubt (says Guthrie) that the Scandinavians (inhabitants of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) were by origin Scythians." The descendants of ancient Magog, we find, under the names of Scythians, Tartars, Moguls, Turks, Goths, Vandals, Huns, Franks, and others, have made the most terrible ravages in the earth. Different tribes of them, in the early ages, overran a considerable part of Asia and Europe. Hordes of these northern barbarians ravaged the kingdoms in the south of Europe, in the fourth and fifth centuries; as was shown under the first four of the apocalyptic trumpets. These barbarous tribes planted themselves in Italy, France, Spain, Hungary, and others of those nations, and gave to some of them their names; as France, from the Franks. Those territories then, as well as regions in the north, whence they came, may be called Gog, the land of Magog. Gog is called "the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal." These were brethren of Magog; and their descendants probably were intermingled. Meshech peopled Cappadocia and Armenia, whence they sent colonies to the north, who were called Muscovites. And Martin informs, that Tubal was the father of the Russians. We have thus a vast range in which to search for the dynasty of the last days, called Gog. A power rising in the south of Europe, or away in the north (the original habitation of Magog), may equally answer to the term.

LECTURE XXXV.

REVELATION XX.

Ver. 1. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city and fire came down from God, out of heaven, and de voured them.

10. And the devil that deceived them, was cast into the

lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand 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 those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Another signal descent of Christ is here given, as succeeding the battle of the great day,-to bind Satan. The devil as a strong man armed, has kept his palace through all heathen lands, and to a fatal degree in all the unconverted of our race. Gentile sacrifices are offered "to devils and not to God." And to instigate and receive this homage, Satan has gone "to and fro" in the earth. He has wrought in the children of disobedience, and led them captive at his will-"according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air." He is hence called the god of this world,-"blinding the eyes of men, and hiding the gospel from them." He who could paint on the human imagination of Christ "the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them in an instant of time," can now paint fatally on the imagination of sinners, and instigate the vilest delusions. And he will continue thus to do, till the Saviour "stronger than he" shall bind him, and deliver the prey of the mighty, who are then turned "from the power of Satan to God." After the battle of the great day, in which Satan's most warlike legions of infidelity, of popery, and of all that was found in open actual hostility to the church, shall have been plunged into perdition; Satan who deceived and led them, is himself noted as taken in hand by Jesus Christ himself and con