such victory obtained, as this destruction of Gog and Magog doth import: no such, as the success and issue of that famous battle of Armageddon, which some would have to be past; though there is after that, a later destruction of Gog and Magog manifestly spoken of in the 20th of the Revelations. But for such, as would have that famous battle to be already past; that which they pitch upon as most probable, was that great battle between Constantine and Maxentius; the victory of the former over the latter by less than an 100,000 men, against the other opposing him with almost double that number. And it must be acknowledged, that that was a very great victory, and of very great concernment unto the Christian church: but no way at all correspondent, either unto what is foretold concerning the thing itself in these prophecies of Ezekiel; or unto the consequent events upon what is said of the battle of Armageddon, in Kev. 16. 16. There was no such continued peaceful state, that did ensue to the church after that victory. There was indeed a calm and serenity in Constantine's time, mixed with a great deal of internal trouble within the church itself, and which increased upon it more afterwards, and so still unto greater degrees for several centuries of years; as we shall have occasion to take notice more upon another head. There was no such flourishing state of religion that did ensue, answerable to the expression of the text, "I have poured out my Spirit upon them, saith the Lord God." And so there was not a happy state, made up by the conjunction and concurrence of the things which must concur. There was in Constantine's time, and after, much of tranquillity, by the cessation of persecution from without; but there was less of the life and vigour and power of religion. That appeared a great deal more eminently in the suffering state and condition of the church; and prosperity was too hard for religion, much more than adversity had been; as all, that know any thing of the history of those times, know. There hath been no such eminent destruction of the church's enemies; no such internal tranquillity and peace within the church itself; no such lively vigorous flourishing state of religion by the pouring forth of the Spirit; there hath been no such concurrence of these, as to make up that measure and degree of happiness of the church, that is here plainly foretold.

(2.) For the permanency and duration of such a happy state of things, it is apparent, that they fall unspeakably short of making any thing out to that purpose, who would have the things to be past that are here spoken of. It is a duration of a thousand years; that seems referred unto as the measure of that happy state that is here foretold; if you compare these pro

phecies of Ezekiel with those that seem so very much akin to them in the book of the Revelations, especially the 20th chapter. Even those, that would have these things to be past, do acknowledge these prophecies to refer unto one time and one state, unto one sort of enemies, and unto the church of God considered under one and the same notion, that is, the Christian church. But the difficulty is very great to assign the beginning, and consequently the period, of such a thousand

years.

For my own part, I will not assert any of these following things. Either, first, That that thousand years doth precisely and punctually mean such a limited interval of time; however more probable it may seem that it doth so, and though it be confessed to do so by them that would have these things to be past. Nor, secondly, That Christ shall personally appear, as some are bold to assert, at the battle of Armageddon; and that he shall personally reign afterwards upon the earth for a thou sand years. Nor, thirdly, That there will be any resurrection, before that time do commence, of the bodies of departed saints. Nor, fourthly, That the happiness of that time shall consist in sensual enjoyments: which was the conceit of Cerinthus and his followers; and which caused the Millenaries to pass under the name of so odious a sect of old, by those who had taken notice of them, Epiphanius, and Austin after him, and others: for they reckoned the felicity of those times should very much consist in a voluptuous life, that persons should have every thing to the full that should be grateful to their sense, all opportunity to indulge appetite, and the like. And least of all, fifthly, That in this state of things the saints as such, shall have any power or right given them in the properties of other men; or that there shall be a disturbing and overturning of ranks and orders in civil societies. I do not think, that any of these things are confidently to be asserted; and for the two last, they carry no other face, than of things to be abhorred and detested.

But I conceive that thousand years to intend a very long and considerable interval or tract of time, wherein the state and condition of the church shall be peaceful and serene and happy; but especially (as we shall have occasion more to shew bereaf ter,) by a large communication of the Holy Ghost, that shall make men have very little mind to this world, and very little seek such a thing as serving secular interests, and pleasing and gratifying their senses and sensual inclinations.

And that this state of things is not yet past. So much, I think, we may with some confidence assert: that is, there is not such a state of things, of such a constitution as that where

of you have heard, that hath been in any such permanency, as that thousand years, though not strictly taken, yet must rationally be understood to signify. They, that would have such a thousand years to be already past, are in very great difficulties about the commencement of it. Some would have it to begin with the beginning of Constantine's reign, and so to end proportionably from that day to a thousand years strictly; for just so much time. And others would place the beginning of that time a considerable while after; a hundred, or a hundred and forty, or a hundred and fifty years after; that is, from the time of the taking and sacking of Rome by Alaricus and his Goths; or by Gensericus and his Vandals; until which destructions, the latter especially, Rome did continue pagan, though the empire was in Christian hands; and that therefore this thousand years, wherein Satan is said to be bound, began after that paganism was quite extirpated and banished from Rome and yet those that go that way, still more, incline to the former account. If so, certainly such things must be acknowledged to have fallen within the compass of the thousand years, as the limits of them are set among themselves, as we would think very ill to agree with a state of things, wherein Satan should be bound. According to the former account, that persecution by Julian must come within it: it is true indeed that was not of long continuance, nor very bloody; but a nubecula, (as Athanasius said of it,) that would soon pass over; yet it was a very manifest prejudice that he did to the Christian interest, by those cunning arts he used in his time; far more prejudice, than had been done it by the bloody persecutions of former times; as may sufficiently appear by a view of the state of things in those days, when it was not so much as permitted the children of christians to be taught any of the learned languages. They were particularly forbidden to be taught the greek: upon which occasion I remember Gregory Nazianzen hath this expression, "But I hope though we may not speak greek, we may be allowed to speak truth; and while we may be allowed to do so, as long as we have tongues, we will never forbear speaking." But it was a great check, that was put upon the interest of Christianity by that means; and very unlikely to be so soon after the commencement of the thousand years. And besides that, all the dreadful persecution of the orthodox by the arians immediately falls in; "who persecuted the orthodox" (as one speaks writing of those times,) "sævius & durius, a great deal more harshly, more severely, more horridly, than ever the pagans had done before them; when even all the world was against Athanasius, and he alone was forced to sustain the brunt of the whole world:" very

unlike to a time, wherein the devil was bound! And then falls in with the same time that strange and portentous growth of the Mahometan religion and was that too, while Satan was bound? And in the Christian church, the greatest tyranny among the church-governors, the greatest stupidity for several centuries of years among the priests and clergy, the greatest viciousness and debauchery among the generality of the people, that we can possibly tell how to frame an imagination of. Besides, that within the same compass of time must fall out the bloody massacres of the poor Waldenses, about the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries. Certainly, if all this while Satan was bound, we can never think of a time, when he was loose. And therefore, in point of permanency, there hath been no such continuing happy state to the church, as yet past and over, which these predictions do most plainly refer unto. And therefore we have the thing first proposed I conceive in good measure cleared, that there is a state yet to come of very great tranquillity and prosperity to the church of God for some considerable tract of time.

I cannot now stand to apply this according to what it challenges; these two things I shall only for the present hint to you.

1. This being a matter revealed in the word of God, out faith ought to have an exercise upon it. We should believe, that there is such a state of things yet to come, and have affections raised in our hearts proportionable unto such a revelation. It would be unreasonable to say, that we are to be affected with nothing but what is present, and comes under our notice by way of experience, our own experience, contrary to the temper which Abraham discovered, who rejoiced in the foresight of Christ's day, then so very far off. Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad. John 8.

We should foresee such a state of things with gladness; our hearts should be comforted upon the apprehension of it. If we can have no enjoyment of future mercies that are designed unto the church of God, how should there have been any enjoyment of past mercies unto them that have lived long after? We find that to have been the temper of the people of God of old, that they have much enjoyed and lived upon ancient mercies, mercies long ago past; as you may see in such memorials, as you have in the 105th, and 106th psalms, and in other places of Scripture. I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. Psal 77. 10. What triumphs and exultations do you oftentimes meet with, in the book of Psalms, upon the account of the destruction of Pharaoh, and his Egyptians, in the red sea, and the conduct of the people

of Israel through the wilderness? Why, if memory will serve to fetch former mercies into our present enjoyment; certainly faith should serve to fetch future mercies unto our present enjoyment too, and give us the taste and relish of them.

2. We should take encouragement hence against the present horrid atheism and wickedness, that doth so affront the interest of religion at this day. We are too much apt to pass our judgment upon things by very undue measures; to judge by the present sight of our own eye, that that is well which we apprehend, or which carries a sensible appearance with it of being well for the present; but to forget, that it is always somewhat future, that must give a determination unto that which is simply best or otherwise; that a judgment is not to pass, till we come to the end of things, till we see what will become of matters in their final issue. There will be a day of distinguishing, even in this world, in point of the external favours of providence, between them that fear the Lord, and them that fear him not. And though now the spirit of atheism be insolent, so as it never was in any age, no not so much in any Pagan nation; and that where the Christian name is professed, even amongst ourselves; do we think therefore that atheists and their religion shall carry the cause? No; if we will but frame to ourselves the prospect, which the word of God gives us an advantage and warrant to do, it would guide our judgments much another way; to think, that that must need be the better side and the better part, which shall be successful and prevailing at last. It is most eligible to be on that side, which shall finally prosper, when God comes to lay claim to us, to challenge our help in bearing a witness to his name and truth and holy ways; "Come, who will take part with me against an ungodly race of men? Who will be reli

gious in this irreligious age? Who fear God, when it is. counted matter of reproach, and an argument of a weak and crazy spirit, for men to fear and dread an invisible Being?" It would help your resolution much, would you think in this case, that there will be a time when God shall be visibly owned in the world, and when it shall cease to be a reproachful thing to be a religious man, a fearer of the Lord.