tory over this enemy, chap. xix. 1, &c. And among other things spoken of relating to the battle and victory obtained at Armageddon, ye have this account of the General and his victorious army, ver. 11, &c. And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he that fat on him was called faithful and true.-And he was clothed with a vefture dipt in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white borfes. And he treadeth the wine-prefs of the fierceness and wrath of God.—And I saw the beaft and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to fight with Him that fat on the horse, and against his army. And the beaft and the false prophet were taken—and both were caft alive into a lake of fire burning with brimftone. And the remnant were flain with the fword of him that fat upon the horse, which fword proceeded out of his mouth; and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. And now to return to the reprefentation of this flaughter, by the wine-prefs of blood, chap. xiv. 20, it is further faid of it, that it flowed to the height of the horse bridles, for the space or extent of 1600 furlongs. So that Armageddon seems to be denoted here, in the extent of it, as the

field

field of battle, which is now turned into a field of blood. Now what place can we imagine to be fo properly meant by this as the territory of the fee of Rome in Italy, which (as Mr. Jofeph Mede, who firft made this obfervation, fays) from the city of Rome to the furthermoft mouth of the Po and the Marshes of Verona, is extended the space of 200 Italian miles, that is exactly 1600 furlongs; the Italian mile confifting of eight furlongs. Now the Hebrew word Armageddon, or Harmageddon, may be juftly derived from лn, which fignifies both a malediction or anathema, and a deAtruction or flaughter, and 1, or more fully which fignifies an army or their army. So that both the anathemas darted against the faints by the Romanifts, and their armies made use of against them (all which proceeded from Rome papal), may be here alluded to, in the expiration of both their ecclefiaftical and temporal intereft. So that this conjecture upon the name does confirm that other of Mr. Mede, that the ftata della chiefa, or the territory and poffeffion of Italy belonging to the see of Rome, is the place called Armageddon, where the final deftruction of Anti-Chriftianifm will be. now, my friends, I have fulfilled my

,

And

+

promise to you, in giving you not only a refolution of the grand apocalyptical question, when the papacy began, and when we may suppose it will end: but fome confiderable improvement of it, with refpect to the knowledge not only of times past, but that particular period we are now under, together with conjectures (and fome of them I am fure new and uncommon) about future time. By all which I hope I have given the world fuch a key to unlock all the chambers of the book of the Revelation, as I hope I may venture to say (if confidered and ufed impartially, judiciously, and diligently), will be found to give fome new light to us in our mental journey through the mazes and turnings, and dark paffages thereof. And had I not been fo confined, as you may fee I have been, I might have cleared a great many other dark things in this prophecy. But, feeing I could not neglect this opportunity of presenting thefe thoughts to the world, as a new year and new age's gift at once, I do therefore hope you will the more easily excufe what may feem dark or defective in this difcourfe; as confidering how much I am straitened, not only as to the limits of paper I must keep to, but of time also.

Now

pre

Now feeing I have already given you a theoretical improvement of the question I have fented you with a refolution of, all that remains is to bring you from Speculations and notions to practice; that your thoughts may be fo feasoned with a serious and deep fenfe of your duty and intereft, that you may get advantage both by the perufal of my preceding Apocalyptical Meditations, and the following Difcourfes: that after you have confidered the duty of improving your time (which, together with some other things I am now to treat of), you may make application to yourselves of what I have faid concerning God's dwelling with men upon the earth, fo as ye yourselves may become temples of the living God; feeing God hath promised this privilege to all true Chriftians, faying, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people. And when you have thus applied to yourselves the first of the following Discourses, I hope you will not reckon it loft time to confider what I have faid as to the minifterial work, especially the application, as to that part of it, at least, which does immediately relate to you and all Chriftians, as well as ministers; that

this

way you may learn to join in with Chrift's ordinances for the future, with greater feri

oufnefs, and in order to further good, than perhaps any of us have yet attained to do. And when you have improved this way alfo by the perufal of the fecond Difcourfe, let me defire you to read the last concluding one, with ferious meditation, in order to fee the connexion and defign of the whole. For though it be short, yet it contains much in little, and may be of use to introduce your minds to fome further and more diftinct apprehenfion of our holy religion, as it centers in Jesus Christ. And when you have thus perused and confidered both this and the following Discourses, I am willing you should think as meanly of both me and them as you please, upon condition that ye may this way value the holy Scriptures more. For, as my design, in all my performances of this kind, is to dig my materials from the fruitful and rich mines of this Divine depofitum and facred treasure; so I have no other end than to lead you in there also, that ye may be more and more enriched with the saving knowledge of the truth as it is in fefus. In order to this, therefore,

Let me, in the fecond place, fuggeft fomething