hold the true religion, and save it from being lost in the general corruption. By the law of Moses, and by the law of Christ, the testimony of two men is sufficient to verify a matter in question. It is here therefore signified, that in the darkest ages, there shall be competent evidence of the truth of the gospel.

"They shall prophecy in sackcloth," which is a token of sorrow and mourning. The great prevalence of corruption, and the malicious opposition to the truth, in this period, especially in some parts of it, will be matter of deep lamentation to the real friends of pure religion.

Christ has promised, that he will have a church, in the world, and ministers in his church, as long as the world shall endure. Here is a new promise, which he made to the church after his ascension, that even in the most discouraging seasons, there shall be a competent number of witnesses to proclaim and defend the truth, and to testify against error and vice..

This promise has been made good. Since the days of the apostles, no time can be found, in which there was not a true church, and faithful ministers.

In those ages, in which the papal superstition was most prevalent, there were those who openly condemned it, and bare witness to the truth.

The character of these witnesses is next described. "These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." Here is an allusion to the description, which, in the book of Zachariah, is given of Joshua and Zerubbabel, who were employed in finishing the temple, and in establishing the church in those difficult times which followed the captivity. The prophet saw a candlestick of gold with seven branches, and seven lamps on them, and two olive trees by it with pipes from them to the lamps. He inquired of the angel, what were the two olive trees by the candlestick, and what were the

branches, which through the golden pipes emptied the oil out of themselves. The angel answered, "These are the two anointed ones," Joshua and Zerubbabel, "who stand by the Lord of the whole earth."

A candlestick in the book of the revelation, de. notes the church; and a lamp is an emblem of the light of heavenly truth. The oil which supplies the lamp signifies the communication of divine grace.This description of the witnesses, therefore, imports. that, in the most dangerous seasons, there shall be a true church to which God will grant his word and ordinances; and there shall be able and faithful instructors, who, as lamps on a candlestick, burning continually by supplies of oil from a living tree, shall diffuse the light of divine truth far around,

The preaching of these witnesses shall be attend, ed with great power, and their prayers distinguished by remarkable efficacy. "If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies. They have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy, and to turn waters into blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will."

When the adherents of Korah rose against Moses and Aaron, and assumed the work of the priests in offering incense, fire came forth from the Lord, and consumed them. So when Ahaziah sent companies to sieze the prophet Elijah, fire came down from heaven and destroyed them. In allusion to these judgments on the ancient enemies of God's prophets, it is here said, "If any man hurt these witnesses, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies." This, however, is to be understood, not of literal, but symbolical fire. It is fire which proceedeth out of their mouths. It is the warning of temporal judgments and eternal wrath, which they denounce against the enemies and cor

rupters of religion, and which, however derided at present, will eventually be executed upon them.The words of the prophets are, in scripture, compared to fire. God says to Jeremiah concerning those, who despised his warnings, "They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he, neither shall evil come upon us; wherefore I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them." In this sense," they have power to smite the earth with plagues." The prophets are often said to do that, which, they foretell, will be done. God says by Hosea, "I have hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth." He says to Jeremiah, "I have put my words in thy mouth; I have set thee over the nations and over the kingdom's, to root out, to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, and to build, and to plant;" i. e. to foretell these events in my name. Ezekiel, describing a particular vision, says, "It was like that, which I saw, when I came to destroy the city;" i. e. to announce its destruction. Such modes of diction are not uncommon in scripture. When God brings on the enemies of religion those plagues, which the prophets and witnesses declare will be executed on such characters, then, in the style of prophecy, the witnesses are said to "smite the earth with plagues."

To shew the efficacy of their prayers, John alludes to Moses, Elijah, and other ancient prophets, who were eminent for fervor and success in prayer. It is said of Elijah, "He prayed, and it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six months; and he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain." This example James adduces as a proof, that, "the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much." Moses by stretching forth a rod, turned the waters of Egypt into blood, and inflicted on the people other grievous plagues; and again by his

prayers he removed the plagues. John to express the great prevalence of the prayers of the faithful witnesses, says, "They have power to shut heaven, and to turn water into blood." He alludes to those an cient examples.

We are not to suppose, however, that saints, in their intercourse with God, directly imprecate judgments on the wicked: They wish judgments might be prevented, if the wickedness of the world did not require them, But they intreat of God the protection of his church against its enemies; and this protection he, in answer to their prayers, is pleased to grant her, by sending on her enemies the judgments which his wisdom sees necessary. The godly may be said to cause famines, pestilences, and other plagues, as, in answer to their prayers for the church's preservation, God inflicts on her enemies those plagues, which restrain their power and malice. "By terrible things in righteousness, God answers the prayers of Zion in her distress."

John next foretels the troubles, which shall come on these witnesses in the faithful discharge of their office. "And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast which ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."

This beast is particularly described in the 13th chapter. And the description is so plain, that it cannot be misunderstood. It can be applied to no other power, but the antichristian Roman government, which, for a long time, exercised the most horrible cruelties against the faithful witnesses of Christ.

"When they shall have finished their testimony;" some render the words thus ; "When they shall perform their testimony, the beast shall make war against them." They, who thus render the passage, understand the meaning to be, that the witnesses, during the course of their ministry, shall

meet with great opposition from this tyrannical power, and shall, at times, be reduced so low, that it will seem as if their testimony were at an end. And there are several events in history, to which, they think, the prophecy, thus understood, may justly be applied. But though there is a great similarity between the prophetic description, and some historical events, yet none of them were se general, as the prophecy seems to require. Others therefore, suppose, that it designates a time, still future, when the enemies of the gospel, with unprecedented malignity, will combine their powers to exterminate it from the earth, and will so far prevail, as to flatter themselves that they have accomplished their design.This event they suppose, will take place, when the witnesses are about to finish their testimony, or towards the end of the 1260 years, during which they are to prophecy. And this interpretation seems the more probable of the two,

Whether the war against, and victory over the witnesses are to be understood literally of a real persecution, or figuratively of such a triumph of infidelity and licentiousness over true religion, that the latter will scarcely make its appearance, are questions, which time must answer. Bishop Newton seems to suppose the latter. He says, "These witnesses, the friends of pure religion, shall be subdued and suppressed, shall be degraded from all power and authority, shall be deprived of all offices and functions, shall be politically dead, if not naturally so." And consequently, all places of power and influence will be filled with men of opposite characters.

To express the indignity with which the professors, especially the ministers of religion shall be treated, John says, "Their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified; and they of the people and kindreds, and tongues,