candlesticks and two olive trees flanding before the God of all the earth.

This writing is the prophecy of Zechariah, chapters i. ii. iii. iv. especially chapter iv. which the reader is defired to perufe with particular attention. These were Zerubabel the fon of Shealtiel, the prince of the captivity, the person who as their governor returned at the head of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, and Joshua the high prieft; who in the laft verfe of the fourth chapter are called "the two anointed ones "that ftand by the Lord of the whole earth." Among the Jews, kings and priests were inaugurated by being anointed with oil; hence Zerubabel as the prince, and Joshua as the high priest of the Jews at that time, are called the two anointed ones, because they had been admitted into their offices by the anointing with oil. The two together are fymbols for Chriftians, who are kings and priefts unto God, and whofe very name Chriftian fignifies anointed. It is borrowed from the name of Christ, which is anointed, and which was given to him as the Lord's anointed Prophet, Prieft, and King, the whole anointed offices being united in perfection in his perfon. Zerubabel and Joshua were the two perfons who had the direction in rebuilding the temple and repairing the city of Jerufalem after the Babylonish captivity, when Jerufalem had long been troden under foot

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by the Gentiles. They met with great oppofition in this work from those who were the fervants, and in the pay of the king of Babylon. A ftop was thus for fome time put to the work by that king, and the most unjust and malevolent afperfions were thrown out against Jerufalem, her kings, and her citizens, by the tools of Babylon. In this fituation, an end feemed to be put to the building, and Zerubabel and Jofhua were derided by many for their zeal for Jerufalem, and their confident hopes of feeing the houfe of God rebuilt, and Jerufalem repaired, notwithstanding the oppofition of Babylon. At this time, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah were fent by God to encourage these two perfons, and to affure them that the work fhould again be begun, and that they two whose hands had laid the foundation of the temple, fhould live to fee it finished. Accordingly, the building was begun by Zerubabel and Joshua, notwithstanding the prohibition of the king of Babylon; and when the officers of that king came to put a ftop to the work, they with the Jews who adhered to them, would not defift; but faid to them, (Ezra chap. v. 1.) "We are the fervants of the God of "heaven and earth, and build the house that was "builded these many years ago, which a great king "of Ifrael builded and fet up." At laft, in a manner quite unexpected, and in which the overruling hand of God was very evident, King Darius not

only permitted them to build, but alfo furnished them with the things neceffary for carrying on the work. And the building was finifhed under the direction and in the days of Zerubabel and Joshua, in the fixth year of the reign of Darius.

The hiftory of these facts is contained, at confiderable length in the book of Ezra, chap. i. ii. iii. iv. v. and vi. These chapters well merit the serious perusal of the reader as containing, at once, a very diftinct hiftory of a moft extraordinary and important event relative to the Jewish nation, and a moft ftriking type of the Chriftian church, during this period of the two witneffes for 1243 years.

There is fomething remarkable and striking in the names of these two perfons, who conducted the rebuilding of the temple at Jerufalem. Every one acquainted with the Old Teftament muft have perceived, that names are given neither to perfons nor things at random, but are expreffive of their natures, characters, offices, or ufes. In the Hebrew language, in which they are written, Joshua is the fame with Jefus, and both signify a Saviour; and Zerubabel fignifies the oppofer of Babel or Babylon. In the book of the Revelation, Babylon is a fymbol for Papal Rome, the Antichrift; but the oppofer of, or the oppofite to Antichrift is Chrift. Thus Zerubabel and Joshua, in the very import of the names, reprefent the myftical body of Chrift during the period of Papal

power;

power;-those chriftians, who like Zerubabel and Joshua, adhere to the word of God, and oppofe the power and idolatry of Babylon the great, and who, like them are kings and priests unto God.

From this hiftory of Zerubabel and Joshua, the two candlesticks and the two olive trees, which stand by the Lord of the whole earth, it will be evident what is meant by ftiling the two witneffes, the two candlesticks and the two olive trees. In this period, Chriftians are kings and priests unto God, they ftand by the God of the whole earth; adhere to the word of God and the teftimony of Jefus ; are engaged in a war against Papal Rome; fhall be few in number; fhall be treated with derifion, for attempting to build up the church of God in oppofition to that power, which rules over the kings of the earth; fhall be brought fo low, at one time, that the work of building the church of God fhall appear to be entirely ftopped: But fupported, not by might, not by power, but by the fpirit of the Lord of hosts, they fhall be affifted, in a remarkable manner, in building up the house of God, and from unexpected quarters, even by temporal kings; and they fhall thus continue witneffes for the truth, to the end of this period when the temple shall be opened, and the church of Chrift fhall appear in great splendour and glory.

Thefe witneffes are faid to fend fire out of their mouths to devour thofe, who intentionally hurt them,

them, and to have power to fmite the earth with all plagues, &c. They fhall not fight againft their enemies with military weapons, but with fpiritual weapons. However, much they shall be despised by the votaries of Rome, many great and ftriking judgements and plagues fhall be brought upon the Roman empire, (the earth) in the course of Divine providence, for the injuries done to these Chriftians by the Papal hierarchy. Thefe plagues shall be poured out upon the votaries of Rome, in this period, on that account, and in the most striking correfpondence to the injuries, which in that period they do to the Chriftian church. But this will more clearly appear in the commentary, on the pouring out the feven vials full of the feven laft plagues, in chap. xvi.

With respect to their power of turning waters into blood, it is faid in chap. xvi. 4, 5. “ And "the third angel poured out his vial upon the "rivers and fountains of water; and they became "blood. And I heard the angel of the waters fay, "Thou art righteous O Lord, which art and waft "and fhall be, because thou haft judged thus: "For they have fhed the blood of faints and pro"phets, and thou haft given them blood to drink, "for they are worthy."

Whilst they are perfecting their testimony, the beast which is defcribed in chap. xiii. and which rifeth out of the bottomlefs pit, fhall make war

against

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