nefs, and Unmixednefs; there the Beast may be faid to fet its foul Feet. This is certain; If it cannot fet its Feet upon the precious Truths of God, fo as to deftroy them; it will endeavour to be fetting of its Feet upon them, fo as to cloud them, darken them, mud them, and deface the Excellency of them: And this we have and do difmally experience to this day. How has the Doctrine of Free Grace, and Juftification, by the imputed Righteoufnefs of Chrift alone, been darken'd; together with the Glory of Chrift's bleffed Kingdom, and almoft every Truth of the Gofpel! Rev. ix. 2. And be opened the bottomless Pit, and there arose a Smoke out of the Pit, as the Smoke of a great Furnace : And the Sun and the Air were darken'd, by reafon of the Smoke of thePit.It is by reafon of thisSmoke we cannot fee fo clearly into many precious Truths of Chrift : It is by reafon of this dark Smoke and foul Feet, that the Glory of Chrift's Visible Kingdom in this World, cannot be feen by many of the Saints: It is this Smoke (whatever they may think) that is fo offenfive to their Eyes: It is the Devil that endeavours to blow it up (either immediately himself, or by his Inftruments) which makes them quarrel and be fo offended at the Truth. It is by reafon of this dark Smoke, that there are fo many Divifions among the Saints, that the People of God cannot agree, nor walk comfortably together. But I hope (and Grounds there are for to hope) that the Time is at hand when all this Smoke, Mift, and Darkness, fhall be difperft and blown off from the Eyes of all the Saints, by the Rifing of the bright Sun of Righteoufnefs And then it is that they fhall fee, Eye to Eye, and lift up their Voices together, when the Lord fhall bring again Zion, Ifa. lii, 8.

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I fhall now proceed to the Confideration of the Ninth and Tenth Verfes: I beheld till the Thrones were caft down, and the Ancient of Days did fit; whofe Garment was white as Snow, and the Hair of bis Head like the pure Wool; bis Throne was like the fiery Flame, and his Wheels as burning Fire. A fiery Stream iffued and came forth from before him: Thoufand thousands minifter'd unto bim, and Ten thousand times ten thousand food before him. The Judgment was fet, and the Books were opered. Thefe Words are full of Myfteries. I shall endeavour to give my present Thoughts upon them, according to the Light that the Lord hath given me; and that with as much Brevity as poffible. Daniel bebeld till the Thrones were caft down. By the Word Thrones, an Authority, a Power of Rule and Government is fignified. Thrones, in the Plural Number, doth fhew, that there will be other Thrones, befides that which Chrift is to fit upon. The Thrones being caft down, I humbly conceive may be taken two ways: Firk, If they have any relation to he foregoing Words, then they may be unde ftood of the Thrones of the Braft; and if fo then the Senfe will run thus; That the Thrones Powers, Authorities, Rule, and Government of the Beast, fhall be totally caft down, confumed, and deftroyed, when the Lord Jefus Chrift; or as it is in the other Text, the God of Heaven comes to fet up bis Kingdom in the World. Thefe Thrones take in not only the Four Monarchies represented by the Image; but the Laft of the Laft, or the Roman Empire, both under its Pagan and Papal Power; yea Turk and Pope, with all the Adherents of Antichrift, fhall then be caft down or confu

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med, by the Breath of Chrift's Mouth, and the Brightness of his Coming, 2 Theff. ii. 8. This is a Truth, tho' it may not be fo naturally the Sense of thefe Words: Therefore 2dly, by the Thrones in this Place, I rather understand them to be the Thrones that Chrift will erect, when he comes to set up his Kingdom: For you read in theMargin (as coming nearer theOriginal) inftead of I beheld until the Thrones were were caft down, it is, I bebeld until the Thrones were fet up. But to take the Words, as they are in our Tranflation, the Senfe will be agreeable enough to this Interpretation; as thus, I beheld till the Thrones were caft down, or pitched and fet down, for Chrift and thofe he counts worthy, to fit upon. If the Word Thrones hath a relation to the Thrones of the Beast, then it will be agreeable with the First Interpretation; but if they have a refpect to the Thrones of Chrift,as I understand they have, and will more fully appear afterwards; then the Sense muft be, that thefe Thrones are pitched and fet down, or rather fet up, in order that they may be fat upon: And therefore it followeth, And the Ancient of Days did fit. This Ancient of Days is look'd upon to be a figurative Representation of God: The Ancient of Days, or the Days of Eternity, muft hold forth God's Eternity; and fo confequently the Immutability and Unchangeablenefs of the Divine Majefty. Well! God the Father is here reprefented as fitting upon a Throne, as Judges do on their Tribunals; and fo fhewing his judicial Authority; yet fo that the Ordering of the Judgment is by the Father committed into the hands of the Son; as it is in John v. 22. For the Father judgeth no Man (but by the Son) and bath commit

committed all Fudgment unto the Son. This Vifion then sheweth us no lefs than a Reprefentation of the great Day of Judgment; which,according to the Light I have in God sWord, will be firft among the Saints, before the Judgment of the Wicked begins.

But Secondly, The Second thing to be open'd is, Whose Garments were as white as Snow. Thefe Garments, which are faid to be upon this glorious Perfon, who fits as Judge upon the Throne, fhew us two things; First, The Greatnefs, the Glory, and the Majefty of the Judge. 2dly, The Innocency, Purity, and Integrity of his Juftice, or his righteous Proceeding in Judgment.

3dly, And the Hair of his Head like the pure Wool. Now however the Firft Perfon in the Trinity is to be understood in the Firft Part of this Vifion, yet I cannot fee how this Expreffion can be apply'd to any of the Perfons in the Godhead, but as we are to confider God, and look upon him in the Humane Nature of Chrift. Here all fuch like Expreffions of the Divine Being (whether we understand them properly or figuratively) will beft agree. Therefore if we first look upon the Perfon of the Father, as fitting upon the Throne, we must look upon him in the Son, as fitting upon the Throne too; not as Two, but as One, from the Oneness there is between the Father and the Son And into whofe hands the Order of the Judgment is committed. Thofe Words of Chrift to Philip are very full to this, John xiv. 8. Philip faith unto him, Lord fhew us the Father, and it fufficeth us. Philip would fain have seen the Perfon of the Father, diftinct from the Perfon of Chrift; which could not be; tho' it is true the Perfonality

of the Father is diftinct from the Perfonality of the Son, or the Holy Ghoft: Yet they are not diftin&t in refpect of the Godhead; for all the Three are but as One Eternal and Undivided Effence: So that he which feeth the Son, feeth the Father: Indeed there is no feeing of the Father, but in the Son; nor feeing the Son, but we muft fee the Father; As it is in the Anfwer of Chrift: Jefus faith unto him, Have I been fo long time with you, and yet haft thou not known me, Philip? He that bath feen me, bath feen the Father: And how fayeft thou then, Shew us the Father? As if ou Lord fhould fay, He that bath feen me (that is, with an Eye of Faith, and believes me to be the Son of God) hath feen the Father: And be that baih not feen, or doth not know the Father, hath not feen, nor doth not know me. This is plain then, there is no feeing or knowing the Son, but we muft fee or know the Father in the Son: Because our Lord faid, in the 10th of John, I and my Father am one. Well! If this be fo, then the Perfon, whofe Hair of his Head is like the Pure Wool, is moft fitly adapted to the Son; or if we will, to the Father in the Son. In the First Chapter of the Revelations, Verse 14. we read the very fame Expreffion, with a little Addition; His Head and his Hair were white like Wool, as white as Snow. That this is fpoken of Chrift, none (that believe the Scriptures) will deny. Now there being fuch an Agreeablenefs in thefe two Texts, this Head in these Words, Whofe Hair was like pure Wool, may well be understood of Chrift. But then to come a little to the Explanation; and that is, First, What we are to understand by the Head? 2dly, What by the Hair? 3dly, What by its being like Pure Wool?