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which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture, and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

The above passages give a prophetic representation of the Lord Jesus Christ, arrayed in holy armor, at the head of the celestial hosts, leading on to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. And nothing more can be said, to add to the sublimity and glory of the above-described appearance of the approaching armies of Heaven, under the blood-stained banner of the Great Prince of life, and Captain of man's salvation; marching in columns of celestial cavalry, clad in emblems of holy array, to meet a world of rebels in the battle-field of the Valley of Decision. Yet, He who is "King of kings, and Lord of lords," approaches his most inveterate enemies, with emblems of atoning blood, to pardon all penitents who crave quarters and submit to His Gospel terms of reconciliation; and with a rod of iron to dash nations to pieces, “like a potter's vessel," if they persist in rebellion. His white horse, his red vesture, his flaming eyes, his numerous crowns, among which was one of thorns, his significant names, and token of a name unknown, the sword from his mouth, and his iron rod, were emblems of his Eternal Divinity, his Almighty Power, the authenticity of his Word, the evidence of his Mediatorial Royalty, his merciful disposition, even now, in the array of the decisive battle-field, to pardon returning rebels; and, also, his inflexible determination, with the rod of his Eternal Omnipotence, to purge the earth from the con

THE REBELS DIVINELY ADdressed.

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tamination of Infidelity, and all its auxiliary instrumentalities.

Hence, it may be presumed, that before he commences an onset upon his foes, he will exhibit a display of his merciful condescension, in one more proffer of the terms of Gospel reconciliation. Thus it may be supposed He will address them :

Ye rebels of earth, I am your Creator. I have worn a crown of thorns, and suffered death in a state of manhood, that rebels might live and wear crowns of glory. I arose from the dead, ascended to the Mediatorial throne in heaven, to intercede for guilty rebels, that they might repent, believe, return to duty, and be saved from deserved wrath. I am now clad in crimson vesture, that you might see the emblem of my atoning blood, which cleanses from all sin, and that you might have one more offer of mercy.

"All that I have now spoken, you and your fathers have disbelieved. You have denied that your hearts are wicked. You have cast my truth to the ground and stamped upon it. Your array in this battle-field is to destroy my word, religion, and people, and to blot out my name from earth, that you might enjoy the pleasures of sin, unmolested by fear of future punishment. You have killed my witnesses, and gloried in your feast of triumph over their ignominious death. You have rejoiced in the belief that there was no God in heaven able to save them, and that their Bible, and religion, and God, were alike, without foundation in truth!! But I have come to this battle-field with my attendants, to give you one more evidence that the Bible is true; that the God of the Bible is the only true God; that the religion of the Bible is the only true religion; that true adherents to the religion of the Bible will be saved by grace; but

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RESURRECTION OF THE WITNESSES.

that rejecters of the Bible, and all who hate the Gud of the Bible must perish forever, as the Bible declares their doom shall be.

"Your array in this battle-field to destroy the Bible, is incontestable evidence of its truth. For its prophets have foretold all that you have done, thousands of years before any of you were born. And to evince the reality of all that my names, my crowns, my vesture, and my armor, proclaim that I am, and the truth of all that I have spoken; I now command, in the presence of all assembled on this battle-ground, that my witnesses which you have killed three and a half years ago, should instantly arise from the dead, and stand upon their feet. Arise ye dead, arise! and come up hither." The command is promptly obeyed. The witnesses arise, stand upon their feet, and rally around the standard of the King of Zion!!!

Another command is proclaimed.

66 Ye remnants of Hear ye my words of com

both houses of Israel: mand, and look at the sword that goeth out of my mouth. I am the God of your father Abraham. I am the Messiah of all the prophets of the Jewish Scriptures. I am he who was born in Bethlehem, God manifest in the flesh. I was once bound a prisoner at Pilate's bar. Your fathers hated me, and sought my destruction. They bore false witness against me, and condemned me to death. They crowned me with thorns, nailed me to a cross, pierced and drew my heart's blood till I was dead, and laid in a tomb. But I arose to life, and live forever. O ye remnant of Israel, your fathers have died in unbelief. But you, their unbelieving children, are alive. This rod in my hand is to dash all these antiChristian powers in pieces. Why will you die with them? My word of truth declares, that a remnant

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of your unbelieving nation shall be saved. Not in unbelief, but through faith in me, whom your fathers set at nought and rejected. Come, let that prediction be fulfilled in your salvation by faith. Come then, to my standard, and let that promise to Abraham and his seed be verified. Come now." (And behold, “A nation shall be born in a day.") The Jews confess their Messiah, and flock to his standard.

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The powers of Antichrist now stand aghast, trembling in the battle-field of Armageddon!!! To fight with carnal weapons, against a power that can raise the dead, and convert a nation by a word-sword from the mouth of an individual, is hopeless indeed. To seek refuge by flight, on foot, from an army of cavalry, which can traverse the regions of immensity quick as thought, and call to aid, if necessary, the very elements of fire, water, lightning, thunder, hail, pestilence, famine, and earthquake! alas! what hope can there be in flight?

Amid such desperate forebodings, a flag of truce is discovered approaching the hosts of Antichrist, from the formidable legions of cavalry arrayed in line of battle. The dispatch proved to be an overture from the Chieftain of the celestial hosts, addressed to the powers of Antichrist. The overture was written with ink of blood, worded and signed as follows, viz.: -To GOG, otherwise INFIDELITY, the GENERALISSIMO of all the anti-Christian powers and hosts, arrayed in the battle-field of Armageddon. The LAST proposal! Submit to the God of the Bible on the Gospel terms of reconciliation. Ground your arms of Infidelity, and all opposition. Come to my standard of Truth. Put on the armor of righteousness. And you shall be pardoned, and kindly treated as prisoners of war, and be permitted to dwell

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THE OFFER REJECTED, THE DOOR SHUT.

in the peaceable possession of earth until removed to a more exalted and permanent station. The foregoing terms are proffered for your consideration until the next setting sun; after which, if the terms of capitulation are not complied with, an immediate onset may be expected. Signed, "THE WORD OF GOD FAITHFUL AND TRUE, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS," and sealed with blood. CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

On reading the overture, it may be presumed the whole camp of Antichrist is confounded with terror. Thousands upon thousands were for deserting the anti-Christian standard, contrary to the laws of the whole realm of earth. To prevent this disaster, the penalty of law was brought into requisition, and the day was passed in blood and torture, and murder and slaughter; and if any escaped by desertion, it was at the peril of their lives. And the doctrine that prevailed in the camp of Antichrist was, "Let us have our own will, and walk in our own way, after the imagination of our own hearts, rather than submit to the Bible God, to Bible laws, and Bible religion, if it costs us Bible damnation in its most horrid form!!!!!!! "And the door was shut." Hence,

V. Let us consider predictions relating to the dreadful onset upon the powers of Antichrist, and the decisive victory over all their hosts, gloriously achieved by Messiah, the Prince of all the hosts of heaven.

The ancient prophets foretold God's revealed purpose:-That the combined powers of Antichrist, with all their allied powers of wickedness, should be overthrown at the battle of the great day of the Lord. And as a sign of their certain ruin, they would be collected in hostile array at Armageddon, the field of pattle. [See Isaiah xxxiv. 1–7. Ezekiel 38th and