of bis Feet ftanding there. It is to be in that Day, that great and glorious Day, in which fuch great and wonderful Things are to be done; in that Day: which the Spirit of God points out unto us in a way of Eminency, or Peculiarity, to be diftinguished from all other Days: In that Day (when Chrift fhall come to deftroy his Enemies, as in Verfe 3, and Set up bis Kingdom, as in Verfe 9,) that his Feet fhall ftand upon the Mount of Olives. Now where is this Mount that Chrift in that Day will stand upon? It is not in Heaven, nor yet in the Air, but before Jerufalem, in the Land of Promife, and therefore upon this Earth. Again in foel iii. 2. I will alfo gather all Nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat: and will plead with them there, for my People, and for my Heritage Ifrael, And the 12th Verfe, Let the Heathen be awakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I fit to judge all the Heathen round about. In thefe Words, I thall obferve, Firf, That this Perfo nal Appellation I is to be understood of God himfelf, or God in the Mediator, it is the Lord that speaks here by the Prophet, I will gather all Na tions, &c.

2dly, All Nations, and the Heathen, does refpect all Sorts of Perfons, both thofe that have lived under the Gospel, and thofe who have never heard of it. All Sorts of People, in what Part or Age of the World foever it was that they lived, muft all come down to the Valley of Fehoshaphat.

2dly, The Reason why the Heathen must awake, and come up to this Valley, is, because there the Lord Jefus Chrift will fit to judge the Heathen, with all Nations round about.

4. This

:

4thly, This fhews us that the Time of the gather ing of all Nations, and awakening of the Heathen, will be the Time of the Judgment, wherein thofe that are living, or fhall be found alive when Chrift comes, fhall be judged or punished, at the Beginning of Chrift's Reign: And all that ever have been, are, or fhall be of the wicked, fhall be judged and punished at the latter End of that Reign or Kingdom, when the Heathen and all others fhall awake and come out of their Graves, to appear before the Judgment Seat of Jefus Chrift.

5thly, Here is another Thing to be took Notice of, and that is the Difference betwixt those two Phrases, in Verfe 2. They shall come down, or I will bring them down to the Valley. And in Verfe 12. Let the Heathen awake and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. This fecond Verfe may refpect the Number of those wicked that fhall be found living upon the Earth, in the Beginning of that fpiritual Glory, which at this Time will appear upon Zion, as agreeing with the Gog and Magog Army, fpoke of in the 28th of Ezek. which fhall be gathered out of many Nations into this Valley, for to fight against Ifrael; as we may further fee by comparing of these two Places, which I look upon will be firft, before Chrift's Perfonal Coming from Heaven, or the thousand Years Reign mentioned in the 25th of Revelations, because this Gog in Ezekiel, and that in the Revelation, are not to be understood of one and the fame Army; neither will they appear upon the Stage at one and the fame Time, this appearing at the Beginning, and the other not until the End of the thousand Years; (but I fhall speak more to this hereafter.) So that

the

the Lord's gathering of thefe Nations into this Valley; and his Pleading with them there, will be in Order unto their Punishment and Deftruation, which at this Time will come upon them. Now a Valley being the loweft Part of the Ground, they may upon their gathering be faid to be brought down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat. But in the 12th Verfe, when the Heathen with all Nations are to awake, or to be awakened, that they may come up to this Valley to be judged; muft certainly be referred unto the laft Judgment at the End of the thousand Years, when the reft. of the Dead are to live again; because they are not to be judged under this Confideration until then. Now the Lord Jefus Chrift having fet his Throne of Judgment, or the highest Court of Judicature in this Valley, which will be placed above the People: And having all the Saints on each Side of him, fitting in that Day with Chrift upon Thrones to judge the World, the Angels will ftand in a ready Pofture, waiting to do his Commands; then it is that the wicked fhall be brought to Judgment, and appear before Chrift and the Saints in this High-Court of Juftice: And fo may be faid under this Confideration to awake and come up to the Valley of Jehofaphat.

Sixthly, But why is this Valley, more than others, called the Valley of Jehoshaphat? First, Because it is thought to be the Place where the Children of Ammon, Moab, and Edom were discomfited when they gathered themselves together to fight againft Ifrael. 2dly, In this Valley it was where the Lord gave Jehoshaphat a compleat Victory over his Enemies. 3dly, Becaufe here Fehoshaphat, and the

Children

;

Children of Ifrael, affembled, the fourth Day after the Fight was over (for they were three Days in gathering the Spoil) to bless and praise the Lord, for his Mercy in this great and wonderful Deliverance: Wherefore they called it the Valley of Be rackah, that is the Valley of Bleffing; 2 Chron. XX. 26. Upon this Account I apprehended it was called the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Here it is that the Loid will fit to judge the Heathen, with all Nations round about. But then it may be demanded, why the Lord fhould fit in Judgment here, more than another Place? If it be the Will and Pleasure of God, that is a fufficient Reafon : And that it is his Will, this 3d of Joel is a full Proof. But fome may again object and fay, How is it poffible that the Number of all the wicked fhould be gathered together in fuch a Valley? In Anfwer to that, I do not fay that the Number of all the wicked fhall be gathered together in this Valley all at once. It is certain there will be room enough for Chrift to erect his Throne; and for the Saints to fit upon their Thrones on each Side of him: And it is certain alfo that there shall be room enough for the wicked in the adjoining Parts and Places of the World, for them to ftand and appear in the Sight of Chrift and all the Saints, who fhall be called, each one in their particular Order, before the Judgment-Seat of Jefus Chrift. However, whether it be in this Valley, or in any other Place, as long as it is in this World, or upon this Earth, my Argument ftands good. Neither am I difcouraged, if Perfons call this a Whim, a Fancy, a Fiction, or what they pleafe; feeing I affirm no more than what God in his Word hath affirmed.

affirmed. Do not the Scriptures fpeak plain,that this State and Time will be upon the Earth, when Chrift and the Saints fhall reign in his Kingdom. Rev. v. 1c. And hath made us unto our God Kings and Priefts, and we shall reign on the Earth. Again, how full is that Text in Job xix. 25, 26. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he fall ftand at the latter Day upon the Earth. And though after my Skin, Worms deftroy this Body, yet in my Flefh fhall I fee God; whom I fall fee for my felf, and my Eyes fhall behold, and not another; though my Reins be confumed within me. In thefe Words Fob expreffeth the Greatness of his Faith. First, That Chrift was his Redeemer : For most certain it is, that this cannot be understood of any other. Secondly, That his Redeemer lived; that is, as Mediator in a way of Covenant with his Father from everlasting; which Job then had a Sight of by an Eye of Faith.

Thirdly, That he hall ftand at the latter Day upon the Earth. Now Chrift ftanding upon the Earth, cannot, in thefe Words, be understood of his firft Coming, because this is not to be until the latter Day; though the whole Time from Chrift's firft, unto his fecond Coming, is in the New Teftament called the laft Days Heb. i. 2. Hath in thefe laft Days Spoken unto us by his Son, &c. Yet the latter Day cannot be fo taken; for when the Spirit of God fpeaks of the laft Day, or the latter Day, in the fingular Number, it doth doubtlefs fignify unto us the laft of all Time.. Befides, what followeth doth more fully confirm the Explanation, and that is, Though after my Skin, Worms deftroy this Ecds, yet in my Flesh shall I fee God. This following fo

R

clofe