writers. Were this the true fenfe of the words, and known to be fo, fince this is the day in which a late act of parliament, concerning altering the style of the year, begins to take place, it might be thought that my view in reading this paffage of fcripture was to amufe you with the difference of old and new ftyle, and to fhew you the fuperior excellency and usefulness of the one to the other; but as this is an affair that is not within my province, fo I have that which is of greater moment and importance to lay before you. Others choose to call them aftrologers, who had skill in the motions and revolutions of the heavenly bodies, and their influences upon the earth, which they had learnt from their neighbours the Phoenicians: or elfe, being a people much employed in husbandry, hence it is faid of this tribe, that it faw that the land was pleasant, to till and manure; it delighted in agriculture; and bowed his fhoulder to bear, and carry in the corn when ripe; and dwelt in tents, to keep its fields, or look after its flocks; they by frequent and conftant obfervations had acquired a fort of rustic astrology', and could difcern the face of the heavens, and prognofticate what weather it would be; and they knew the proper times and feasons of doing business; and so could inform Ifrael, or the rest of the tribes, when they should plow, and sow, and reap, and plant, and the like. Others think they were historians and annalists, such as those in Esther i. 13. where the fame phrase is used of those whom Abafuerus confulted, when Vahti his queen refused to come into his prefence at his command, to know of them what had been done in such cases in times paft: and fo these men were well verfed in the hiftory of antient times, and had made their obfervations on things that had been done in former times; and were capable of giving advice what should be done in like circumstances. Though others feem more rightly to interpret this understanding of theirs of political prudence; they were men that knew how to time things,

46

The Targum of the place is, "of the children of lachar there were fuch who were skilful in "the knowledge of times. (that is, chronologers) and wife to fix the beginnings of the years, and the beginnings of the months, and to intercalate the months and the years; dextrous at fettling the new "moons, and fixing the feafts (or appointed times) in their seasons; well versed in the folar revolution; aftrologers that had understanding in the planets and stars, to know what were fit for the house of Ifrael to do." To which agree Kimchi, Ben Melech, and Yalkut in loc. and Bereshit Rabba, §. 72. fol. 64. 2. See alfo the Targum, and Jarchi on Deut. xxxiii. 19.

• Entitled, An Act for regulating the commencement of the year, and for correcting the calendar now in use, made in the twenty-fourth year of the reign of his majesty king George the Second.

d Hence it is faid, that the standard of this tribe was dyed black, and had painted on it the fun and moon, because it is faid of them, 1 Chron. xii. 32. of the children of lachar, that had understanding of the times, &c. Bemidbar Rabba, §. 2. fol. 178. 3.

e Gen. xlix. 15.

Deut. xxxiii. 18.

f Vid. Poli Synopf. in loc.

8 By whom Aben Ezra understands either aftrologers, or fuch who knew the time that was passed in the reigns of ant ent kings, that is, hiftorians; and the Targum on the place exprefsly interprets it of the children of lackar.

things, when was the fittest opportunity to do any thing: and whereas the present business was to turn the kingdom to David, they faw, and fo acquainted the rest of the tribes, that this was the proper time to do it in, now Saul was dead, and Abner alfo, a powerful commander in the intereft of his family; and David was the most likely perfon to humble the Philiftines, who of late had been fo victorious over Ifrael. Befides, they knew that there was the word of the Lord' for it, ver. 23. or a prophecy that had been given out, that he should be king, which was known in Saul's life-time, and with which he himself was acquainted; for so faid he to David, I know well, that thou shalt furely be king, and that the kingdom of Ifrael shall be established in thine hand: And these men knew that the time was now come, and all circumftances concurring, they told Ifrael what they should do at this juncture *. The ufe that I fhall make of this, fhall be to accommodate the paffage to the prophetic times, and the knowledge of them to the present ones, or what may be coming on; and fhall fum up the whole in the following obfervation :

"That those who have any understanding of prophetic times, relating to the church of God, and intereft of Chrift, fhould inform the true Ifrael of God, what they ought to do in them, or in the profpect of them."

I. There are fome times fixed in prophecy, which by diligence, attention, and application, men may arrive to fome understanding of. There are indeed fome times and feafons, the knowledge of which is not to be attained unto; and it would be wrong, as well as in vain, curiously to fearch into them. It is not for us to know the times or the feafons, which the Father hath put in his own power ; for he has determined the times before appointed, when every thing that he has purposed or promised should come to pafs; and he has fixed a time for every purpose. under the heaven, for the performance of every thing he has defigned fhall be; a time to be born, and a time to die, and for every intermediate event'; but thefe times are not known beforehand, until things are brought into execution. There are others, and very remarkable events, the times of which are pointed at in prophecy; and which with diligence and application, the knowledge of them. may in fome measure be attained unto: as for inftance, the firft coming of Chrift into this world to fave men; the time for it was not only agreed upon, and fettled between the Father and the Son, called the fulness of time", but there were feveral prophetic hints of it; nay, not only was it defcribed by fome general. circumstances, as that it should be before the fecond temple was destroyed, fince

h The decree of the word of the Lord, as the Targum.

་་

1 1 Sam. xxiv. zo.

he

* Jarchi's note on the place is, for they knew how to give counsel according to the nature "of every cafe; for David had need to take advice how the kingdom might be confirmed from "before the children of Saul." Acts i. 7. and chap. xvii. 26. Eccl. iii. 1, 2.

Gal. iv. 4.

1

he was to come into it, and while the fcepter was in the tribe of Judah; but the precife time was fixed by Daniel's seventy weeks, or 490 years, which were to commence from a date given him; and before the expiration of which, the Meffiah was to come: and fo, as he, by reading Jeremiah's books, knew the time when the Babylonish captivity fhould end; another, by reading his prophecies, might know when the Meffiah would come; and accordingly about the time when those weeks were drawing near to an expiration, there were many that were looking for the Meffiah, and redemption by him, as knowing that it was about the time, by thefe weeks, that he should come ". There is a time fet for his fecond coming, and God in his times will fhew him, or cause him openly to appear ; and though he will come in an hour we know not of, yet there are some circumftances pointed out in the word of God, by which it may be known that it is nigh at hand; as that the day when the Son of man shall be revealed fhall be as the days of Noab and Lot, when men indulged themselves in pleasure, lived in great fecurity, unaware of the ruin coming upon them; and that when the Son of man cometh, faith will not be found in the earth; whether this be underftood of the grace or doctrine of faith, or of faith with respect to Chrift's coming: and when we compare these things with the prefent times, and confider the luxury, love of pleasure, carnal fecurity and infidelity that abound among us, we might conclude that the coming of Chrift is juft at hand; were it not that there are many things, which require time, yet to be fulfilled, previous to it; as the deftruction of antichrift, the converfion of the Jews, and the bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles. So the last judgment, which will take place at the second coming of Christ, and is moft certain, being early known, and often spoken of; Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophefied of it, and of Christ's coming to it; the day is appointed when it will come on, though "of that day and "hour knoweth no man, not the angels in heaven, but the Father only:" but then the principal things that fhould come to pass, relative to the church, between the first and fecond coming of Chrift to judgment, are fignified to us in the book of the Revelation; and by diligence, attention, and application, the understanding of the times of their fulfilment may be come at. The state of the church in all ages is defcribed by the feven churches of Afia, which were prophetical emblems and representations of it. The truly apoftolical church is fignified by the church at Epbefus, which could not bear them that were evil either in doctrine or practice: the church under the ten perfecutions is represented by the church at Smyrna, which had tribulation ten days. And thofe that lived in the times of Conftantine, that had a spiritual difcerning of things, when they faw the riches and glory of the world brought into the church, might know that they

See the Watchman's Answer, &c. p. 24, 25.

were

• Luke xvii. 26, 28. and chap. xviii. 8.

were in that state which was pointed at by high towering Pergamos. And fuch who were in the darkest times of Popery, who had any spiritual light into things, might fee that they were in the Thyatirian church-ftate, in which Jezebel taught her pernicious doctrines, and the depths of Satan, and the mysteries of iniquity were practised. As we now, by comparing our cafe with what is said of the church at Sardis, may perceive that we are in the Sardian church-state; and fo may arrive to fome understanding of the times in which we are, and what are yet to come; as the Philadelphian church-state, which will bring on the spiritual reign of Chrift, in which there will be an open door of the Gospel, large converfions of Jews and Gentiles, much holiness and brotherly love, and great spirituality; after which the church, being proud of its gifts, and the spirit withdrawn, it will fink into lukewarmness and security; which will bring on the Laodicean state, which will iffue in the general judgment, as its name fignifies, the judgment of the people". Moreover, there are certain very memorable events, the dates of which are peremptorily fixed; as the treading of the holy city forty-two months; the witneffes prophefying in fackcloth, and under difcouragements, a thousand two hundred and threefcore days; during which term of days also the church is to be nourished in the wilderness even for a time, and times, and half a time; and power is given to the beaft, or antichrift, to continue forty and two months. All which began, and will end together; for these dates are exactly the fame, one thousand two hundred and fixty days being equal to forty-two months, and forty-two months to one thousand two hundred and fixty days, reckoning thirty days to a month, as was used in the Eastern nations; and could we be certain when these dates begin; we should } have no difficulty about the expiration of them, or how long it is to it; good men have been mistaken in their calculations for want of this: however, though we can come at no certainty as to the precife time when these things fhall be, yet fome degree of understanding of these times may be come at; and from the circumstances of things it may be concluded, that these dates cannot reach beyond an hundred and fifty years more, and it may be they may expire much fooner.

In the annual fermon delivered to you about this time laft year, and fince published, you will remember I gave you fome account of the revolutions of morning and night which have been, and will be to the fecond coming of Chrift; and how that we are entering into a dark night, the thickest darkness and midst of which will be the time of the flaying of the witneffes; after which a glorious morning will break forth; and it fhall be faid to the church, Arife, fhine, for thy light is come. And now what I fhall further do, and which is my principal view in reading thefe words, is to fhew that this affair is not to be confidered

as

P See Dr More on the feven churches, and my Expofition of the fecond and third chapters of the Reve lation. 9 Rev. xi. 2, 3. and chap. xii. 6, 14. and xiii. 5.

as a mere nicety, as a matter of fpeculation only, but as what fhould influence our practice. Theory without practice is of little avail; all knowledge is to be reduced to practice; and feeing these things fhall be, and these times will come, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy converfation and godliness? I shall therefore attempt a practical Improvement of these things, and what you may call, if you pleafe, an Application of my former difcourfe referred to; which brings me to observe,

II. The things which those who have skill in prophetic times fhould make known to the Ifrael of God, as what they ought to do in fuch times, or in profpect of thofe to come. And,

First, There are some things which true Ifraelites ought always, and at all times to do; even every good work, which they should be always ready unto, and should pray to God to perfect and fit them for, and make them fruitful and establish them in. I fhall briefly confider, 1. What these are. 2. The neceffity of doing them, and why, and for what purposes they ought to be done. And, 3. That of all men, Ifrael, or Ifraelites indeed, ought to do these things.

1. What thefe good works are that should be done; and it may not be amiss to fhew first, what a good work is: it is often faid that not nouns but adverbs make good works; that it is not merely doing bonum a good thing, but doing that good thing bene well; which is what the apoftle calls well-doing: an action may be materially good, when it is not circumftantially fo. The circumstances requifite to a good work, and by which it may be defined, are, that it must be according to the declared and revealed will of God; muft fpring from love, be done in faith, in the name of Chrift, and to the glory of God. If any of these circumstances are wanting, it is not properly a good work. It must be a part of that good, perfect, and acceptable will of God; or otherwife it will come under the denomination of will-worship, or voluntary humility, and will be rejected by the Lord, as not being required by him. By this rule many things will be excluded from the name of good works, which may have a fhew of devotion and fanctity; as the traditions of the elders among the Jews, and many things done by Papifts and others, which may carry an appearance of religion and piety in them. It must alfo fpring from love to God; "charity is the end of the com"mandment, and love the fulfilling of the law;" this is not only the matter of it, but the fource of obedience; which fhould be yielded to, not through fear of punishment, or hope of reward, but without any finifter, selfish, and mercenary views, in pure affection to God that requires it; and that work is beft done that is done in the view, and under the influence of the love of God. It must be alfo done in faith, the thing itself must be believed as right to be done; Tit. iii. 1. Heb. xiii. 21. Col. i. 10. 2 Theff. ii. 17.

2 Peter iii, 11.

t Gal vi. 9.