of extraordinary power and virtue will be the more wanted, as iniquity will abound in these times, and even the good will be exposed to dangerous and most severe trials. To answer this exigency the all-bountifull God will send another agent, namely, Henoch. We learn from Moses that this patriarch by a particular privilege, was preserved from death: Henoch walked with God, and was seen no more ; because God took him, Gen. v. 24. We learn the same from St. Paul: By faith Henoch was taken away, that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him away, Rom. xi. 5. In the whole class of mankind, Henoch and Elias are the only two persons to be found, that have not paid the common debt of nature; which is deferred, till they shall have campleted the functions to which they are destined, and which are not to take place till the latter days. They will then have, each, their separate commission. That of Elias will be, as we have seen, the conversion of the Jews, &c. or, to restore the tribes of Jacob; while Henoch will be sent to preach to the Gentiles, as we learn from the book of Ecclesiasticus: Henoch pleased God, and was translated into Paradise, that he may give repentance to the nations, xliv. 16. The object therefore of Henoch's ministry is to give repentance to the nations, to withdraw idolaters from idolatry, to move bad Christians to repentance and bring them back into the ways of virtue, and in fine to stem the prevailing tide of iniquity. In the same manner then as St. Peter was appointed the apostle of the Jews, and St. Paul the apostle of the nations, Gal. ii. 7, 8, so Elias will be sent, chiefly to the former, and Henoch to the latter: but as the preaching of each of the two apostles was not entirely confined to either body of people, but sometimes extended to both; so likewise Elias and Henoch will sometimes mix their labours in favour of both Jews and nations. It is here further to be observed, that Henoch represents the ancient patriarchs and people, who lived under the law of nature; and Elias the Jewish prophets with that people, who were bound to the Mosaic institution: so that by their preaching the Christian religion, we understand that both the patriarchs and the prophets, both the law of nature and the Mosaic will appear again, if the expression be allowed, upon the stage of the world, to concur in giving testimony to Christ.

The two messengers of God, Henoch and Elias, are the two witnesses, whose appearance and functions are described by St. John in the Apocalypse: And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophecy a thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth, xi. 3. God will give unto these, his two witnesses, the spirit of preaching and prophecy; by virtue of which they will preach and prophecy for a time that is limited to a thousand two hundred and sixty days, that is, forty-two months of 30 days each, or three years and a half. During this period of their ministry, they will imitate the conduct observed by St. John Baptist on his preaching, by showing in themselves the examples of a penitential life, and practising the austerities of mortification, as appears by the expression, that they will be clothed in sackcloth. And such example, doubtless, will add great weight to their preaching.

St. John continues to describe the two witnesses: These are two olive trees, and the two candlesticks, that stand before the Lord of the earth, xi. 4. Henoch and Elias are compared to olive trees; because, as olive trees yield the unctuous substance of oil, so these two powerful preachers will enrich mankind with the streams of the grace of God, aptly represented by the richness of oil. They are also said to be the two candlesticks that stand before the Lord, or God, of the carth; because as candlesticks are set up to diffuse light, so they will carry the light of faith to the nations of the earth. Here the apostle applies to them a passage in the prophecy of Zachary: These are two sons of oil, who stand before the Lord of the whole earth, Zach. iv. 14.

St. John proceeds: And if any man will hurt them, the two witnesses, fire shall come out of their mouths, and shall devour their enemies: And if any man will hurt them, in this manner must he be slain.

These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and they have power over waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues

as often as they will. Apoc. xi. 5, 6. Here are expressed the miraculous powers, with which the two witnesses, Henoch and Elias, will be vested. Such powers will be necessary, to enable them to prove their mission, and to give weight to their preaching. Every messenger, who appears with a new commission from God, is always furnished with unquestionable proofs of such his commission: and these proofs are no other than miraculous works. Thus did our Saviour, the apostles, and first planters of Christianity prove the divine authority of their mission, and the truth of their doctrine. Every new teacher who comes destitute of such a sanction, can claim no credit, but will be deemed an impostor.

Among the numerous miracles Henoch and Elias will perform, here is particular mention of some. Ifany one offers to hurt them, to injure them, or attempts to seize them in order to put them to death, fire will come out of their mouths, or they will command fire to come forth and devour those enemies. The same terrible punishment Elias, while on earth, inflicted upon the fifty men, whom king Ochozias sent to apprehend him. The captain of the fifty men said to Elias: man of God, the king has commanded that thou come down. Elias answering, said to the captain of the fifty: If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and the fifty that were with him. 4 Kings, i. 9, 10. The second miracle of Henoch and Elias, mentioned in our text, is, that they will shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy. At their command, no rain will fall during the three years and a half of their preaching; which drought will naturally produce a famine. This calamity they will probably be inspired to call for, in order to make mankind sensible of the wrath of God that is armed against them, to induce them to enter into themselves, and withdraw from their evil ways. Elias had formerly worked the same wonder, as we learn from the third book of Kings, where he is introduced speaking to Achab, king of Israel, in the following mannner: Elias the Theshite

said to Achab: as the Lord liveth, the God of Israel, in whose sight I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to the words of my mouth, 3 Kings, xvii. 1. This drought, announced by Elias, lasted three years and a half, as we learn from St. Luke's gospel, c. 4. v. 25. and St. James's epistle, c. 5. v. 17. The third miracle ascribed to the two wonder-workers, is the turning waters into blood. This was also performed in Egypt by Moses. In fine, it is said, they will have power to strike the earth with all plagues as often as they will. Here is then a general power put into their hands to inflict on mankind whatsoever calamities and disasters they may judge proper, either for their own defence, or to punish the enemies of God, or to bring men back to a sense of religion. Such surprising wonders worked by the hands of Henoch and Elias will undoubtedly make impression upon mankind, and being enforced by a vigorous preaching will bring many to repentance.

The preceding observations show us then, who are the two witnesses spoken of by St. John, and what will be at least, in part, the object of their mission. If a further confirmation be demanded, we have for vouchers all antiquity. We may begin with St. Justin, who says: "Our Saviour himself teaches that Elias will "come; and we know what will happen towards the "time that our Lord Jesus is to come from heaven in " his glory." Dial. cum Tryph. Tertullian speaks in the following manner: "Henoch and Elias have been " taken away, nor do we find any account of their dy" ing, because their death has been delayed: but they " must, however, one day die, that by their blood Anti" christ may be extinguished." De anima, c. 50. St. Hyppolitus, martyr, says: "St. John Baptist was the

precursor of the first coming of Jesus Christ, and " Elias and Henoch will be the precursors sors of the se"cond." Orat. de Antichristo. St. Ephrem comforts us by saying: "God in his mercy will send Henoch " and Elias, who will exhort mankind not to believe in " Antichrist." Serm. de Antichr. Lactantius seems to indicate Elias in the following words: "When the " end of time will be approaching, God will send a great " prophet, to recall mankind to the knowledge of their " God, and who will have power of doing great won"ders." Instit. lib. 7. c. 17. St. Hilary, explaining the words of our Saviour, says: "Christ told his disci"ples that Elias would come and re-establish all things, "that is, that Elias would come to bring back all the " Israelites that remain, to the knowledge of their "God." Cap. 17. in Matt. St. Jerome tells that, "according to the prophecy of Malachy, Elias will ap" pear before the second coming of our Saviour, and " will announce the approach of judgment." In Matth. xi. And in another place: "When the ful"ness of the Gentiles will be come in, all Israel shall be "saved; because then the prophet Elias will come, " and will reconcile and turn the heart of the fathers to "their children, and the heart of the children to their " fathers, and the new people will be re-united to the " ancient." In cap. 4. Zach. And in his letter to St. Marcella, he tells her that, "according to the Apoca" lypse, Henoch and Elias are to come again, and then "to die." We read in St. Ambrose that, “the beast, "which is Antichrist, will rise up from the abyss to "fight against Elias and Henoch, who will have been " sent again upon earth to give testimony to Jesus " Christ, as we learn from the Apocalypse of St. John." In Psalm 45. St. Augustin informs us of the opinion of his times: "Nothing is more common,” says he, " in the discourse of the faithful, than that the Jews " will be converted to the faith of Christ by the great " prophet Elias: for it is with reason believed, that he " is yet living, and is expected to appear before the " coming of our Saviour to judgment." Deciv. Dei, lib. 20. c. 19. And again: "It is believed that Henoch " and Elias will return to pay the common debt of na"ture, that, though their death has been deferred, they " will nevertheless die." Ad. cap. 6. Gen. St. John Chrysostom tells us: "The prophets announce two " comings of Christ, and say that Elias will be the "forerunner of the second." In Matth. hom. 58. St. Prosper writes as follows: "As God sent against Pha