They are "clothed in sack-cloth," because they sigh and cry for all the
abominations of their time,--subjected to oppression, and excluded from
"kings' palaces,"--places of worldly honor, power and emolument.

But the question is of great importance, and, to themselves in
particular, of absorbing interest,--How shall these witnesses be
identified among mankind? For however few, humble, despised and
persecuted, even unto death; strange as it may seem, there are not
wanting many to put forth a claim to be identified with them! Assuming
that these mystic witnesses are individual persons, the Papists say,
they are Enoch and Elijah, hereafter to appear on earth! By Protestants,
John Huss and Jerome.--Luther and Calvin, have been selected. Others
suppose the Old and New Testaments, with many other vague and groundless
conjectures. The witnesses die; but the two prophets named "were
translated that they should not see death:" and the thought is
preposterous that they should be brought again from their glorious state
of immortality and subjected to an ignominious death. John Huss and
Jerome of Prague did not prophesy 1260 years, nor have we the shadow of
a ground to believe that any of the human race shall ever prolong their
days on earth to the age of Methuselah. The two Testaments cannot die,
for "the word of God liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Pet. i. 23.) But
it would be tedious and unprofitable to confute the various chimeras
which on this question have been entertained in the minds equally of the
learned and the illiterate. The like fanciful and diversified opinions
have been, and still are, prevalent in relation to what constitutes "the
Antichrist." (1 John ii. 22.) Now, it is evident, even on a cursory
perusal of the Apocalypse; that the witnesses and their opponents are
the principal parties symbolized in the whole series of the seals,
trumpets and vials. How then can any one attain to a rational
understanding of the manifold details, who remains "willingly ignorant"