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A SYLLABUS 
 
 OF 
 
 LECTURES 
 
 ON THt 
 
 SIONS 
 
 REVELATION. 
 
 BY AMZi Armstrong, a.m. 
 
 Minister of the Presbyterian Church in Mendhanit N. y. 
 
 *' Blessed Is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of 
 this prophecy, and keep those things which are written there- 
 in i for the lime is at hand.".. ..Rev. i. 3. 
 
 MORRIS-roWN, N.J, 
 
 PUBLISHED BY P. A. JOHNSON^ 
 
 1815. 
 
 H. P. BVSSBLLi rSlXNTBB. 
 
District op New-Jersly, is. 
 
 BE IT REMEMBERED, That on ttte nineteenth day of 
 April, in the thirty-ninth year of ihe Independence of the U- 
 niied States of America, PETER A. JOHNSON, of the said 
 district, hath deposited in this office, the title of a Book, the 
 right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, 
 to wit : 
 
 *' A Syllabus of Lectures on the Visions of the Revela- 
 •' tlon;by Amzi Armstrong, A. M. Minister of the Fresby- 
 *' terian Church in Mendham, N. J." 
 
 In Conformity to the act of the Congress of the United 
 States, entitled, " An act for the encouragement of learning, by 
 Becuring the copies of rw-^^r*' •v,«.^to, B.i-.tiv,o<»lcs.tothe authors and 
 proprietors uf sucli copies, during the times therein mentioned;" 
 and also to the act entitled " An act supplementary to the act 
 entitled An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing 
 the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and jjro- 
 prietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and 
 extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, etching, 
 and engraving historical and other prints." 
 
 ROBERT BOGGS, 
 Cieri of the District of Nexv^yersey, 
 
TO THE PUBLIC, '^^: 
 
 After frequently reviewing, and care- 
 fully examining, in the course of twenty 
 years past, those leading sentiments, in 
 which I was really constrained to differ 
 from the commonly received opinions, 
 in explaining the Visions of the Revela- 
 tion, I ventured, last winter, to commence 
 a com'se of Lectures on the subject. 
 
 xlnd now, to afford those who heard 
 them an opportunity deliberately to ex- 
 amine those sentiments ; ^nd to submit 
 thenl to the consideratioii of my Ciirls- 
 tian friends generally, I publish an ab- 
 stract of the Lectures, designed to give 
 a simple statement of the principles, on 
 which I think the Visions of the Kevela- 
 tion ought to be explained. 
 
 A. ARMSTRONG. 
 
 3Igndbam, April ^^ 1815. 
 

 LE CTURE I. 
 
LECTURE L 
 
 IJ^TBOBUCTORT. 
 
 REVELATION, i. 1. 
 
 ^^ The Revelation of Jesus Christy which God gave 
 unto hiniy to shexv unto his servants things which 
 must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signifi- 
 ed it by his angel unto his servant John*^ 
 
 JLHIS introductory paragraph gives a 
 compendious view of the history, the subject, 
 and the design of ** the Book of the Revela- 
 tion." 
 
 1st. The History. 
 
 It is " the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which 
 God gave unto him." 
 
 ** Prophecy came not in old time by the will 
 of man; but holy men of God spake as they 
 were moved by the Holy Ghost." 
 
 And now, **God who, at sundry times, and 
 in divers manners, spake in time past unto the 
 fathers by the Prophets, hath i/i 'he-se last days 
 spoken unto us by his Sun^ whom he haih ap- 
 pointed heir of all things." 
 
8 Introductory, [lec. i. 
 
 It was indeed ** the Spirit of Christy in the 
 Prophets, that testified beforehand the suffer- 
 ings of Christ, and the glory that should fol- 
 low." 
 
 But even when he came in his own person to 
 reveal the Father unto men, and to bear wit- 
 ness to the truth, he received a commandment 
 of the Father what he should say, and what he 
 should speak ; and declared, ** whatsoever I 
 speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto 
 me, so Ispeak'\.../o/z;/, xii. 50. In all things 
 he professed to perform the Father's will, and 
 to receive from him whatever he bestowed on 
 men, and whatever he claimed as his, even to 
 the kingdom appointed unto him of the Father. 
 He testified, ** as the Father hath life in himself, 
 so hath he given to the Son to have life in him- 
 self ; and hath given him authority to execute 
 judgment also, because he is the Son of man." 
 Johns V. 26, 27. 
 
 It is in the character of the Son of man that 
 he says, {Mark^ xiii. 32) " But of diat day and 
 that hour, knoweth no man, no. not the 
 angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, 
 bat the Father." It is in the same character 
 that he receives also this Revelation given him 
 of God. 
 
Introduclorif. 9 
 
 Exalted to the throne ofdominion, with ** all 
 power given unto him in heaven and in earth,'' 
 and made " to be head over all things to the 
 Church," whatever is necessary or useful for 
 the Church, is committed to him, ** in whom 
 are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowl- 
 edge." 
 
 This Revelation, thus given to Jesus Christ, 
 he communicated for the benefit of his Church 
 and people ; " and he sent and signified it by 
 his angel to his servant John." 
 
 John was the last of the apostles. His breth- 
 ren had been removed to the presence of their 
 Master in glory. And while John yet contin- 
 ued to suffer for the ** testimony of Jesus, and 
 for the word ot God," his Master honored him 
 to be the especial revealer of his purposes con- 
 cerning his Church in all future ages of the 
 world ; and to bear his last testimony from 
 what he himself saw, and in what he was com- 
 missioned to declare to the Churches. He was 
 favored with a vision, such as mortal eyes could 
 behold, of a portion of the glory of his exalted 
 Lord and Master ; and received from his own 
 lips his messages to the seven Churches in Asia. 
 But the Revelation itself was sent, and signifi- 
 ed to him by his angel. 
 
iO IiUvoductory. [lec. r. 
 
 The ancient Prophets, particularly Ezekiel^ 
 Daniel^ and Zecliariah, had formerly received 
 revelations in a similar manner. Visions were 
 presented to their observation, in which they 
 not only saw the symbolical representation of 
 future things ; but also heard, and even con* 
 versed with the persons bearing a part in the 
 representations. The representation itself was 
 undoubtedly by tl e Divine Power : But angels 
 were commissioned to direct their attention to 
 them, and to explain such particulars in them, 
 as might prevent them from misapprehensions 
 and mistakes. 
 
 The Revelation thus communicated to John, 
 consisted of twelve distinct prophetic visions, 
 representing to him, under various circumstan- 
 ces of deep and important interest, a series of 
 the chief great events concerning the Church 
 of God to the end of time. 
 
 This is, 2dly, The Subject of the Revelation 
 •— " Things which must shortly come to pass." 
 
 The ancient Prophecies had, from the begin- 
 ning, revealed Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sin- 
 ners, and the King of Zion ; without noticing 
 the kingdoms of the world, or the nations of 
 men, any otherwise than as their existence or 
 conduct were occasionally connected intimate- 
 
Inlvoiluctovy. 41 
 
 \y with the name of Christ, or the great inter- 
 ests of his Church and kingdom on earth. This 
 Revelation is continued on the same principles, 
 and regards, not the political, or even moral, 
 changes or series of events that affect only the 
 kingdoms of this world, but the state and pro. 
 gress of that kingdom which the God of heav- 
 en has set up. It is a prophetic view of Christ's 
 holy and glorious providence over his people, 
 guiding and guarding them in their pilgrim- 
 age, and preserving and conducting his Church 
 till she shall " come up from the wilderness, 
 leaning upon her Beloved." 
 
 In this course of his providence, his people 
 must be sometimes chastised, and sometimes 
 comforted ; and their enemies must be con- 
 trouled, and judged. And as he will rebuke 
 kings for his people's sakes. and overturn em- 
 pires to make a way for his redeemed, the 
 names and character of these kings and em- 
 pires may be mentioned, and so much of their 
 policy and of their history be brought into 
 view, as may be necessary to illustrate the 
 holy providence of the King of Zion over the 
 kingdom of his heritage. On these principles 
 alone, may we apply the things here revealed, 
 to the concerns of the kingdoms of this world. 
 
13 Introduction. [lec. i. 
 
 They are also described as "things that 
 must SHORTLY come to pass" — Or, as the 
 phrase ipight be rendered, come to pass 
 SPEEDILY, or IN quicK SUCCESSION ; im- 
 porting, either that the beginning of them was 
 already accomplishing, and they were all sure- 
 ly to be fulfilled in their order without delay ; 
 or, that the whole time of their accomplishing 
 would be short indeed compared with that 
 state of things they we're to introduce. 
 
 3dly. The Design of this Revelation is," To 
 shew unto his servants," these things. 
 
 It is not to guide the speculations of vain 
 theorists in searching after things to come ; 
 nor is it to soothe the impatience of men un- 
 der their anxieties about future events : it is 
 not a revelation of all things future ; nor even 
 of the things generally that should take pUcc 
 in the world : but, simply, of* things that must 
 shortly come to pass :" That is, of some 
 events, certainly not unimportant in themselves, 
 nor uninteresting to mankind in general, but 
 especially interesting to Christ's servants, and 
 useful for them to know, both for the direction 
 of their expectations and their conduct, and 
 for the support and confirmation of their faith 
 in him who reveals them, 
 
Introfluclory, •18 
 
 The ancient prophecies served these im- 
 portant purposes to the fathers. And Christ's 
 own prediction of the destruction of Jerusa- 
 lem was eminently useful to his servants who 
 lived in Judea at the time of its fulfilment. 
 
 So this revelation is designed to serve the 
 same purposes to his servants in all ages till 
 his second coming. It is a revelation not for 
 the world generally, nor for worldly and pro- 
 fane men ; but for the servants of Christ ; 
 and is designed to answer every desirable and 
 proper purpose to them, that a revelation of 
 things to come could answer. 
 
 Now, from the view given in the text of the 
 history of this book, we are admonished to re- 
 ceive and consider it as the gift of God by 
 Jesus Christ. The representations it contains 
 of future events were, by the Divine power, 
 made to John. And lest he should fail duly 
 to notice them, and lest they should be mis- 
 interpreted or misapplied, a special Messenger 
 from the presence of the Lord was employed 
 to direct his attention, and to explain to him 
 the subjects of these representations, so far as 
 was needful, that he might intelligibly record 
 them. 
 
 B 
 
14 Intrcduciory. [lec. i. 
 
 The representations are therefore to be in- 
 terpreted on the principles of figures, or hiero- 
 gliphics, and the explanations literally. 
 
 The revelation itself commences with the 
 4th chapter of the book, and ends with the 5th 
 verse of the last chapter. 
 
 In considering the subjectof this revelation, 
 we may not calculate on human principles, or 
 rely on human wisdom, to determine what we 
 may expect to find it. Conformably to all 
 other revelations from God, the subject is, 
 
 THE POWER, AXD THE GRACE OF CHRIST, IN 
 HIS GREAT PURPOSE OF REDEEMING LOVE. 
 
 Representations of these are made in twelve 
 prophetic visions. 
 
 The 1st exhibiting Christ himself opening 
 the Seals of the Divine Decrees, and thereby 
 giving a view of the general aspect of his pro- 
 vidence over his Church, from the time of his 
 exaltation to his second coming, in seven vari- 
 ous characters or dispensations of that provi- 
 dence, at as many different periods in that por- 
 tion of time. 
 
 The 2d declaring, under the sounding of 
 seven Trumpets, as many special and distin- 
 guished judgments, which, in answer to the 
 prayers and complaintsof his suflcring people, he 
 
Introductory. ±5 
 
 would execute upon their enemies, within the 
 same period of time, till he shall finally deliver 
 them, from all the power of them that afflict them. 
 
 The 3d making a marked distinction of the 
 real from the nominal Church of God ; and 
 describing the condition of the former, during 
 a specified term of time. 
 
 The 4th giving a general view of the hatred 
 and persecutions of the great adversary, against 
 the Church of God, and the kingdom of 
 Christ in die world, under the figure of a 
 woman persecuted by a dragon* 
 
 The 5th describing, under the character of 
 beasts, the principal agents by whose instru- 
 mentality the adversary vents his hatred, and 
 carries on his persecutions against the Church, 
 for the space of 1260 years. 
 
 The 6th giving a general view of the final 
 triumphing of Christ's servants, and of the 
 account to which he will bring the instruments 
 of the adversary's cruelty, in the harvest and 
 the vintage of the earth. 
 
 The 7th describing, under the figure of the 
 pouring out of seven vials of wrath, the par- 
 ticular judgments by which Christ will bring 
 to an end the controversy, in which the agents 
 and instruments of the adversary enlist them- 
 selves against him. 
 
16 Introductory. [lec, r. 
 
 The 8th describing the character, and giv- 
 ing the destiny of an apostate and antichris- 
 tian community under the name of Babylon. 
 
 The 9lh shewing the fall and utter destruction 
 of that apostate community, in its whole polity 
 and possessions, under the idea of the fall and 
 utter ruin of the city of Babylon. 
 
 The 10th declaring the final triumph of 
 Christ over all his enemies, and their entire 
 subversion in " the battle of that great day of 
 God Almighty." 
 
 The 1 Ith predicting the millennial state of 
 the Church. 
 
 And the 12th the New Jerusalem. 
 
 In all these particulars, the power and the 
 grace of Christ are here pledged, in a progressive 
 discipline, and effectual care over his servants, 
 till they shall all be complete in him, and every 
 one of them, in Zion, appear before God. 
 
 It is a most interesting prospective history of 
 that providence, which, through the wisdom 
 and power of the Godhead, Jesus Christ shall 
 accomplish in his care over his Church, which 
 he hath purchased with his own blood, till he 
 shall ** present it to himself a glorious Church, 
 — holy and without blemish." 
 
 Lastly, The design is worthy of the author. 
 
Introductory. 17 
 
 and is well answered by the nature and the 
 manner of the revelation. 
 
 It is worthy of Him, who is the first and 
 the last— who declareth the end from the be- 
 ginning, when he calls his servants to the hon- 
 or and the rewards of a co-operation with him, 
 to give them some distinct intimations, not 
 only of the final result, but also of the pro- 
 gressive steps, and the various means and cir- 
 cumstances, in which he will accomplish his 
 great and good purpose concerning the Church 
 of his redeemed. 
 
 And it is worthy of Him, who calls his ser- 
 vants confidently to trust in him at all times, 
 and for all things pertaining to life and godli- 
 Hcss, to afford them a continued and constantly 
 present evidence of his power and grace to 
 supply all their wants. In the first ages after 
 his exaltation, he gave them the testimony of 
 miracles to witness his constant presence and 
 regard to them. But through all ages, " the 
 testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy," 
 and is witness to this hour that " all judgment 
 is committed to the Son," and that he is ** made 
 head overall things to the Church." 
 
 The nature also of this revelation, is such 
 as^seems most desirable and useful for the ser- 
 h2 
 
18 Introdiiciory, [lec. i. 
 
 vants of Christ, to keep them in that humble 
 and expecting temper in which they ought to 
 wait on him ; and to admonish them of the 
 danger of all near alliances with the world, as 
 well as to warn them of particular and eminent 
 seasons and circumstances of trial and of dan- 
 ger through which they must pass. 
 
 The manner of it, likewise, is such as ac- 
 cords with every rational, certainly with every 
 scriptural, idea of true prophecy. 
 
 In some of the ancient prophecies concern- 
 ing nations or people who were never to read 
 them for themselves, before the accomplishment, 
 the representations or predictions are not obscu- 
 red by hieroglyphics ; but are to be understood 
 literally. In many prophecies, however, a degree 
 of obscurity seems necessary, if for no other 
 reason, yet, that they may not stand in the way 
 of their own fulfilment. This revelation is 
 plain enough, to give those who respectfully 
 study and regard it, all needful intimations of 
 the duties their master expects of them in the 
 course of its fulfilling, and of aU the dangers 
 and snares he would itach them to avoid. It is 
 sufficient also to assure his faithful servants, at 
 all times, of his supreme providence and con- 
 stant care over his Church, and of his faithiul- 
 
Introductory, 19 
 
 ness to perform, in every particular, that he 
 hath promised ; while, at the sam^ time, it is so 
 obscnre as not to prevent its own accomplish- 
 ment ; and as not to force conviction on men 
 generally, who read it^ concerning the character 
 of its author. It leaves them in that free con- 
 dition, which is indispensible — in rhat state of 
 discipline and probation for which the present 
 life is designed. In such a state, men's moral 
 faculties must have scope, or there can be no 
 probation ; and in the controul which the 
 Most High maintains over them, room must 
 be left for the exercise of these faculties, or 
 they cannot be disciplined as their rational na- 
 ture requires. It is therefore of the wisdom 
 and goodness of God, that a revelation of 
 things that must shortly come to pass, when 
 made to those whom it chiefly regards, should 
 be clouded with some obscurity. It is how- 
 ever entirely consistent with these principles, 
 to suppose that they whose hearts are truly 
 turned to the Lord, and habituated to a temper 
 of sincere obedience to him, and of confident 
 trust in his word, may, by serious and diligent 
 study, attain to some good and satisfactory un- 
 derstanding of such a revelation. And that 
 they may, was declared to Daniel when it was 
 
20 Introductory. [lec. i. 
 
 said to him, (Dan. xii. 10,) "None of the 
 wicked shaP understand ; but the wise shall 
 understand." It is, perhaps, always to be at- 
 tributed to the perverse inclinations, the way- 
 ward tempers, or the profane fancies of men, 
 rather than to any impenetrable obscurity in 
 the visions of the revelation, that they are not 
 better understood. It is consistent with the 
 same principles also, to expect that, when 
 many of the prophecies contained in the reve- 
 lation have been fulfilled, and especially when 
 some of the last great interesting scenes which 
 they reveal are displaying, and hastening to a 
 close, they for whose sake they were revealed, 
 the true servants of Jesus, shall have their un- 
 derstanding much enlarged on these subjects, 
 according to that other declaration to Daniel 
 (xii. 4,) ** Many shall run to and fro, and 
 knowledge shall be increased." — " And they 
 that understand among the people shall instruct 
 many." To these times, certainly, is emi- 
 nently applicable that declaration, nearly con- 
 nected with our text, in the 3d verse of the 
 chapter, ** Blessed is he that readeth, and they 
 that hear the words of his prophecy, and keep 
 those things which are >vritten therein j for the 
 time is at hand." 
 
LECTURE II. 
 
LE CTURE II. 
 
 The Vision of the Sealed Book. 
 
 REVELATION v. 1. 
 
 *' And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the 
 throne a book written withiny and on the back side 
 sealed xvith seven seals,''^ 
 
 XHIS was, probably, the most august 
 Vision, that ever mortal eyes beheld. The 
 awful glories of Sinai, and the resplend- 
 ent visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel, seem here 
 united ; and the glorious appearance of the 
 Lamb, with the universal concert of worship 
 addressed to him, give the vision a life and a 
 glory before unequalled in all that prophet had 
 ever described, or the eyes of man had ever 
 witnessed. 
 
 It was a great occasion ; interesting to an- 
 gels, and to men. " The Lamb, slain from 
 the foundation of the world>" had, according 
 to the proph<tcies and promises concerning 
 him, been offered upon the Altar, and had re? 
 
S4 The Vision of [lec. it. 
 
 ascended to the glory which he had with the 
 Father before the world was: and now the 
 divine decrees respecting his future glory, as 
 the Mediator of the new and everlasting cove- 
 nant, and as the Lord and Head of his Church, 
 wtre to be delivered with public solemnity in- 
 to his hands, that he might loose the seals, and 
 in his own name and authority, reveal to his 
 servants the leading features of his holy and 
 glorious providence, determined for the exe- 
 cution of his counsel of love. 
 
 These decrees are represented as contained 
 in a Book, that seems to have consisted of 
 seven leaves, or, according to the ancient form 
 of books, seven rolls of skin or parchment, 
 written within, and on the backside scaled 
 with seven seals. If these volumes were fas- 
 tened together at one end, and together rolled 
 up into the form in which such volumes were 
 usually kept, the seals would then all appear on 
 the outside, and as each one was loosed, the 
 volume it sealed might be opened, and its con- 
 tents displayed. 
 
 To loose these seals was the prerogative of 
 " the Amen, the faithful and true Witness." 
 And tiii he appeared, '* No one in heaven, 
 
the Sealed Booh. 25 
 
 nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able 
 to open the book, neither to look thereon." 
 
 He received the book out of the right hand 
 of Him that sat upon the throne ; and as he 
 opened the several seals, and displayed the vol- 
 umes in order, there appeared emblems sig- 
 nificant of the progressive discipline and effec- 
 tual care over his Church and people, which it 
 had been determined he should accomplish, in 
 seven various dispensations of his providence 
 toward them, in succession till his second coming. 
 
 When he had opened one of the seals, there 
 appeared " a white horse ; and he that sat on 
 him had a bow ; and a crown was given unto 
 him ; and he went forth conquering and to 
 conquer.'* 
 
 This emblem was fully explained, by that 
 which afterwards was witnessed by the apostle, 
 when, as is recorded in the 19th chapter, he 
 *' saw heaven opened, and behold a white 
 horse ; and he that sat upon him was called 
 fathful and true ; and in righteousness he doth 
 judge and make war ; and his name is called 
 the Word of God, and he hath on his vesture 
 and on his thigh a name written. King of 
 kings, and Lord of lords." This could be 
 none other than the Lord from heaven, come 
 C 
 
S6 The Vision of [lec. n. 
 
 forth to triumph gloriously over his enemies in 
 the last great day of battle and of victory. So, 
 in this place, although differing in some cir- 
 cumstances of his appearance, according to the 
 different purposes for which he was manifest- 
 ed, it is the same Lord, accompanied by the 
 same emblems of pure and holy triumph. 
 
 In this instance, the white horse, and the 
 bow, and the crown, and the progressive vic- 
 tory represent him, as it had been foretold of 
 him in the 45th Psalm, triumphing by the 
 power of his word and of his Spirit, and gath- 
 ering, and building up to himself a kingdoms 
 among men. 
 
 The opening of this seal, therefore, discloses 
 the sure prospect of the wide-spreading of the 
 gospel, and of its blissful and holy influence 
 over the hearts of men triumphing against all 
 the power of its enemies. 
 
 It was accomplished in the early success of 
 the Gospel among the nations of the earth. 
 Historians relate that within less than a century 
 after the exaltation of Christ, all the known 
 world was enlightened by the Gospel ; and 
 pagan oracles were silenced, and pagan insti- 
 tutions prostrated before its power. Th^ 
 Apostle had already witnessed this in part RCr 
 
the Sealed Book. 27 
 
 tually accomplished in his own time. And 
 here it was represented to him as constituting 
 the first and leading dispensation of that glo- 
 rious and holy providence, which, from the 
 counsels of the divine decrees, was now to be 
 revealed to him for the servants of the L ord. 
 
 *' And when he had opened the second seal, 
 there went out another horse that was red ; and 
 power was given to him that sat thereon, 
 to take peace from the earth, and that they 
 should kill one another ; and there was given 
 unto him a great sword." 
 
 None can be at a loss, I suppose, to under- 
 stand the general import and significancy of 
 these emblems. 
 
 The servants of Christ are here forewarned, 
 that, notwithstanding the first success of the 
 Gospel, and its glorious progress, there would yet 
 be a great trial, and severe afflictions to be en- 
 dured. The adversary of the kingdom in 
 which they trusted, would not quietly yield his 
 dominion ; and the Lord would suffer him to 
 contend, by his servants, ** the children of dis- 
 obedience," with blood, and great slaughter. 
 But, in the end, he would, in his supreme pro- 
 vidence, take peace from the earth, and they 
 should kill and destroy one another. 
 
28 The Vision of [lec. ii. 
 
 The opening of this seal discloses to view 
 that bloody period, in which the Church sufFered 
 her bitter and terrible persecutions ; and in the 
 close of which, the earth was deluged with 
 blood, in the wars the heathen waged among 
 themselves, till the Roman empire was settled 
 in peace under the dominion of Constantine, 
 in the beginning of the fourth century. Peace 
 might truly be said to be taken from the earth, 
 when, in the course of about half a century, 
 more than twenty different emperors reigned, 
 and above thirty usurpers contended unsuc- 
 cessfully for the crown. 
 
 ** And when he had opened the third seal-- 
 I beheld, and lo, a black horse ; and he that 
 sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 
 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four 
 living creatures say, A measure of wheat for a 
 penny, and three measures of barley for a pen- 
 ny ; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine," 
 
 This opens a dark dispensation. The black 
 horse seems indicative of famine. The pro- 
 phet Jeremiah, in his Lamentations, had said, 
 {Chap, V. 10,) " Our skin was black like 
 an oven, because of the terrible famine." And 
 the measure here mentioned, was only the dai- 
 ly allowance for a labouring man's sustenance : 
 
the Sealed Booh. S9, 
 
 and the piece of money mentioned, as we learn 
 from the parable of the labourers in the vine- 
 yard, {Matthew xx. 2,) was the price of a day's 
 labour. Provisions for the support of life 
 must have been scarce indeed, when a labour- 
 ing man could obtain enough only for his own 
 bread, as the price of his daily labour. 
 
 We would scarcely expect, however, that 
 any actual famine recorded in history would 
 be so distinctly noted, and classed as one of 
 tiie seven great dispensations of Christ's pro- 
 vidence over his Church* 
 
 But we read in the Scriptures of a famine 
 of another kind — {Amos viii. 11,) " Behold 
 the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will 
 send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, 
 nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word 
 of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea 
 to sea, and from the north even to the east ; 
 they shall run to and fro to seek the word dS 
 the Lord, and shall not find it. In that day 
 shall the fair virgins and the young men faint 
 for thirst." 
 
 When the bread and tlie water of life are 
 kept back out of view, and neglected, to make 
 way for human inventions and apersticions. or 
 are perverted or alloyed by the profane specu- 
 
 €2 
 
89 The Vision of [leg. h. 
 
 lations of a vain and deceitful philosophy, 
 there must a spiritual famine ensue : and such 
 a famine, thus brought on, may be continued in 
 judgment. When the children of Israel 
 murmured and loathed the manna from heaven, 
 God " gave them their request, but sent lean- 
 ness into their souls." And when Ephraim 
 made many altars to sin, the righteous judg- 
 ment of God issued ** Altars shall be unto 
 hini to sin." 
 
 The solid instructions of the Scriptures had 
 begun to evaporate into light and airy visions, 
 under the ministrations of philosophizing teach- 
 ers, before the time of Constantine ; and mul- 
 titudes of the nominal Christians were pleased 
 with it even then. But when the Doctors of 
 the Church came to be flattered and courted 
 by the secular power, and the pressure of per- 
 secution was no longer felt, the word of 
 life was generally neglected for human institu- 
 tions, and the fountains of truth were forsaken 
 for " clouds without water." 
 
 The opening of this seal discloses a period 
 of spiritual famine, from the time of Constan- 
 tine's favor to the Church, till the desolations 
 of the empire, by the irruptions of the Barba- 
 rians. A period in which the Church enjoys 
 
the Sealed Booh, Bi 
 
 the advantage of civil justice and equity in her 
 favor, represented, perhaps, by the balances 
 in the hand of him that sat upon the horse, 
 yet, in her spiritual concerns, is characterized 
 as low and languishing, through the scarcity 
 of the ministrations of the pure bread and 
 water of life. No external foe is suffered to 
 prevail against her : the spirit of grace has not 
 yet forsaken her ; nor arc his unctions with- 
 held from them that wait for them ; for a 
 command accompanies the dispensation, " See 
 thou hurt not the oil and the wine." The 
 precious ordinances of Christ are not yet so 
 corrupted, as to bring on spiritual death. 
 But weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, 
 she is found wanting ; and a universal leanness 
 and famishing prevails, as is here represented 
 under the idea of a scarcity of the provisions 
 necessary to support life. The pulse of life 
 still continued to beat, but it beat feebly : and 
 toward the close of the period, the chills of 
 death and the convulsions of expiring life, in- 
 dicated a speedy extinction. The succeeding 
 period discovers the fatal consequences. 
 
 ** And when he had opened the fourth seal— 
 I looked, and behold, a pale horse ; and his 
 Rame that sat on him was Death, and hell fol- 
 
sa The Vision of [lec. ir. 
 
 lowed with him ; and power was given unto 
 them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill 
 with sword, and with hunger, and with death, 
 and with the beasts of the earth." 
 
 Death, as a terrific conqueror, is here reprc- 
 sented as going forth to execute his dread 
 commission, in putting an end, by the utter 
 extinction of life, to that languishing condi- 
 tion of the great body of the Church, which 
 was disclosed by the opening of the former 
 seal ; and hell as following, in concert with 
 him, to fix the seal of reprobation on the apos- 
 tate Church. And power is given to them 
 over that whole division, or quarter of the 
 earth where the Church had become thus apos- 
 tate, to put an end to life, by the sword, or 
 power of the secular authority, by withholding 
 or perverting the bread and the water of life, 
 by the pestilence of fidse doctrine, and by the 
 tyrannical and persecuting beasts of the earth. 
 
 This is a representation of that long and 
 dreary period in Church history, so destitute 
 of the light of life, from about the time of tlie 
 barbarians settling, and c^ti,blishing kingdoms 
 within the bounds of the Roman empiie, till 
 the dawning of the reformation. It is a long 
 period ; but let it not surprise as, if we find U 
 
the Sealed Book* 33 
 
 distinguished by but few prophetic notes. — 
 One uniform character of ghastly Death and 
 Hell triumphing, marks and distinguishes it 
 from beginning to end. There were indeed faint 
 sparks of life apparent here and there. But 
 the great body of the Church, in that quarter of 
 the world, had become a lifeless and putrid 
 carcass ; and Christ had rejected it. 
 
 " And when he had opened the fifth seal, I 
 saw under the altar the souls of them that were 
 alain for the word of God, and for the testimo* 
 ny which they held. 
 
 ** And they cried with a loud voice, saying- 
 How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou 
 not judge and avenge our blood on them that 
 dwell on the earth ? 
 
 ** And white robes were given unto every one 
 of them, and it was said unto them, that they 
 should rest yet for a little season, until their 
 fellow servants also, and their brethren that 
 should be killed as they were, should be ful- 
 filled." 
 
 After a long night of death, the opening of 
 this seal reveals the spirit of the martyrs of 
 Jesus revived, and the true spirit of prayer, 
 founded upon the promises of God, renewed 
 ia them that groaned under the oppression n^ 
 
34 The Vision of [lec. ti. 
 
 the enemies of Christ, and waited for his sal- 
 vation. 
 
 At the commencement of the Reformation, 
 when the enormities of the apostate Church 
 were discovered and exposed, it was natural 
 for the impatience of men to expect, that 
 Christ would soon judge her, and avenge the 
 blood of his martyrs. And when they found his 
 purpose to this effect declared in his word, they 
 would think themselves justified in expecting it 
 would be accomplished without delay. They 
 therefore *' cried with a loud voice, saying- 
 How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou 
 not judge and avenge our blood on them that 
 dwell on the earth ?'* 
 
 Such were the expectations, and such the 
 prayers of the Reformers and their successors, 
 till within a late period. Even some of us 
 here now can remember, when scarcely a sin- 
 gle public prayer was offered to God, that did 
 not contain a petition for the destruction of the 
 power of Antichrist. But God's time was not 
 yet come ; and the faith of men has grown 
 weary, perhaps just when God is beginning to 
 hasten his work, " that that day may come up- 
 on them unawares." — For as a snare shall it 
 
the Sealed Book. 35 
 
 come on all them that dwell on the face of the 
 whole earth." 
 
 These prayers were not then answered in 
 kind ; but they who offered them were not put 
 by without an answer in mercy, " White 
 robes were given to every one of them.'' 
 They were supported and made victorious 
 against the adversary ; and they received 
 each a personal answer to his prayer, in being 
 clothed with the robe of Christ's righteousness. 
 The spirit of truth taught them to understand, 
 and to apply to their own cases, the great and 
 good doctrine, which had been long exploded, 
 of pardon and of jujstification before Gcd, by 
 the sacrifice and the righteousness of Christ. -*- 
 It was the revival of this doctrine, that charac- 
 terized and distinguished the Reformation, Jt 
 comprises, indeed, the substance, and is the 
 distingishing theme of the Gospel : and with- 
 out it, there had been no reformation worthy 
 the notice of the spirit of prophecy. 
 
 They were also instructed that they must 
 wait a Tittle season, till the list of Martyrs 
 should be completed ; and till the measure of 
 iniquity of their enemies should be filled up, 
 in their persevering, against light and know> 
 ledge, to *'• resist the truth*' till ** their folly 
 
36 The Vision of [lec. ii. 
 
 shall be manifest unto all," as theirs also was, 
 who withstood Moses, that future generations 
 may learn to ** fear the Lord and his goodness, 
 in the latter days." 
 
 The opening of the next seal reveals tlic 
 righteous judgments of Christ, accomplished 
 in due time, upon these enemies of his throne 
 and kingdom. 
 
 " And I beheld when he had opened the 
 ^ixth seal — and lo, there was a great earth- 
 quake, and the sun became black as sackcloth 
 of hair, and the moon became as blood. 
 
 ** And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, 
 even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, 
 when she is shaken of a mighty wind : 
 
 " And the heaven departed as a scroll when 
 it is rolled together ; and every mountain and 
 island were moved out of their places ; 
 
 *' And the kings of the earth, and the great 
 men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, 
 and the mighty men, and every bond- man, and 
 every free-man hid themselves in the dens, 
 and in the rocks of the mountains ; 
 
 *' And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall 
 on us, and hide us from the face of him 
 that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath 
 of the Lamb ; 
 
the Sealed Book. S? 
 
 *' For the great day of his wrath is come ; 
 and who shall be able to stand ?" 
 
 The earthquake or concussion, according to 
 that explanation by the Apostle, {Heb. xii. 
 27,) **signifieth the removing of those things 
 which are shaken." The sun becoming black, 
 and the moon as blood, and the stars of heaven 
 falling to the earth, designate the shrouding in 
 darkness, and covering with blood, and casting 
 down from their high places, the thrones and 
 dominions, and the princes, and the potentates 
 of the earth. And the departing of the heav^ 
 ens as a scroll, or parchment, when it is rolled 
 together, and the removing of every mountain, 
 and of every island, out of their places, can 
 signify nothing less than a total subversion, 
 and universal sweeping off from the face 
 of the earth, all those human establish* 
 ments, of earthly foundation, whether civil or 
 ecclesiastical, which have been in any way 
 opposed to the spirit and the purity of Christ's 
 Kingdom, When the stone cut out of the 
 mountain without hands, shall smite the great 
 image of earthly dominions upon his feet, then 
 the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the 
 gold, shall be broken to pieces together, and 
 become like the chaff of the summer thresh- 
 
 D 
 
33 The Vision of [lec. ii. 
 
 ing-floors ; and the wind shall carry them 
 away, that no place shall be found for them ; 
 and the stone shall become a great mountain, 
 and fill the whole earth. ** For, behold, the 
 day Cometh that shall burn as an oven ; and 
 all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall 
 be as stubble : and the day that cometh 
 shall burn them up, saiih the Lord of hosts, 
 that it shall leave them neither root nor 
 branch.'* 
 
 But what, I think, unequivocally determines 
 the nature of the events here revealed, and the 
 order and period of time in which they shall 
 be accomplished, is, that the kings of the earth, 
 and the great men, and all descriptions of men 
 universally, shall be made fully conscious, that 
 the great day of the wrath of the Lamb is 
 come ; and, feeling themselves utterly unable 
 to stand before him, in an overwhelming con- 
 sciousness of guilt and despair, shall ** hide 
 themselves in the dens and rocks of the moun- 
 tains, and say to the mountains and rocks. Fall 
 on us, and hide us from the face of Him that 
 sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the 
 Lamb." 
 
 I know not on what principles, or with 
 what sentiments of piety, this can be applied 
 
the Sealed Book, 39 
 
 to any thing less, than that last great display of 
 Christ's power, in which he will meet and de- 
 stroy the enemies of his Kingdom, and over- 
 turn every foundation, and every establishment, 
 that stands in the way of his universal domino 
 ion in the hearts of men, that the Lord alone 
 may be exalted in that day. 
 
 " The day of vengeance is in his heart, for 
 the year of his redeemed is come." 
 
 The execution of this is, probably, now al- 
 ready begun ; but the dreadful consummation 
 is yet future. 
 
 As this is a day much in the heart of the 
 Lord Christ, we shall frequently find it alluded 
 to, and once, at least, more particularly and 
 emphatically described in the course of this 
 Revelation, given us, to sheiv unto us things 
 that must shortly come to pass. 
 
 At present, another great and interesting 
 event demands our attention : — the restoration 
 of the Jews, connected with the coming in of 
 the fulness of the Gentiles. For God, ac- 
 cording to his promise, will yet gather the 
 out casts of Israel ; and he will also gather 
 others with him. ** Blindness, in part, is hap- 
 pened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gen- 
 
4)0 The Vision of [lec. ii. 
 
 tiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be 
 saved." 
 
 The whole of the 7th chapter is occupied ii^ 
 detailing this event. 
 
 While the last indignation is aeeomplishing, 
 there shall yet be a delay in some period of 
 that time, probably just before the final con- 
 summation, when " the four angels standing 
 on the four corners of the earth, shall hold the 
 four winds of the earth, that the wind shall not 
 blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any 
 tree." — "And another angel ascending from the 
 cast" — perhaps from some of the missionary es- 
 tablishments already formed there — " having 
 the seal of the living God." — The power of 
 the Holy Ghost, sealing the ministrations of 
 the word of life, shall be commissioned to seal 
 the servants of our God in their foreheads^ 
 that they may be distinguished, and preserved 
 safe in the day of the Lord's vengeance. 
 
 That the vision in the 7th chapter relates to 
 this event, cannot, I think, be doubted, when 
 its coincidence with what is elsewhere predict- 
 ed in the scriptures, of this great event, is duly 
 considered.. 
 
 The Apostle heard the number of themi 
 which were sealed — an hundred and forty and 
 
the Sealed Booh, 41 
 
 four thousand of all the tribes of the children of 
 Israel. And that there might be no room left for 
 misapprehension or doubt, the twelve tribes are 
 severally named, and the number of the sealed 
 of each tribe distinctly recorded. And after 
 these, a great multitude, vi^hich no man could 
 number, of all nations, and kindreds, and peo- 
 ple, and tongues. 
 
 The four corners of the earth, imply the 
 whole earth ; and this gathering of the dispers- 
 ed of Israel, will be from among all nations, 
 whither they have been scattered. The count- 
 less multitude, that the Apostle saw, after the 
 sealing of these, is explicitly stated to be all 
 nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. 
 But I have not time in this Lecture to pursue 
 the subject farther. 
 
 " And when he had opened the seventh seal, 
 there was silence in heaven about the space of 
 half an hour." 
 
 The Revelation included under this seal had 
 been in some measure anticipated, bv the re- 
 presentation of the result of that great ingath- 
 ering to the Church, described in the last 
 chapter. " Therefore, are they befoie the 
 throne of God. and serve him day and <nght in 
 his temple : and he that sittcth on the throne 
 
 D2 
 
4S The Vision of [lec. ir. 
 
 shall dwell among them." And it was more 
 distinctly and particularly to be made known, 
 in succeeding appropriate visions, as the great 
 result and crowning dispensation of that glori- 
 ous and holy providence, in which Christ the 
 Lord conducts his Church and people to rest 
 and peace. It is therefore no farther signified, 
 on the opening of the seal, but by that solemn 
 and significant attention, and reverend regard 
 which were expressed by a silence in heaven, 
 for about the space of half an hour ; like that 
 enjoined in the prophet Habakkuk~*'The Lord 
 is in his holy temple ; let all the earth keep 
 silence before him." And entirely corres- 
 ponding to that in Zechariah, at the conclusion 
 of an express and very particular prophecy of 
 the very same event as immediately precedes 
 the opening of this seal — ^" Be silent, O all 
 flesh, before the Lord ; for he is raised up out 
 of his holy habitation." 
 
 I cannot suppose that this silence was de- 
 signed to measure a precise portion of time in 
 the future history of the Church, or to be sym^ 
 bolical of a short respite, that the Church should 
 enjoy, from being persecuted and afflicted by 
 her adversaries* 
 
the Sealed Booh, 4B 
 
 There is no definite period here mentioned, 
 but it is said to have continued for about half 
 an hour. And the suspension of the course 
 of the prophetic visions, and the delay of the 
 progress of the revelation, for such a length of 
 time, leaving the scenes of vision unoccupied, 
 would seem, as a symbol, greatly dispropor- 
 tionate to the rest of the representations that 
 passed before the view, or came under the ob- 
 servation of the Apostle. 
 
 If, however, it must be considered as a 
 symbol, it would seem, in this place, most 
 aptly to represent that state of rest and quiet, 
 in the Church, and throughout the world, that 
 shall obtain under the peaceful dispensation of 
 millennial grace and glory. 
 
LECTURE III. 
 
LE CTURE III. 
 
 The Sounding of the Trumpets, 
 
 REVELATION viii. 2. 
 
 " And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; 
 and to them zvere given seven trumpets,^* 
 
 JLT was the high prerogative of Jesus 
 Christ, to open the seals of the Divine Decrees, 
 and '* to shew unto his servants things that 
 must shortly come to pass." — '* No one in 
 heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, 
 was able to open the book, neither to look 
 thereon ;" till the Lamb appeared, and '* took 
 the book out of the right hand of Him that 
 sat upon the throne," In his distinctive char- 
 acter, as the Lamb that had been offered in 
 sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of his 
 people, but now exalted to the right hand of 
 the Majesty on high, he appeared in the midst 
 of the throne, and of the surrounding wor^ 
 
48 The Sounding of [lec. m, 
 
 shippers, and in due order opened the seals of 
 the sacred book. 
 
 After the seals were thus opened, and a gen- 
 eral view of the contents of the book display- 
 ed, in the great outlines and leading features 
 of that holy and glorious providence, in all the 
 several dispensations of it, which he, in the 
 wisdom and power of the Godhead, will ac- 
 complish for his Church and people to the 
 end of time : Then the ministers of his will 
 were employed as agents to signify to the 
 Apostle, in more particular detail, some of the 
 principal events that were to fill up the general 
 view. These events are all comprised in the 
 general view that had been given in the open- 
 ing of the seals of the book by the Lamb 
 himself, and, in point of time, must coincide, 
 each with some portion of the time embraced 
 by one or more of the seals. 1 know not 
 why commentators generally have agreed to 
 class them all under tlie seventh alone, and con- 
 clude, that only a small portion of time, and a 
 few events, and these, most of them, compara- 
 tively unimportant, arc disclosed by the open- 
 ing of the six former seals. It seems to me a 
 very unnatural arrangement, and by no means 
 anaiagous to the progress and nature of the 
 
the Trumpets. 49 
 
 visions ; and I think it makes the last seal a 
 monster in hieroglyphics, such as never was 
 elsewhere witnessed. I do not recollect to 
 have met with any reasons assigned for this 
 arrangement, but what may be reduced to 
 these two — 1st, The very worst reason that 
 could be assigned, and yet the one chiefly reli- 
 ed on, — that such an arrangement falls in with, 
 and accommodates itself to the scheme of in- 
 terpretation, which the commentator has adopt- 
 ed. The 2d, That there would seem an ab- 
 ruptness in the introduction of the Vision of 
 the Trumpets, if it be not considered as flow- 
 ing immediately out of the seventh seal, and 
 being an exhibition of its contents. This, if 
 correct, would be a good reason. But you all 
 know, I suppose, that the division of the book 
 into chapters, is not of divine, nor even of 
 apostolic authority. It is an arrangement of 
 quite recent invention. 
 
 If, then, the first verse of the eighth chapter 
 stood the last of the seventh, and the text, now 
 placed the second verse of the eighth, stood 
 at the head of the chapter ; would there seem 
 an abruptness in introducing this vision, when 
 there had been first an interval of about half an 
 hour of solemn silence, after the opening of 
 £ 
 
^0 The Sounding of [lec. hi. 
 
 the last seal of the former vision ? For we 
 must remember that this interval of silence 
 was witnessed, and is recorded by the Apostle, 
 as actually taking place in heaven. 
 . So solemn and awful a silence, continued 
 for such a space of time, would hardly seem 
 appropriate to the disclosing of the vision of 
 the trumpets, as a display of the contents of 
 the seal so long after it had been opened. It 
 would seem more appropriate to the completing 
 that general view of things to come, that was 
 to be conducted and made by the Lamb him- 
 self, in his own person ; and to his retiring, 
 amid that profound adoration, to commission 
 the ministers of his will to appear, and con- 
 duct the revelation of events that were to fill 
 up that general view. And when it is consid- 
 ered, that the revelation included under the 
 last seal, had been, as was entirely suitable to 
 the occasion it should be, in some measure an- 
 ticipated, by a representation of the result 
 of the great ingathering to the Church, which 
 is described in the seventh chapter ; I think it 
 not reasonable to object, that the contents of 
 the seventh seal are no where revealed, unless 
 in the vision of the trumpets. And as the 
 contents of this seal were to be nr.ore distinct- 
 
the Trumpets, 51 
 
 ly and particularly made known by other ap- 
 propriate visions, as the great result, and crown- 
 ing dispensation, of that holy and glorioiis 
 providence, by which Christ will conduct his 
 Church and people to settled rest and peace in 
 due time ; I think it not unreasonable to ex- 
 pect, that it shall be no farther signified, on the 
 opening of the seal, than by that solemn atten- 
 tion, and reverend regard, implied in the awful 
 silence with which it becomes ail creatures to 
 receive and subnit to the intimations of the 
 purport o^ the divine decrees. In very much 
 the same manner, the events under the seventh 
 trumpet are also noticed only in a very general 
 view of the consequences, while the woe an- 
 nounced by the trumpet, is left to be described 
 in another vision. 
 
 When, therefore, that expression of rever- 
 ence, at the finishing of the opening of the seals, 
 was ended, a new vision was presented to the 
 view of the Apostle — 
 
 " And I saw the seven angels which stood 
 before God ; and to them were given seven 
 trumpets/' 
 
 To these angels, who are here emphatically 
 distiiignished, as the seven angels that stood 
 before God, it was committed to announce 
 
^^ 
 
 Tke Sounding of [lec. in. 
 
 certain interesting events, concerning the 
 Church of Christ in the world, by sounding 
 each his trumpet that was given to him for this 
 purpose. The trumpet was anciently used for 
 various purposes of public interest ; but chief- 
 ly, and perhaps originally, to sound the alarm 
 tf war, or of impending danger. 
 
 When the means of intercourse between the 
 nations and tribes of men were much fewer 
 than at present, the first intimation of a hostile 
 invasion would often be, the enemy presenting 
 themselves before the gates of the city, or in 
 the midst of the invaded territory. It was 
 then the business of the watchmen to sound 
 the trumpet of alarm. The prophet Amos 
 alludes to this, when he says, (iii, 6,) ** Shall a 
 trumpet be blown in the city, and the people 
 not be afraid V The assailants also gave the 
 signal of onset to their hosts by the same 
 means. In allusion to this, the prophet Zecha- 
 riah, describing a day of God's wrath, (i. 16,) 
 calls it *' A day of the trumpet, and alarm 
 iigainst the fenced cities, and against the high 
 tov/crs." But what the Apostle witnessed, as 
 immediately preparatory to the sounding of 
 these trumpets, will best explain their sig- 
 nificancy in this place. 
 
the Trumpets. 53 
 
 When the trumpets had been given into the 
 hands of the angels, " another angel came and 
 stood at the altar, having a golden censer ; 
 and there was given unto him much incense, 
 that he should offer it with the prayers of all 
 saints upon the golden altar which was before 
 the throne. 
 
 ** And the smoke of the incense, which came 
 with the prayers of the sair.ts, ascended up be* 
 fore God out of the angePs hand. 
 
 ** And the angel took the censer, and filled 
 it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the 
 earth ; and there were voices, and thunderings, 
 and lightnings, and an earthquake. 
 
 " And the seven angels which had the seven 
 trumpets, prepared themselves to sound " 
 
 The taking of fire from the altar, and cast- 
 ins^ it into the earth, with the consequent 
 voices, and thup.derings, and lightnings, and 
 an earthquake, denotes indignation and wrath, 
 to be executed on them that dwell on the earth : 
 and this token, following immediately upon the 
 smoke of the incense, with the prayers ( f 'he 
 saints ascending up before God, inclicatrs this 
 indignanon and wrath to be directed against 
 the oporfssors of Christ's praying ijeoplsy 
 But inasmuch as the fire was taken froiu ihe 
 e2 
 
5% The Sounding of [leg. hi. 
 
 altar which was before the throne, it would 
 seem that the indignation was to be accom- 
 plished on a people professing to be the Lord's : 
 as when coals of fire were to be scattered upon 
 Jerusalem, to denote the wrath that should be 
 executed upon the city called by the name of 
 the Lord, the fire was taken from between the 
 cherubims, and the execution of judgment 
 began at the sanctuary. 
 
 From these circumstances, therefore, I con- 
 clude, that the seven trumpets are sounded, 
 and the judgments they announce are ex- 
 ecuted, within the period of time when vio* 
 lence and oppression prevail in the Church, 
 and there is exhibited that unnatural and 
 shocking spectacle, of men professing the 
 benevolent Gospel of Christ, and yet aiRicting 
 and oppressing, and persecuting fellow-Chris* 
 tians. And as tliis spirit did not prevail in the 
 Church, till after the Roman empire came to 
 be denominated Christian, and professing 
 Christians gloried in indentifying the empire 
 with the church, and this evil spirit seems to 
 have been generated by that connexion, and was 
 certainly cherished and fostered by it ; I conclude, 
 also, that the empire itself, in this connexion, 
 must be in some measure a specific object of 
 
the Trumpets, 55 
 
 the divine displeasure and wrath announced b}^ 
 the trumpets. 
 
 But the last three of these trumpets are em- 
 phatically distinguished as trumpets of woe. 
 This term implies the idea of a curse, and distin- 
 guishes them from those trumpets that an. 
 nounce judgments that are sent for correction, 
 while there is yet left a hope of repentance and 
 reformation ; and indicates that these, so dis- 
 tinguished, are signals of judgment without 
 mercy. 
 
 I suppose, therefore, that the first four trum- 
 pets, are the signals of so many special judg- 
 ments intended for correction as well as 
 expressions of displeasure, and sent upon the 
 professing people of God, the great body of 
 the visible Church, before it had become en- 
 tirely apostate, and therefore, rejected of 
 Christ ; and that the trumpets of woe are 
 signals of the special curses in judgment 
 without mercy, to be executed upon the apos- 
 tate Church in its connexion with the empire, 
 after being rejected of the Lord. 
 
 On these principles, we would expect the 
 four former to be of short continuance, and 
 the three latter of much longer duration. And 
 we would look for the four former to be exe- 
 
53 The Soundiii^ of [lec. iii. 
 
 GUted as tokens of displeasure, and intended 
 for correction and warning upon the Church, 
 in that sickly and lan^^uishing condition in 
 which it ijppeared under the third seal : and 
 the three latter to be executed upon the nom- 
 inal Church in herapostacy, under some of the 
 following seals : Two of them, I suppose, 
 were executed under the fourth seal, and the 
 last coincides with the sixth seal. 
 
 After these general observations on the nature 
 and the design of these judgments, predicted 
 under the sounding of the seven trumpets, I 
 shall not detain you long to hear a very par- 
 ticular account of the accomplishment of each 
 of them. 
 
 Commentators are, generally, nearly agreed 
 on this subject ; and 1 see no reason to doubt 
 their correctness. 
 
 ** The first angel sounded, and there follow- 
 ed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they 
 AVere cast upon the earth ; and the third part of 
 trees were burnt up, and all green grass was 
 burnt up.'* 
 
 When the Roman empire became Christian, 
 and the way to honour and preferment lay 
 through the Church, its coiuxms ^Vould often 
 come under the direction and management of 
 
the Trumpets. 57 
 
 worldly minded men, and the humble pious 
 often be afflicted and oppressed. According- 
 ly, the disposition to depart from the simplici- 
 ty of the Gospel, and from the truth as it is in 
 Jesus, which began to manifest itself soon after 
 the favour shown the Christian Church by Con- 
 stantine, continued to increase, and had pro- 
 ceeded to alarming lengths, notwithstanding 
 the efforts and the prayers of the pious to pre- 
 vent it, when the Lord sent his scourge upon 
 the Church, first by Julian the apostate, and 
 afterwards, upon the Church and the empire 
 more eminently, by the invasions of the barba- 
 rian nations ; particularly the Goths, under 
 their famous leader Alaric, about the close of 
 the fourth century. 
 
 From the cold regions of the north, they 
 came like a storm of hail upon the empire, and 
 their progress was marked in all their way by 
 fire and blood. The trees and the green grass, 
 the glory and the beauty of the land, were 
 consumed by their fire. Neither old age nor 
 infancy obtained the respect, or moved the 
 pity of the barbarians ; and the temple and 
 the dwelling were consumed to ashes by 
 their fire. 
 
58 The Sounding of [leg. hi. 
 
 An historian of those times 535^5, ** The 
 sword of the barbarians destroyed a very great 
 muhitude of men ; and among other calami- 
 ties, dry heats, with flashes of flame and whirl- 
 winds of fire, occasioned various and intolerable 
 terrors ; yea, and hail greater than could be 
 held in a man's hand fell down in several 
 places, vveighinp^ as much as eight pounds.'* 
 
 The barbarians, though they knew it not, 
 had their commission from on high ; and a 
 ponion of the stores of vengeance reserved 
 there, coming down at the same time upon 
 them, should have warned the Christian world, 
 that, in all these, the Lord contended agairst 
 them, and rebuked them for their sins. But 
 they repented not ; and, after a little interval 
 to prove them, the second alarm of judgment 
 was sounded, 
 
 ** And the second angel sounded, and as it 
 were, a great mountain burning with fire was 
 cast into the sea ; and the third part of the 
 sea became blood : 
 
 *' And the third part of the creatures which 
 were in the sea, and had life, dird ; and a 
 third part of the ships were dc stroyed." 
 
 A f^rent mountain buffioi^ with fire, aptly 
 represents a powerful barbarous nation, unre- 
 
the Trumpets, 59 
 
 strained by principle or law, and raging with 
 thirst of devastation and plunder. Such were 
 the barbarian Huns, when, under their king 
 Attila, to the amount of seven hundred thou- 
 sand, they, a liltle before the middle of the 
 fifth century, came with violence upon the 
 Christian world, and invaded the Roman em- 
 pire from one end to the other ; while the em- 
 pire, represented as the sea, was in that loose, 
 unsetded, and agitated state, which former in- 
 vasions of the barbarians, and their own way- 
 Ward policy had occarsioned. These not only 
 invaded the empire, and destroyed some of the 
 fairest portioiis of it, as had been done by the 
 Goths under the first trumpet; but, says the 
 historian, *' The whole breadth of Europe, as 
 it extends above five hundred miles from the 
 Euxine to the Adriatic, was at once invaded, 
 and occupied, and desolated by the myriads of 
 barbarians whom Aitila led into the field — 
 words the most expressive of total extirpation 
 and erasure are applied to the calamities which 
 they inflicted on seventy cities." Attila him- 
 self boasted, that he was *' the scourge of God, 
 a.id the terror of men.'* The very language 
 of this boasting should have been enough to 
 awaken the consciences of even the most stu- 
 
60 The Sounding of [lec. hi. 
 
 pid among the professing Christians of that 
 day, to " remember from whence they had 
 fallen, and repent." This scourge was not, 
 like the former, a sudden irruption of a 
 merciless barbarian foe, who, when he had 
 done his work of blood and of burning, again 
 soon retired. These were permitted to hold a 
 dominion of terror in the midst of the Chris- 
 tian world, and for fourteen years, says the his- 
 torian, *' shook the east and the west with most 
 cruel fear, and deformed the provinces of each 
 empire with all kind of plundering, slaughter, 
 and burning." 
 
 It was indeed a dreadful scourge for pa- 
 ternal love and faithfulness to inflict : but the 
 corruption and degeneracy of the times, evi- 
 dently required it. It was sanctified to many 
 individuals, and they suffered in faith, and died 
 in triumph. In the great body of the Church, 
 however, throughout the empire, no reforma- 
 tion was effected : and a scourge on somewhat 
 different principles was speedily after applied. 
 
 *' And the third angel sounded, and there 
 fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were 
 a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the 
 river^ and upon the fountains of waters ; 
 
the Trumpets, 61 
 
 ^* And the name of the star is called Worm- 
 wood ; and the third part of the waters became 
 wormwood ; and many men died of the waters, 
 because they were made bitter." 
 
 The barbarians who so long, and so dread- 
 fully scourged the Christian world ; yet pro- 
 fessed, many of them, to adopt the Christian 
 religion. That form of it which they adopted, 
 as being more congenial to their savage and 
 unsanctified tempers, was what was called the 
 Arian ; distinguished particularly, as disallow- 
 ing the proper Deity of Christ, and consisting 
 chiefly in those philosophizing notions of re- 
 ligion, which unsanctified reason is ever dis- 
 posed to confound with the pure doctrines of the 
 Gospel. This heresy, long btfore invented, and 
 propagated and resisted, many times by very un- 
 christian means, at length provided the means of 
 a scourge upon the Christian world, from with- 
 in itself, and suited in kind, to the very crimes, 
 and to that spirit of apostacy, by which they 
 had so far departed from the simplicity of the 
 Gospel, and from the true nature of the religion 
 and kingdom of Christ. The spirit of dom- 
 inancy, as " being lords over God's heritage," 
 and of usurpation upon the sacred rights of 
 conscience, using coercive measures to propa- 
 
 F 
 
6^ The Sounding of [lec. m. 
 
 gate religious opinions, had greatly increased 
 in the church, and beconrie leading features in 
 the character of apostacy, which the Christian 
 world was then fast assuming. To rebuke 
 and chastise them for this, the Lord suffered 
 the Arian princes, with their barbarians, to ex* 
 ercise a discipline, and hold a rod of terror 
 over them on like principles. Partii ularly, 
 Genseric, the king of the Vandals, who sub? 
 dued Africa, in the former part of the fifth 
 century, not only over the African Churches, 
 but at Rome itself, and throughout a great part 
 of the empire, exercised the most despotic 
 power and brutal force, to resist every thing 
 unfavorable to Arian sentiments. And as the 
 nature of his purpose seemed to demand, his 
 vengeance fell heaviest on the ministers and 
 teachers of the Church, who were constrahied 
 to embrace and teach Arian sentiments, or 
 they must feel the tyrant's power. Thus were 
 the rivers and fountains of waters made bitter, 
 wherever the baneful influence of this apostate 
 star extended. This, in the superintending 
 providence of the Lord, was visiting their own 
 iniquities upon them, and answering the cries 
 of the oppressed, in which they cried unto God 
 against them. Before the barbarians subdue^ 
 
the Trumpets, 63 
 
 Carthage, the capital of the empire in Africa, 
 the historian tells us, " Oppression and cru- 
 elty domineered at Carthage ; and the poor of 
 the place, in the anguish of their misery, were 
 induced to beseech God to deliver the city to 
 the barbarians." 
 
 In 455, Genseric carried his terrors into 
 Europe, and invading Rome, with an army of 
 three hundred thousand men, took it, and gave 
 it up to the pillage and rapine of his brutal 
 soldiery, for fourteen days together. Every 
 where, he persecuted those that called them- 
 selves the orthodox Christians, His son and 
 successor, Huneric, and the barbarian princes 
 generally, seem, for a long time, to have fol- 
 lowed up his example. ** Thus," says the pi- 
 ous historian, " the wrath of God was evidently 
 poured out on the Churches for mercies long 
 abused." But, he adds, *' There were those, 
 who, by the principles of divine grace, were 
 enabled in patience to possess their souls, and 
 to evidence that the real Church was far from 
 being extinguished." The Church was there- 
 fore suffered for a season longer, and space 
 given for repentance. " But she repented 
 not." And before the close of the century, 
 the fourth signal announced another vistation 
 
C4 The Soiinding of [lec. iu^ 
 
 of judgment — the last for correction : and her 
 external glory, as connected with the empire, 
 was eclipsed, and the lights in which she trust- 
 ed, were put out. 
 
 *' And the fourth angel sounded, and the 
 third part of the sun was smitten, and the third 
 part of the moon, and the third part of the 
 stars ; so as the third part of them was dark- 
 ened, and the day shone not for a third part of 
 it, and the night likewise." 
 
 The Church, grown vain and insolent in her 
 spirit and in her policy, by her connexion with 
 the Roman empire, is under this dispensation 
 of judgment, proved by her last chastisement, 
 in the subversion of that earthly empire in 
 which she trusted. 
 
 ** Genseric left the western Roman empire in 
 a weak and desperate condition* It struggled 
 hard, and gasped, as it were for breath, through 
 eight short and turbulent reigns, for the space 
 of twenty years, and at length expired in 476, 
 under Momylus, the last emperor of the West." 
 The senate and consuls were still continued 
 for some time longer; but the very name of 
 the western empire was put out, and the con- 
 queror took on him the title of King of Italy, 
 
the Trumpets, 65 
 
 Between this time, and the sounding of the 
 next trumpet, I suppose, it was that the true 
 Church retired to the wilderness — The wit- 
 nesses began to prophecy in sackcloth — The 
 nominal Church was rejected as apostate — And 
 the beast arose out of the sea. 
 
 The succeeding judgments partake of a dif- 
 ferent nature, and are designed to restrain the 
 power, and to curb the insolence of the apos- 
 tate Church, now become worldly in all her 
 policy, and ambitious only to be distinguished 
 among the kingdoms of this world. 
 
 These judgments are, accordingly proclaim- 
 ed on these principles, by " An angel flying 
 through the midst of heaven, saying with a 
 loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabiters 
 of the earth, by reason of the other voices of 
 the trumpet of the three angels which are yet 
 to sound.*' 
 
 " And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a 
 star fall from heaven unto the earth ; and to 
 him was given the key of the bottomless pit.*' 
 
 Concerning the accomplishing of this, and 
 the following woe, there has been very iitde 
 difference of opinion among commentators for 
 a long lime past. 
 
 t2 
 
(56 The Sounding of [lec. in. 
 
 This trumpet announces the woe inflicted by 
 the Mahomedan power, from about the year 612 
 to 762 — a period of time answering to the season 
 of the continuance of the locusts, by which they 
 are represented ; and in prophetic language five 
 months, counting a day for a year. At the 
 expiration of this time, the caliph Almansor 
 built the city of Bagdad, and called it ** the 
 city of peace." A stop was then put to the > 
 devastations of these locusts. The Saracen 
 empire continued for a longer time ; but after 
 this period, it retained no longer the disorderly 
 locust- character, and became a more settled 
 kingdom. During the five months, or 150 
 years of their commission, the Mahomedan 
 Saracens were a continual scourge to the Chris- 
 tian world, and hindered the ambition, and 
 abased the worldly glory of the apostate 
 Church. I will not detain you to hear a more 
 particular account of the accomplishing of this 
 woe ; as you may find it satisfactorily detailed 
 in almost any of the late commentators ; and 
 particularly in Dr. Scott's, and Bishop New- 
 ton's. 
 
 The star, however, that the apostle saw, ** that 
 had fallen from heaven unto the earth," (for so 
 the original is literally translated,) was not, I 
 
the Trumpets. 67 
 
 presume, Mahomed and his successors — They 
 were the kings of the locusts, and the angel, or 
 agent of the bottomless pit. But the fallen 
 star, was either the great apostate angel, of 
 whom Christ said, " I saw Satan fall like light- 
 ning from heaven," and to whom Isaiah likens 
 the king of Babylon, under the name of" Lu* 
 cifer, son of the morning," or it was some 
 apostate minister of the Church, employed as 
 the agent of Satan in this infernal business." 
 
 When this woe was accomplished, there was 
 allowed a little season of relief from external 
 pressure, and the apostate Church began again 
 to aspire, with new hope, toward universal 
 domination, and the crusades called forth all 
 her ambition. 
 
 But the " sixth angel sounded, and I heard 
 a voice from the four horns of the golden altar 
 which is before God, 
 
 " Saying to the sixth angel which had the 
 trumpet, Loose the four angels which are 
 bound in the great river Euphrates." 
 
 This voice, proceeding from the four horns 
 of the golden altar, seems to indicate a univer- 
 sal displeasure with the whole apostate Church, 
 against which the woe is denounced, in all its 
 polity and leading principles : and accordingly 
 
68 The Sounding of [lec. hi. 
 
 the scourge, which the Lord in his providence 
 had prepared, by the four suitaiiies of the 
 Turks, or Oihmans, upon the borders of the 
 river Euphrates, was let loose upon them, for 
 the space of 391 days or years ; from 1281 to 
 1672. The Othman or Turkish empire still 
 subsists to this day, and probably will contin- 
 ue, till the sixth angel shall pour out his vial of 
 the wrath of God on the great river Euphrates. 
 But it has been gradually decaying in power 
 and glory, since the close of the period assigned 
 for it to be the scourge of an apostate Church 
 and people. During the whole of that period, 
 however, it flourished, and was successful as a 
 terrible and long protracted scourge. Yet, 
 notwithstanding the severity and long continu- 
 ance of this scourging, and the multitudes of 
 men that perished by it, " The rest of the 
 men that were not killed by these plagues, yet 
 repented not of the works of their hands, that 
 they should not worship devils, and idols of 
 gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of 
 wood ; which neither can hear, nor see, nor 
 walk ; neither repented they of their murders, 
 nor of their sorceries, uor of their fornication, 
 nor of their thefts, '* 
 
the Trumpels. 6^ 
 
 A dreadful assemblage of the most pre- 
 sumptuous and the most detestable crimes of 
 the heathen idolaters, is here laid in charge 
 against an idolatrous and apostate Church, for 
 whose judgment the last exterminating woe is 
 next to be announced, by the sounding of the 
 seventh trumpet. 
 
 But, before the signal of extermination is 
 given, the spirit of prophecy turns to enquire 
 after the true Church of God, the faithful 
 among the children of men. The community 
 that is to be destroyed, bears the Christian 
 name — possesses the Scriptures of truth, and 
 boasts a direct and regular descent from the 
 Church gathered and organized by the apostles, 
 in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is the 
 Christian name then to become extinct ? No. 
 The gates of hell shall never prevail against the 
 true Church of Christ. But, for the space of 
 1260 years, he suffers the name to be assumed 
 by apostates, till they shall have filled the mea- 
 sure of their iniquities, that he may shew his 
 wrath, and make his power known on the ves- 
 sels of wrath fitted to destruction. And that 
 he may make known the riches of his glory, on 
 the vessels of mercy, which he had afore pre- 
 pared unto glory. In the mean time, however, 
 
yd The Sounding of [leg. itt. 
 
 he acknowledges, and seals by his spirit, and 
 watches over, and preserves a seed to serve 
 him. And there is here introduced, before 
 the sounding of the last trumpet, a succinct 
 view of his holy providence over his true fol. 
 lowers, during that whole space of time, under 
 the idea of a distinct and separate record, in a 
 little book especially designed for that pur- 
 pose. But this, as it is a distinct and separate 
 vision of the revelation, must be the subject of 
 more particular consideration, than we have 
 now time to bestow upon it. 
 
 The vision of the trumpets is again resumed 
 in the fourteenth verse of the llth chapter. — 
 " The second woe is past ; and, behold, the 
 third woe cometh quickly* 
 
 *' And the seventh angel sounded ; and there 
 Were great voices in heaven, saying) The king- 
 doms of this world are become the kingdoms 
 of our Lord, and of his Christ ; and he shall 
 reign forever and ever." 
 
 The woe announced by this trumpet, is not 
 here particularly described : but the hallelujah 
 of voices ascribes righteousness tJ God, and 
 celebrates the glorious victory and triumph of 
 Christ over the enemies of his throne and 
 
the Trumpets, 74 
 
 kingdom, and the consequent conversion of 
 the nations of men to the Lord. 
 
 In all this, the accomplishing of the last woe 
 is implied : and in the last verse of ihe chap- 
 ter some general view of its nature seems to 
 be given. During the Vision of the little 
 Book, when the angel came down from heaven, 
 and set his righl foot upon the sea, and his lefc 
 foot on the earth, the scene of virion was 
 changed, and the temple of God in heaven, 
 in which had been the scene of the former 
 visions, appears to have been closed. But up- 
 on the .bounding of the seventh trumpet, *' The 
 temple of God was opened in htaven, and 
 there was seen in his temple, the ark of his 
 testament ; and there were lightnings, and 
 voices, and thunderingb, and an earthquake, 
 and great hail.'* 
 
 It is, I suppose, to be reckoned the con- 
 cluding scene of that dispensation of divine 
 providence, that was revealed b} the opening 
 of the sixth seal ; and is mo'-e full) shovvn in 
 succeeding visions. What the angel said, *' In 
 the dd)s of the voice of the seventh angel, 
 when he shall begin to sound, the myster)' of 
 God shall be finished," seems to injpl)', that 
 ft will be the cpncluding dispensation of 
 
72 The Soumlins; of &c. [lec. hi. 
 
 judgment, by which Christ will finish the 
 mystery of his holy providence over his 
 Church, as he hath promised to his servants ; 
 and removing all the clouds and darkness that 
 have so long hung over it, will introduce the 
 promised millennial rest and glory. In token 
 of this, the ark of his testament is revealed to 
 view, in the temple of God in heaven. " And 
 the four and twenty elders, which sat before 
 God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and 
 worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, 
 O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, 
 and art to come ; because thou hast taken to 
 thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And 
 the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, 
 and the time of the dead that they should be 
 judged, and that thou shouldest give reward 
 unto thy servants the prophets, and to thy 
 saints, and them that fear thy name, small and 
 great ; and shouldest destroy them which de^ 
 stroy the earth," 
 
LECTURE IV. 
 
LECTURE IVo 
 
 The Little Book. 
 
 REVELATION x. 11, 
 
 ^^ And he sate/ unto me^ Thou must prophecy aqain he^ 
 fore many peoples^ and nations^ and ton^ues^ and 
 kings, ^* 
 
 JlHIS is the commission which the 
 Apostle received, when, as he was instructed to 
 do, he had taken the little book from the an- 
 gel's hand, and had eaten it. 
 
 The vision of the little book is introduced 
 between the sounding of the sixth and seventh 
 trumpets. Just before the revelation of that 
 exterminating woe that is to finish the mystery 
 of God, the Apostle *' Saw another mighty 
 angel come down from heaven, clothed with a 
 cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head, and 
 his face was it were the sun, and his feet as pil- 
 lars of fire : 
 
76 The Little Booh. [lec. iv. 
 
 " And he had in his hand a little book open :" 
 —This seems to have been a particular record, 
 relating especially to the true servants of God, 
 who worship him in spirit and in truth. And 
 as the sealed book of a former vision, com- 
 prising the great outlines of Christ's holy pro- 
 vidence over his Church and people, had 
 already been opened by the Lamb, and the 
 seals thereof loosed ; this also, is presented 
 open, as comprising one of the particular vi- 
 sions by which the general view, given at the 
 opening of the seals, is filled up. 
 
 ** And he set his right foot upon the sea^ 
 and his left foot on the earth, 
 
 " And cried with a loud voice, as when a 
 lion roareth ; and when he had cried, seven 
 thunders uttered their voices." 
 
 The station which the angel took, upon the 
 sea and upon the land, putting them both 
 under his (cety seems to be an intimation of 
 the speedy and full accomplishment of that 
 decree revealed in the 8th psalm ; and in the 
 New Testament repeatedly applied to Christ, 
 " Thou madest him to have dominion over the 
 work of thy hands ; thou hast put all things 
 under his feet.'* And the voices of the seven 
 thunders, probably, proclaimed the particular 
 
Tke Little Book, 77 
 
 and speedy fulfilling, of what the Spirit of 
 Christ said by the prophet Isaiah — *• I will 
 tread them in mine anger, and trample them in 
 my fury." The Apostle, however, was com- 
 manded, " Seal up those things which the 
 seven thunders uttered, and write them not ;" 
 so that we cannot certainly know what was the 
 particular subject of them. 
 
 The angel then, in a formal and solemn 
 manner, pronounced the oath of the Almighty, 
 '* That there should be time no longer ;" imply- 
 ing that the triumphing of the wicked is at an 
 end, and that the delay of judgment, in aveng- 
 ing the blood of the saints, a delay that has so 
 often tried the faith of them that have trusted 
 in Christ, shall thenceforward cease, and be no 
 more. "But in the days of the voice of the 
 seventh angel,*' it is added, ** when he shall 
 begin to sound, the mystery of God should be 
 finished, as he hath declared to his servants the 
 prophets." 
 
 The divine providence toward the Church 
 has ever comprised in it, mysteries too great 
 for the human understanding to search. And 
 although, in many cases, men have been able, 
 afterwards, to discover plausible, and some- 
 times satisfactory, reasons for particular dis- 
 
78 The Lllile Book. [lec. iv. 
 
 pensations ; yet, in regard of many of the great 
 leading characters of that providence, the minds 
 of men have never been well satisfied, any 
 otherwise than as the spirit of faith has taught 
 them to say, *' Even so. Father, for so it seem- 
 ed good in thy sight." But when the voice of 
 the seventh angel shall begin to sound, this 
 mystery shall be finished, both as it respects 
 the ancient Church, to whom.** blindness, in 
 part, is happened, until the fullness of the Gen- 
 tiles be come in ;" and also, as it respects the 
 Church that now bears the Christian name, as 
 God hath revealed in good news to his servants 
 the prophets. Then ** the saints of the Most- 
 High shall take the Kingdom, and possess the 
 Kingdom, forever, even forever and ever." 
 
 After, this solemnity, the Apostle was com- 
 manded, ** Go, and take the little book which 
 is open in the hand of the angel, and eat it up." 
 
 When he had done as he was commi>r.ded, 
 he then received the commision, '* Thou must 
 prophecy again before" or, as the word more 
 exactly imports, CGncerning, or against ** many 
 peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." 
 
 There had already been signified to him, for 
 the use of the servants of Christ, some leading 
 views of the whole progress of the divine 
 
The Little Book. 79 
 
 providence over the Church. But he must 
 yet again, and more explicitly, testify before- 
 hand, by the spirit of prophecy, against the un- 
 godliness of men of all ranks and conditions, 
 and witness a distinction between him that 
 serveth God, and him that serveth him not. 
 Intimations had been given, in fornier visions, 
 of the decrees of God against an apostate 
 Church : but, from the record of the little 
 book, the Apostle was now called to exhibit an 
 express and plain testimony on this subject, 
 and to detail such circumstances as could not, 
 except wilfully, be overlooked or misunder- 
 stood. " And there was given me a reed like 
 unto a rod ; and the angel stood, saying, Rise 
 and measure the temple of God, and the altar, 
 and them that worship therein. 
 
 " But the court which is without the temple 
 leave out, and measure it not ; for it is given 
 unto the Gentiles ; and the holy city shall they 
 tread under foot forty and two months." 
 
 After the Roman emperors affected to take 
 the Christian Church under their protection, 
 and began to take on themselves to model its 
 policy on the principles of the empire, it soon 
 began to wear very much of an earthly aj^pear- 
 ance ; and, in process of time, became so 
 
80 The Little Book. [lec. iv. 
 
 worldly, in all its policy and governina^ princi- 
 ples, as to be unworthy to be owned of Him, 
 who declared, *'My kingdoin is not of this 
 world." Apostatized from Christ, the great 
 body of the nominal Church became a corrupt- 
 ed mass, and was rejected of him. 
 
 This decree of rejection is, I think, very 
 explicitly foreshown, from the record of the 
 little book, when the measuring rod is put into 
 the hand of the Apostle, and he is commanded 
 to draw the line of separation, and distinguish 
 between the true temple and altar of God, 
 with them that worship therein, and the court 
 without the temple : measuring the former, as 
 reserved of Christ to himself, and leaving out 
 the latter, to be given up to the will and to 
 the occupancy of heathenish idolaters, to be 
 trodden under foot of the Gentiles, for a time 
 appointed, till the voice of the seventh angel 
 shall begin to sound. 
 
 This is, I suppose, the great mystery of 
 God, especially intended, concerning which 
 the angel sware that at the appointed time it 
 should be finished. It is indeed a great mys- 
 tery in the divine providence. But it has un- 
 questionably existed, and will continue to exist, 
 until the time appointed of the Father. This 
 
The Little Book. Si 
 
 time is limited to forty and two months. Com- 
 paring this with other prophetic dates, I think 
 there can be no reason to question, that it in- 
 tends so many months of thirty days each ; and 
 a year for each day ; making the term one thou- 
 sand two hundred and sixty years. 
 
 This is the term of the continuance of that 
 great mystery of the divine providence toward 
 the Church, during which the witnesses of 
 Christ prophecy in sackcloth — The Church 
 remains in the wilderness — Thebeasttriumphs, 
 and holds the saints under his domination — 
 The powder of the holy people is scattered — 
 And Antichrist sits enthroned over an apostate 
 Church — While the satictuary is trodden un- 
 der foot, and heathenish idolaters boast them- 
 selves in occupying the place of the Church of 
 the living God. 
 
 These events, from their nature, seem so 
 nearly allied to each other, that they must, I 
 think, be very nearly coincident in point of 
 time : and as the prophetic records assign to 
 each of them precisely the same date of con- 
 tinuance, I am therefore constrained to believe 
 that they all have their beginning at about the 
 same time ; and that they will all end together, 
 when the seventh angel shall begin to sound, 
 
8:^ The Little Book. Jjjec. iy. 
 
 and the mystery of God shall be finished. 
 Certainly none of them will be permitted to 
 continue beyond that period. 
 
 The giving the outer court of the temple 
 and the holy city to be trodden under foot of 
 the Gentiles, being the first of these events 
 that we meet with in the visions of the revela- 
 tion, you, probably, expect of me an opinion 
 as to the time of its commencement. 
 
 We shall, however, be better prepared for 
 an opinion on this point, after a careful con- 
 sideration of the true nature and real amount 
 of such of these events as will be the subject 
 of animadversion in the course of these lectures* 
 
 Jin Lii<^ i>4'wo^iA«. AiAOka.4iv<K«, wu;.«w UUCo IIUL oCCin 
 
 necessarily connected with this event itself, 
 any external circumstance to determine the 
 precise point of time in history from which it 
 commences. It seems rather a representation 
 of the operation of the divine decrees, by which, 
 possibly in a silent manner, the distinction is 
 made, and the line of separation is drawn, for 
 the sake of introducing, or making way for, 
 some of the other events connected with it. — 
 The act of measuring, to which the Apostle 
 was directed, with the instructions under which 
 it was done, were significant of the divine pur- 
 
The little Booh 8S 
 
 pose to be executed in due time : But not ne- 
 cessarily significant of any remarkable visible 
 event, that we might expect to find recorded in 
 human histories. 
 
 The progress of that great community, bear- 
 ing the name of the Christian Church, in cor. 
 ruption and depravity, commenced early, and 
 proceeded gradually. And the historians of 
 those times, whose records have reached us, 
 so far partook of the spirit of the times, that it 
 is vain to look for any discriminating testimo- 
 ny from them on this subject. And the pub- 
 lic documents and records of the community 
 have passed through such hands, and have been 
 so variously represented, and interpreted, that 
 it is difficult to fix on any particular point in 
 that progression to apostacy, in which we may 
 with confidence suppose, that the measure of 
 their iniquity was filled up for rejection. 
 
 The boasted conversions, however, of hea- 
 then and idolatrous nations, and the multitudes 
 of them that were introduced into the Church, 
 under the auspices of Justinian, about the mid- 
 dle of the sixth century, seem to argue, both 
 in the nature of the conversions, and in the 
 manner and principles of their being intro- 
 duced, that tlie Church could not long after 
 
S4 The little Book. [lec, it. 
 
 that time deserve the name of Christian. *' It 
 appears,'* says the historian Mosheim, ** that 
 the converted nations retained a great part of 
 their forme i* impiety, superstition, and licen- 
 tiousness." And again, '' The principal in- 
 junctions they imposed upon these rude prose- 
 lytes were, that ihey should get by heart cer- 
 tain summaries of doctrine, and pay to the 
 iniages of Christ and the saints, the same reli- 
 gious services which they had formerly offered 
 to the gods." And he adds, *' Nor were they at 
 all df^licate or scrujailous in choo^iing the means 
 ofestabiihhingtheir crt^dlt: for they looked upon 
 it as lawful, nay, even meritorious, to deceive 
 an ignorant and inattentive multitude, by repre- 
 senting to them, as prodigies, things that were 
 merely natural, as we learn from the most au- 
 thentic records of those times." 
 
 Now whether this could be truly a Christian 
 Church, and these conversions to Christianity^ 
 may, I think, at least be questioned. And i 
 am much inclined to think, that the extensive 
 introduction of such converts, on such princi- 
 ples, marks the nominal Church as apostate^ 
 and nearly to be rejected, and the outer court 
 of the ten.ple, and the holy city, to be given 
 up to be trodden under foot of the Gentiles, 
 
The Little Book. 85 
 
 When such conversions were all that seemed 
 to be desired, and such accessions were the 
 boast and the chief glory of that community, 
 it could no longer be accounted the Church 
 of Christ. 
 
 Whenever this rejection may have happened, 
 however, it was not in all respects a total re- 
 jection, so as to cause the Church of Christ to 
 cease to exist on the earth. The temple and 
 the altar, and they that worshipped therein were 
 reserved, and measured, as the heritage of the 
 Lord separated to himself. And he adds, '* I 
 will give power unto my two witnesses, and 
 they shall prophecy a thousand two hundred 
 and three- score days, clothed in sack-cloth.'* 
 
 Who, or what these witnesses are, is to me, 
 a question of very great difficulty. But their 
 office, and their designation to their office are, 
 I think, very plainly described. They are 
 witnesses for Christ and his true worshippers, 
 against an apostate and rejected Church. 
 
 Their business is to prophecy, or, as the term 
 imports, to preach and testify from the Lord, 
 against the enemies of his ki!)gdom, and for 
 the consolation of his believing and obedient 
 people ; and to bear a living, and continually 
 repeated testimony for his truth, during the 
 H 
 
86 The Little Booh. [lec. ir. 
 
 space of twelve hundred and sixty years, or the 
 whole term of the court of the temple and the 
 holy city being trodden under foot of the Gen- 
 tiles. But they prophecy in sack cloth, wear- 
 ing the garments of mourning, and being 
 Siubject to such degrading disguises, as the 
 necessity of the times, and the arrogancy and 
 oppression of the dominant power, impose 
 upon them. Yet, *' These are the two olive- 
 trees, and the two candlesticks standing before 
 the God of the earth." 
 
 The manner in which the revelation con- 
 cerning these witnesses is introduced, seems to 
 imply that they had already been, before this 
 time, recognized under this character. 
 
 They are spoken of as two established and 
 known witnesses, not now to be newly raised 
 up, especially for this occasion ; and the de- 
 scription of them, as being *' The two olive- 
 trees, and the two candlesticks standing before 
 the God of the earth," evidently refers us to 
 the vision which 2echariah saw, and has re- 
 corded in the 4th chapter of his prophecy. 
 There the two olive-trees are said to be, " The 
 two anointed ones," or sons of oil, '' that stand 
 by the Lord of the v;hole earth." And the 
 import of that vision was given to Zechariah 
 
The Little Book. 83<^ 
 
 by the angel, " Saying, This is the word of 
 the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by 
 might, -nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith 
 the Lord of Hosts." 
 
 The golden candlestick, for there was but 
 one in that vision, with its seven lamps, repre- 
 sented, according to the explanation of the 
 mystery in the 1st chapter of the Revelation, 
 the Church of God. And the vision conveyed 
 an assurance that, as God designed his Church 
 should exhibit the light of his truth in the 
 world, so he would provide a sure and a constant 
 supply of the oil necessary to support that 
 light. It conveyed also, a particular assurance 
 to Zerubbabel and his brethren, who, under 
 many circumstances of difficulty and discour- 
 agement, were engaged in building the Lord's 
 house, that the spirit of the Lord would in- 
 sure the success of their undertaking : and 
 instructed them, that they were not to lay 
 their calculations in the might and the power 
 of human means and aid, *'But by my Spiiit, 
 saith the Lord of hosts." The spirit of the 
 Lord, in whose hand is the heart of the king, 
 had moved Cyrus to issue his decree for the 
 building the house ; and the same Spirit would 
 insure the success of the work. 
 
88 The Little Booli. [lec. iv. 
 
 The two anointed ones have been supposed 
 to mean Joshua the high- priest, and Zerubba- 
 bel the governor. I do not perceive any good 
 reason for this supposition. There is certain- 
 ly nothing here recorded by the prophet to de- 
 termine it. They seem rather to be the 
 sources of the grace conveyed by the Spirit 
 to the Church and people of God. This 
 v/as certainly the design and office of the two 
 olive-trees in the Vision, which, through the 
 two golden pipes, emptied the golden oil out 
 of themselves, for the supply of the lamps. 
 Now the sources, whence the Spirit supplies 
 grace and life to the Church in all ages, are 
 the JVord^nd the Ordinances of the Lord, 
 
 It was from the Word of the Lord, which 
 he had spoken by Isaiah, that the Spirit stirred 
 up Cyrus to issue his decree. And it had 
 been protested by the angel, in the preceding 
 part of the vision, to Joshua, ** Saying, Thus 
 saith the Lord of hosts. If thou wilt walk in 
 my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge^ 
 then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt 
 also keep my courts." Moses, by the divine 
 appointment, set before Israel life and good, 
 and death and evil, " In that I command thee," 
 said he, ** to love the Lord thy God, to walk 
 
The Litile Book. 89 
 
 in his tvays^ and to keep his commandment s^ 
 and his statutes, and his judgments, that thou 
 mayest liv€ and multiply." And he com- 
 manded the Levites which bare the ark of the 
 covenant of the Lord, " Saying, Take this 
 book of the lazv, and put it in the side of the 
 nrk of the covenant of the Lord your God, 
 that it may be there for a zvitness against 
 thee." 
 
 The two witnesses here spoken of, in the 
 vision of the Apostle, are expressly said to be, 
 the tzvo olive trees and the iivo candlesticks 
 standing before the God of the earth. And, 
 according to the vision to which this refers us, 
 they would seem to be the same hol^ PP^ord and 
 sacred Ordinances, represented in their connex- 
 ion and relation to the Church. 
 
 But as, in the time of the former vision,' 
 there had been but the one organizing of the 
 Church under Moses, and but one candle- 
 stick appeared in that vision ; so, in the time 
 of this vision, there had been another and 
 new organizing of the Church, under the name 
 of Christ by his Apostles, and m this vision, 
 there are two candlesticks spoken of^ Y^iili 
 vyhich the oljre-lrees were connected. 
 h2 
 
»0 The Liille Booh. [lec. it. 
 
 If we might adopt this idea of the witnesses, 
 it would not be difficult to show, that the fFord 
 and Ordinances of the Lord^ in their connex- 
 ion and relation to the Church, have ever beei;i 
 the standing witnesses of truth and righteous- 
 ness against transgressors, and of grace and 
 salvation, through Christ, to them that believe 
 and obey. 
 
 They have continually prophesied ; and 
 though clothed with sack-cloth, during part of 
 their prophesying, and disguised by whatever 
 impositions, or vain and human decorations ; 
 yet, so long as they were not totally obscured 
 or proscribed, they have ever been the sources 
 of the light and life that have at any time been 
 supplied by the spirit of grace to the benight- 
 ed and dying children of men. By these the 
 light of life has been preserved through the 
 dark ages of corruption and ignorance, and 
 has come to us pure and uncontaminated, with 
 a full supply of grace : when, if they had been 
 utterly proscribed and banished, even from the 
 outer court of the temple, not a vestige of 
 the true knowledge of Christ, or of the 
 light of life in him, would, in all human 
 probabiiitj*, have bteii preserved to after ages. 
 
The Little Book. Qi 
 
 It may seem, perhaps, that the name of wit- 
 nesses, and the description and character here 
 given of them, bear too much of a personal 
 appearance to be applied to such subjects as 
 the Word and Ordinances of the Lord. And 
 yet, we find Laban saying to Jacob, (Getj, 
 xxxi. 44,) ** Let us make a covenant ; and let 
 it be for a witness between me and thee." — 
 And again, (Joshua xxii. 34,) *' The children 
 of Reuben, and the children of Gad, called 
 the altar Ed ; for it shall be a witness between 
 us, that the Lord is God." And God has 
 promised concerning the throne of David, 
 (Psalm Ixxxix. 37,) *' It shall be established 
 forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness 
 in heaven." And as to the character here 
 given of these witnesses, " If any man will 
 hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, 
 and devoureth their enemies ;" God said by 
 Hosea, " I have hewed them by the prophets ; 
 I have slain them by the words of my mouth." 
 And by Jeremiah, ** Because ye speak this 
 word, behold, I will make my words in thy 
 mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall 
 devour them." The Holy Gho>t testifies con- 
 cerning the ordinance of the sacramental sup- 
 per, ** He that eateth anddriaketh unworthily, 
 
92 The Little Book. [lec. it. 
 
 eateth and drinketh damnation to himself. In- 
 deed, I know of nothing on earth, of which, 
 or of whom it may be said more emphatically, 
 than of the Word and Ordinances of the Lord, 
 " If any man will hurt them, fire procei^dcth 
 out of their mouth, and devoureth their ene- 
 mies: and if any man will hurt them, he must 
 in this manner be killed. These have power to 
 shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their 
 prophecy ; and have power over waters to 
 turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with 
 all plagues, as often as they will." If these, 
 by means of men's abusing them, withhold 
 their influences, no refreshings of grace de- 
 scend from on high — a spiritual death ensues — 
 the people represented by the Vv^aters, become 
 blood — the pulse of life ceases to beat ; and 
 no gleatcr plagues than these can smite the 
 earth. 
 
 But when these witnesses shall be about 
 finishing the period of their witnessing in sack- 
 cloth, it is said that war will be made against 
 them, and they shall be killed, by a beast that 
 ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, and their 
 dead bodies shall lie unburied in the street, or 
 some principal division of the great city, the 
 apostate Church. And they that dwell on the 
 
Tke Little Book. 93 
 
 earth, shall rejoice over them, for a little sea- 
 son ; " And after three days and an half the 
 spirit of life from God, entered into them, and 
 they stood up on their feet ; and great fear fell 
 upon them which saw them. And they heard 
 a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, 
 Come up hither. And they ascended up to 
 heaven in a cloud ; and their enemies beheld 
 them. 
 
 *' And the same hour there was a great earth- 
 quake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and 
 in the earthquake were slain of men seven 
 thousand : and the remnant were affrighted, 
 and gave glory to the God of heaven." 
 
 All this seems to have been very circumstan- 
 tially fulfilled, if it may be applied to the sa- 
 cred Word and Ordinances, in what has of late 
 taken place in Europe, within our own recol- 
 lection. 
 
 A spirit of infidelity and of deadly hostility 
 to these, has long pervaded the greater part of 
 the empire or city of the beast. And of late, 
 open war has been made against them, and 
 they have been overcome and killed in one of 
 the principal divisions of that great com muni- 
 ty. In France, the National Convention, on 
 the 26th of August 1792, passed a Decree, 
 
94< The Little Book. [lec. iv. 
 
 proscribing wholly and entirely the Word and 
 Ordinances of Christ, and, establishing Athe- 
 ism by law, forbid the use of every form of 
 the Christian religion. 
 
 In the course of the following month, this 
 decree was carried into effect, in a manner that 
 seemed likely to blot out forever the very 
 names of these witnesses of Christ. And their 
 enemies, of every nation, rejoiced and boasted 
 over them, and congratulated each other, in the 
 idea that their authority and influence were for- 
 ever destroyed. 
 
 But in March, 1796, after a trial of three 
 years and a half, it having become evident that 
 the principles they had substituted for them, 
 were equally destructive of life and comfort, 
 as they were of godliness, after an immense 
 number of people had perished by violence, 
 under the reign of terror, the remnant were 
 affrighted, and, to about the same extent that 
 the king of Babylon had done before them, 
 they gave glory to the God of heaven ; and 
 by a counter decree, permitted his holy Word 
 and Ordinances again to resume their testimo- 
 ny. ** The spirit of life from God entered 
 into them :" and, since that time, they have 
 been more extensively efficacious for salvation, 
 
The Little Book, 95 
 
 than at any other time since the first ages of 
 the Christian Church. 
 
 Just at this time, also, commenced the era 
 of Missionary and Bible Societies, on princi- 
 ples calculated, in due time, to enable the wit- 
 nesses to put off their sack-cloth, and shine in 
 their own native lustre ; and in a spirit that 
 seems like a voice from heaven, calling them 
 to that exalted station they were originally de* 
 signed to occupy. 
 
 In the same hour, there was also a great 
 earthquake, that shook the whole empire of the 
 beast ; and one of his ten kingdoms, or a tenth 
 part of the city, fell ; and there v/ere slain of 
 men seven thousand. 
 
9S 
 
 LECTURE V. 
 
LECTURE V. 
 
 The Persecutions of the Bvagon, 
 
 REVELATION xil. 1. 
 
 *' And there appeared a great xvonder in heaven ; a 
 Woman clothed with the sun^ and the 7noon under 
 her feet^ and upon her head a crown of twelve 
 itars^ 
 
 XN this Vision is given a general view of 
 the hatred and persecutions of the great adver- 
 sary against the Church of God, the Kingdom 
 of Christ in the world. 
 
 This, and the following vision in continua- 
 tion, reveal the principal agents, by whose in- 
 strumentality the adversary vents his hatred, 
 and carries on his persecutions, against the 
 servants of Christ, from the time of his exalt- 
 ation, to his final triumph; and prepare the 
 way for a full representation, in the vision fol- 
 lowing them, of the triumph of Christ, and of 
 
10ft The FerseciUlou [lec. w 
 
 the great salvation he will accomplish for his 
 Church. 
 
 The three former visions are complete ia 
 themselves ; each one continuing the particular 
 prophetic view it is designed to give, from its 
 commencement to its consummation. 
 
 The three following appear to be a series of 
 visions, of which this is introductory, and the 
 ether two follow in chronological order, con- 
 tinuing the same prophetic view, under its ap- 
 propriate symbols, according to the different 
 characters which it exhibits, and ending, as 
 each of the three former had done, in a repre- 
 sentation of the triumph of Christ, and the 
 destruction of his enemies. 
 
 After the iJ'scrimination made in the vision 
 of the little book, between the true worshippers 
 of God, and the apostates who were to be re- 
 jected ; and after the representation there given 
 of the low and afflicted state of the servants of 
 Christ, and of the narrow limits within which 
 his true Church would for a time be compre- 
 hended ; it became a question of very great 
 interest — Whence come these things to pass ; 
 and what shall be the circumstances and situ- 
 ation of the Church ; and who her enemies 
 and oppressors, that shall at length cause the 
 
of the Dragon. 101 
 
 holy City to be given to the Gentiles, to be 
 trodden under foot of thejn forty and two 
 months ? 
 
 This part of the revelation seems designed 
 to meet these enquiries. 
 
 ** There appeared a great wonder in hea\^- 
 en" — The term here translated wonder , is, in 
 its derivation and import, equivalent to the 
 one used in the 1st verse of chap. 1, and there 
 translated, " he signifiecL''^ It means simply, a 
 sign, or significant emblem. This emblem 
 was '' a woman clothed with the sun, and the 
 moon under her feet, and on her head a crown 
 of twelve stars." 
 
 This is an emblem of the Church of God, 
 invested with the rays of the sun of righteous- 
 ness, and all sublunary things put in subjection 
 to her destinies, and she herself distinguished by 
 a crown of twelve stars, significant of the twelve 
 patriarchs, and the tribes descended from them, 
 who originally constituted the Church of God 
 on earth. 
 
 Unto this Church it had been promised, in 
 that interesting prophecy of Isaiah, "• Unto us 
 a child is born — unto us a son is given, and the 
 government shall be upon his shoulder ; and 
 his name shall be called VVoriderfuI, Counsel- 
 
 I2 
 
lOS The rersecution [lec. v. 
 
 ler, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, 
 the Prince of Peace." And it is here said of 
 the woman, *'And she, being with child, 
 cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be de- 
 livered." 
 
 The Church is, in this, represented in the 
 situation she was in, at about the conclusion of 
 the seventy weeks prophesied of by Daniel, 
 when all the pious, and them that waited for 
 the consolation of Israel, were travailing with 
 earnest expectation of the coming of Messiah 
 the prince ; and looking for redemption in Is- 
 rael, by the mighty Counsellor promised by 
 Isaiah. 
 
 " And there appeared another wonder,'^ or 
 significant emblem, " in heaven ; and, behold, 
 a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten 
 horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And 
 his tail drew the third part of the stars of 
 heaven, and did cast them to the earth." 
 
 This dragon is afterwards described, " That 
 old serpent, called the devil, and satan, which 
 deceive th the whole world," a fit prototype of 
 that beastly power revealed to the prophet Dan- 
 iel, as th: fourth beast, or kingdom on earth 
 that should devour the whole earth. That 
 it is this fourth power that is here intended, 
 
of the DvagQU, 103 
 
 I conclude, from his being described by the 
 same distinguishing appearance of having ten 
 horns» and from the character given of him, 
 particularly in his universal and terrible do* 
 minion, and his persecuting the saints. 
 
 His horns, which, in a succeeding vision, are 
 seen wearing their crowns, are, in this, yet un- 
 crowned ; for the vision relates to events, that 
 took place, before this appearance was devel- 
 oped in his actual existence ; and the Apostle 
 saw him in this vision, as the prophet Daniel 
 had seen him, in this particular. Another 
 distinguishing character of him was, however, 
 at this time, already developed, in his varied 
 forms of supreme dominion : and he appeared 
 to the Apostle having seven heads, and seven 
 crowns upon his heads. And, as an emblem 
 of his extensive dominion, his tail drew the 
 third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast 
 them to the earth. 
 
 He is farther described as being red — the 
 colour adopted by the fourth, or Roman gov- 
 ernment, to adorn and to distinguish the splen- 
 dor of the imperial dignity. 
 
 " And the dragon stood before the woman 
 which was ready to be delivered, for to devour 
 her child as soon as it was born." 
 
104 The Fersicnilon [lec. v. 
 
 The Roman government, boasting itself the 
 the mistress of the world, never condescended 
 to notice the Church, as a Church, till the con- 
 fident expectation of Messiah the Prince 
 awakened her jealousy. Then the Roman 
 governor of Judea, to maintain the universal 
 dominion of the Csesars, and to secure his 
 own delegated authority uudtr them, with un- 
 distinguishing zeal and rage, *' Slew ail the chil- 
 dren that were in Bethlehem, and in aii the 
 coasts thereof, from two years old and under ;'' 
 that he might thereby be sure to destroy him, 
 who, he had been told, was b:)rn king of the 
 Jews. And, afterward, when the name of the 
 Prince of Peace came to be revered and to be 
 trusted in by many, even the majesty of Rome 
 descended to all the meanness of persecution, 
 and the exertion of beastly power, to crush 
 the growing church, and eradicate the Chris- 
 tian name. But the counsel of the Lord shall 
 stand, and he v;ill do all his pleasure. 
 
 The woman *' brought forth a man-child," 
 or, as it would be more literally, and more em- 
 phatically translated, a son, a mariy " who was 
 to rule all nations with a rod of iron," This 
 part of the description is taken from the decree 
 recorded in the 2d Psalm — ** I shall give thee 
 
of the Bvag'on. 105 
 
 the heathen for thine inheritance, and the utter- 
 most parts of the earth for thy possession. 
 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron." 
 The same description is also applied in chap. 
 19th of the Revelation, to him who is King of 
 kings, and Lord of lords — It is the true Mes- 
 siah, the Prince of Peace that is here intended. 
 And, when this child was born — this son was 
 given to the Church, and the old serpent, 
 through the agency of the Roman power, 
 sought to devour and utterly destroy him, he 
 ** was caught up unto God, and to his throne." 
 He was exalted at the right hand of God, 
 "Far above all principality, and power, and 
 might, and dominion, and every name that is 
 named, not onlv in this world, but also in that 
 which is to come." All things were put un- 
 der his feet ; and he was made to be head over 
 all things to the Church. 
 
 This explication of this first part of the vis- 
 ion, I am aware, applies to events that had ta- 
 ken place before the Apostle saw the vision. 
 But as no history gives an intelligible represen- 
 tation of any great event, without going back 
 to trace the causes, and shew the connexion 
 whence such event arose ; so, in a general view 
 of the great contest between the Church and 
 
106 The Persecution [lec. r. 
 
 the adversary, which is at last to be termina- 
 ted by a glorious and signal display of the pow- 
 er and grace of the King of kings in favor of 
 his Church, it was necessary to make the view 
 complete and fully intelligible, that the vision 
 should go back to the beginning of the contest^ 
 that is conducted on the part of the adversary, 
 by the fourth and last beastly power predicted 
 as the formidable enemy of the Church, and 
 give a distinguishing representation of the be« 
 ginning of that contest, that so the progress 
 and the finishing of it might be distinctly 
 foreshown. The object was, to shew things 
 that must come to pass. But here was a 
 necessity to introduce the revelation of them, 
 by declaring things that had already taken place. 
 And it was worthy of the spirit of truth, in this 
 case as well as in others, to direct the Prophet 
 in recording them. 
 
 To ascribe the description here given of the 
 son that was born, as has been usually done, to 
 Constantine, or to any other mortal, would be to 
 derogate from the prerogatives of the King of 
 kings. And to avoid this, by ascribing it to 
 Christ mystically, as he will rule by his peo- 
 ple, is heaping symbol upon symbol in an un- 
 warrantable manner, and rendering the whole 
 
of the Dragon, 107 
 
 unintelligible. The liberties of this kind, that 
 commentators have taken, have done more than 
 any thing else to perplex the understanding of 
 the prophecies, and render them obscure and 
 indeterminate. 
 
 I am persuaded, this vision is, thus far, re- 
 trospective. And the occasion and cause of 
 it being by this explained, the vision then pro- 
 ceeds to state, that the Church should retire in- 
 to the wilderness. 
 
 ^ "And the woman fled into the wilderness, 
 where she hath a place prepared of God, that 
 they should feed her there a thousand two hun- 
 dred and three score days." 
 
 The wilderness is a place of retreat from the 
 customary haunts of men. And the woman 
 fleeing into the wilderness, represents the true 
 Church of God, as retiring from the courts of 
 Princes, and from the observation of the men 
 of the world, and continuing in comparative ob- 
 scurity, while the Gentiles tread under foot the 
 holy City ; and her place is occupied by an a- 
 postate Church, during the space of 1260 years. 
 When, however, this had been stated as a lea- 
 ding object of the vision, the vision then re- 
 turiis to bring up the prophetic history, in a 
 
108 The Persecution [lec. r, 
 
 representation of the immediate causes of this 
 event, to the period of its taking place. 
 
 ** And there was war in heaven ; Michael 
 and his angels fought against the dragon ; and 
 the dragon fought, and his angels, and prevail- 
 ed not, neither was there place found any more 
 in heaven." 
 
 This, I suppose, represents the contest of 
 the pagan empire against the kingdom of 
 Christ. And the dragon and his angels con- 
 stitute an emblem of the Roman government, 
 and its officers and dependants. But as the 
 emblem, by which the Church of Christ is rep- 
 resented in the vision, is unsuited to the repre- 
 sentation of battles and war, Michael, the Prince 
 that standeth for the children of God's people, 
 is introduced with his angels maintaining the 
 contest on the behalf of the Church. And it is 
 well worthy of remark, that during this whole 
 period, the Christians made no efforts to resist 
 by force the oppressions and violence of their 
 Pagan persecutors, but submitted themselves 
 quietly to them that ruled over them, even after 
 they came to be probably more numerous than 
 their oppressors, and, in all human appearance, 
 able to resist with much effect. Yet they bore 
 their testimony with meekness, and opposed 
 
of the Dragon. 109 
 
 to the violence of their adversaries, nothing 
 but an honest life and upright manners, and a 
 faithful testimony for the truth, which they 
 held themselves ready to seal with their blood. 
 Therefore it is here said of them, *'And they 
 overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by 
 the word of their testimony ; and they loved 
 not their lives unto the death." The Prince 
 of the hosts of the Lord stood for them, and 
 maintained their cause, till " The great dragon 
 was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, 
 and satan, which deceiveth the whole world ; he 
 was cast out into the earth, and his angels were 
 cast out with him." 
 
 This describes the revolution, when heathen 
 emporors ceased to reign, and the head of the 
 empire professed himself the friend of the 
 Christian Church. It was a time of great re- 
 joicing and triumph in the Church, when 
 Constantine openly professed to espouse the 
 Christian cause. 
 
 Whether in the end it proved advantageous 
 to truth and piety, or not, it certainly relieved 
 the Church from grievous oppressions ; and 
 afforded a great opportunity for the furtherance 
 of the Gospel. When, therefore, it was view- 
 ed in this light, it was indeed an occasion of 
 
 K 
 
ilO The Persecution [lec. v. 
 
 great joy in the Church. As a representation 
 of this, It is added, " And I heard a loud voice, 
 saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and 
 strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the 
 power of his Christ ; for the accuser of our 
 brethren is cast down, which accused them be- 
 fore God day and night. And they overcame 
 him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word 
 of their testimony ; and they loved not their lives 
 unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heav- 
 ens, and ye that dwell in them." At the same 
 time, there is denounced a ** Woe to the inhab. 
 iters of the earth and of the sea ! for the devil 
 is come down unto you, having great wrath, 
 because he knoweth that he hath but a short 
 time." 
 
 This was the first beginning of the prostra- 
 tion of pagan authority and dominion before 
 the Christian name : and it was a prostration of 
 the highest dignity, and the most exalted au- 
 thority that the prince of the power of the air, 
 the God of this v/orld, could boast. It was, 
 therefore, a sure presage to him, that his king- 
 dom among men must eventually be destroy, 
 ed ; and that the kingdom, which the God of 
 heaven had set up, should fill the whole earth. 
 When, therefore, he was cabt out of this 
 
of the Bmgon, 111 
 
 eminent dominion into the earth, he came down 
 to his inferior thrones of pagan dominion, 
 some of them more and some less established, 
 like the earth and the sea, and extending al- 
 most under the whole heaven, with great wrath, 
 to stir them up, and bring them to support his 
 contest against the kingdom of God, and the 
 power of his Christ ; because, having begun 
 to fall, he knew that the complete destruction 
 of his kingdom was hastening on. 
 
 It is true he was afterward greatly success- 
 ful in controuling and wielding the power and 
 authority of the same empire from which he 
 had been cast out : but never in his own 
 name. Whatever he accomplished afterward, 
 bore this mark of subjection and inferiority, 
 that his agents never acted openly in his name, 
 to bring any glory to the pagan authority, but 
 whatever they accomplished for him, was un- 
 der the cloak and disguise of the Christian 
 name. 
 
 He succeeded, however, among his inferior 
 thrones, to stir up, and bring on, to the contest 
 barbarous pagan nations on the borders of his 
 ancient empire. And for two hundred years 
 they vexed and harassed the empire and the 
 Church, till at length they overcame and 
 
lis The Persecution [lec. v. 
 
 possessed the dominion ; but at the same time 
 they changed their name and profession, and 
 took on them the name and the profession of 
 Christians. This is thus described in the vision : 
 *' And when the dragon saw that he was cast 
 unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which 
 had brought forth the man child" — Or, as in the 
 original, t/ie??ia?j, " And to the woman were 
 given two wings of a great eagle, that she 
 might fly into the wilderness, into her place ; 
 where she is nourished for a time, and times, 
 and half a time, from the face of the serpent." 
 
 Whatever corruptions the imperial favour 
 was the means of introducing into the Church, 
 and no doubt they were great, and led to her 
 being finally rejected of Christ ; yet this fa- 
 vour afforded a protection for the true Church 
 of Christ in all after ages, from the violence 
 of pagan hatred and power. 
 
 The extensive dominion of the empire, at 
 that time divided into two, the eastern and the. 
 western, Uketwo wings of a great eagle, which 
 was the Roman standard, afforded a shelter 
 and defence for all that bore the Christian 
 name, throughout that dominion, from being 
 oppressed by pagan authority. Even the suc- 
 cess and conquests of the barbarians, in their 
 
of the Dmgon. IIS 
 
 irruptions into the empire, were overruled, in 
 the providence of God, to serve the same pur* 
 pose ; as is described in the two following 
 verses : 
 
 *' And the serpent cast out of his mouth, 
 water as a flood after the woman, that he might 
 cause her to be carried away of the flood. 
 
 " And the earth helped the woman ; and 
 the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up 
 the flood which the dragon cast out of his 
 mouth." 
 
 Waters are emblematical of multitudes of 
 people, especially of tumultuous bodies of 
 them. Such were the barbarian pagan nations, 
 by whom the serpent sought to deluge and 
 overwhelm the Church of Christ. " Nothing," 
 says an eminent writer on this subject, (A'Vw- 
 ton.) '* was more likely to produce the ruin 
 and utter subversion of the Christian Church, 
 than the irruptions of so many barbarous hea- 
 then nations, into the Roman empire. But the 
 event proved contrary to human appearance 
 and expectation : the earth swallowed up the 
 flood. The barbarians were rather swallowed 
 up by the Romans, than the Romans by the 
 barb irians. The heathen conquerors, instead 
 of imposing their own, submitted to the reiigioa 
 M.2 
 
114 The Terucntion [lec. v. 
 
 of the conquered Christians ; and they not 
 only embraced the rehgion, but affected even 
 the laws, the manners, the customs, the lan- 
 guage and the very name of Romans ; so that 
 the victors were in a manner absorbed and lost 
 among the vanquished." 
 
 The earth, his own kingdom, and the pagans, 
 his own devoted subjects, here failed the great 
 adversary the serpent, and contrary to all hu- 
 man calculations, the inundation, by which he 
 hoped to regain his lost dominion, was swal- 
 lowed up and lost to his purpose. And, al- 
 though this event made the necessity, yet it 
 also afforded the opportunity, for the woman 
 to retire from the face of the serpent — the 
 Church to cease from the conflict with avowed 
 pagan idolatries, until the time appointed for 
 her final triumph. 
 
 This, I suppose, determines the true era of 
 the commencement of the 1260 years of the 
 retreat of the Church in the wilderness. And, 
 though we may not be able to fix on the pre- 
 cise year of its commencement, yet 1 think it 
 uiSqiieslionable, that it must have been, either 
 cotemporaneous, or immediately consequent to 
 the event here revfalcd : when thebe litathens 
 professed to embrace the Christian religion, 
 
of the Bvagon. 115 
 
 and became constituent members of the com- 
 munity styling Itself the Church of Christ. 
 
 The temple of God hath no agreement with 
 idols ; nor Christ any concord with Belial. 
 
 When, therefore, these sons of Belial were 
 introduced within the pale of the Church, and 
 permitted to bring in with them their flood of 
 idolatries, into a Church already far gone ia 
 devotedness to idols ; then the true worship- 
 pers of God must be separated from that 
 Church : and the real community of Christ's 
 people must be constrained to hold their fellow- 
 ship with each other in retirement, in the wil- 
 derness. 
 
 In that unassociated state, they must main- 
 tain their little communities, separated froni 
 each other, and be dissenters from the ecclesi- 
 astical establishments within the bounds of the 
 old empire of the dragon, until the time ap- 
 pointed. And though many shall cleave unto 
 them with flatteries, so that some of them of 
 Understanding shall fall, yet it shall only be 
 *' to try them, and to purge and make them 
 white, even to the time of the end : because 
 it is yet for an appointed time." 
 
 They may in some instances be flattered 
 with seeming countenance and favour by those 
 
118 The Perseciillon &c, [lec. v. 
 
 who occupy the empire of the dragon. Bat 
 it is designed only as a snare for them, that 
 they may be taken and fall; for the purpose 
 of the old serpent is to externfiinate them, if 
 possible, wholly from the face of the earth. 
 
 ** And the dragon was wroth with the 
 woman, and went to make war with the rem- 
 nant of her seed, which keep the command- 
 ments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus 
 Christ.'* 
 
 Christ being exalted to the right hand of the 
 Majesty on high, and his Church dispersed in 
 the wilderness, the dragon set himself to perse- 
 cute the followers of Christ, wherever he might 
 find them ; as is more particularly detailed in 
 the next succeeding vision. 
 
LE CTURE VI. 
 
LE CTURE VI, 
 
 The Vision of the Beasts^ 
 
 REVELATION xiii. 1. 
 
 " Afid 1 stood upon the sand of the sea. and saxv a 
 Bedit rise up out of the ^ea. having seven headi and 
 ten horns and upon his horns ten crowns^ and upon 
 his heads the name of blasphewj.'*'' 
 
 JL HIS Vision exhibits, in continuation, 
 the same ^c^eneral view, which wah begun to be 
 exhibited in the preceding virion, of the hatred 
 and persecutions i)f the great adversary, the 
 old serpent, aganist tiic Church ot God, the 
 Kingdom oi* Christ in the world, li describes, 
 under the character of Beasts, the principal 
 agents, by whosf instruuientality tlie adversary 
 vents his hatred, and carries on his persecutions 
 during the space of 1260 years. 
 
 The scene of vision uas chani;cd when the 
 dragou was cast out iiito the eaitii, and this 
 
ISO The Vision [lec. vi. 
 
 vision was witnessed by the Apostle in very 
 much the ^ame situation as the visiow of the 
 little book. 
 
 THE BEAST WITH SEVEN HEADS AND TEN 
 HORNS. 
 
 The first Beast here described is, I think, 
 evidently the same as is described in the 
 prophecy of Daniel. It is there revealed, that 
 there should be four successive dominions, 
 that should bear rule in the earth, according 
 to the vision of the four beasts which the 
 prophet saw rise out of the sea : and that the 
 fourth beast, diverse from the others, exceed- 
 ing dreadful, and having ten horns, should be 
 the fourth kingdom on earth. The same thing 
 is also there revealed under another figure, in 
 the prophet's interpretation of the dream of 
 Nebuchadnezzar ; in which he saw the image, 
 whose " head was of gold, his breast and his 
 arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 
 his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of 
 clav." In his explanation, the prophet said to 
 the king of Babylon, " Thou art this head of 
 gold. Aid after thee shall arise another king- 
 dom ir.ferior to thee, and another, a third 
 
ef the Beasts. ISl 
 
 kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over 
 all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall 
 be strong as iron." These have been uni- 
 versally understood to designate the four great 
 kingdoms that have successively reigned over 
 all that part of the world, where the Church of 
 God existed. The first, or Babylonian, was 
 succeeded by the Persian — that by the Mace- 
 donian, and the Macedonian by the Roman, 
 And the kingdom set up by the God of heaven, 
 is represented as putting an end to this kind of 
 dominion, and destroying utterly the image of 
 these kingdomii, by smiting with violence, the 
 last of them, and causing the whole form of 
 them to be destroyed, and the very materials 
 of them to "become as the chaff of the 
 sunmier threshing floors ; and the wind carri- 
 ed them away, that no place was found for 
 them.*' 
 
 The three former of these had fallen from 
 their dominion, though their lives were pro- 
 longed for a season and time, and the fourth, 
 or Roman dominion alone continued, at the 
 time when the Apostle saw this vision. I 
 think it, therefore, unquestionable, that it was 
 a representation of this dominion, in one par- 
 ticular form of it, which was to be its last form^ 
 L 
 
laa The Vision [lec. Vi, 
 
 that he saw, in the beast that rose out of the 
 sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon 
 his horns lep crowns, 
 
 Jn the explanation of the vision of Daniel, 
 it is said, ** The fourth beast shall be the fourth 
 kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse 
 from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole 
 earth, and shall tread it down, and shall break 
 it in pieces. 
 
 *' And the ten horns out of this kingdom 
 are ten kings that shall arise." 
 
 Here are two distinguishing characters of 
 this kingdom. 
 
 It was diverse from all kingdoms. 
 
 The other dominions existed, uniformly, 
 under one and the same form of government 
 from their beginning to their end. Although 
 the third, or Macedonian, was divided, during 
 part of the time of its continuance, into four 
 principalities ; yet they all bore the same 
 character of kingly governments. The fourth 
 was to be diverse from the others. This di- 
 versity, I suppose, consisted in this very par- 
 ticular, of its having seven heads and ten horns, 
 
 1st. In its seven heads. 
 
 No other dominion ever underwent so many 
 (Jhanges in its headi where the supreme power 
 
of the Beasts. isa 
 
 was lodged, and yet continued, under all of 
 them, essentially the same dominion. The 
 beast therefore appeared to the Apostle having 
 seven heads. And it vi^as distinctly explained 
 to him afterwards, (Chap, xvii.) that the domin- 
 ion it represented, would be distinguished, by 
 having seven kinds, or headc, of government ; 
 live of which, it was stated to him, had already 
 been, and were fallen ; one was at that time, 
 Ivhen the Apostle saw the vision ; and the other 
 was not yet come. Now the Roman govern- 
 ment first arose under kings as the head of 
 dominion. To these succeeded consuls — 
 then dictators — after these, decemvirs — and 
 these again were put down to make way for 
 military tribunes. 
 
 Through all these changes the Roman glory 
 and dominion continued to be increased. And 
 at length, at the summit of their glory, empe- 
 rors reigned as the head of dominion. This 
 was the sixth form of government, and existed 
 in the Apostle's days. The seventh was not 
 yet come ; and it is added, "when he cometh 
 he must continue a short space." But he was 
 to come, and occupy his short space, before that 
 particular form and arrangement of the domin- 
 ion which was represented to the Apostle by the 
 
1^4 The Vision [ixc. vt. 
 
 ten horns : for the Angel in his explanation 
 expressly tells him, *' The beast that thou 
 sawest — that was, and is not, even he is the 
 eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into 
 perdition." Commentators, in that licentious- 
 ness of fancy they have ventured to indulge, 
 in commenting on the prophecies, have weari- 
 ed themselves to discover, what they have 
 styled, the septimo octave head of the beast, 
 and seem wholly to have overlooked this ex- 
 press declaration of the angel. The Roman 
 dominion is the beast, unchanged, as to its 
 beastly nature, from beginning to end, till it 
 shall go into perdition. And this form of it, 
 which the Apostle saw under ten distinct 
 principalities, was its eighth and last form, un- 
 der which it will go into perdition. Instead of 
 being represented and formally reckoned as a 
 head of the beast, as the preceding forms had 
 been, it is described as branched out and di-» 
 vided into ten horns, distinguishing this last 
 form of government from all the others ; and 
 although it is said to be of the seven, it is 
 counted the eighth. 
 
 The imperial form of government ended 
 with Augustulus, in 476. All that remained, 
 after this, of the Roman name and form of 
 
of the Beasts. 125 
 
 government in the west, was the senate and 
 consuls. This continued but a short space. 
 In 566, Italy was reduced to the form of a 
 province; and the seventh head ceased to 
 exist. 
 
 But the beast, *Uhe fourth kingdom upon 
 earth," did not, therefore, also cease to exist* 
 It seemed, indeed, in its last head, to be 
 wounded to death. The sword of the barba- 
 rians must, in all human calculation, have been 
 supposed at the time, to have destroyed forever 
 the Roman name and authority, and to have era* 
 sed the principles and the foundation on which 
 the dominion rested. But it was represented 
 otherwise to the Apostle, and it proved other- 
 wise in fact. 
 
 The conquerors settled on the same founda* 
 lion, and aspired to the same dominion ; and 
 under a new, or eighth form, which is therefore 
 counted to be of the seven, they attained to 
 the same dominion. 
 
 The barbarians adopted the Roman laws, 
 the religion of the empire, the Roman man- 
 ners, and even affected the Roman name. This 
 coalition of the conquerors with the conquer- 
 ed — the barbarians with the Romans, is very 
 distinctly predicted in Daniel's explanation of 
 
1^6 The Vision [lec. vx. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The legs of iron, 
 in the image he saw, represent the former part 
 of the Roman dominion ; and the feet, part of 
 iron and part of clay, the prophet thus explains, 
 (ii. 41.) ** And whereas thou sawest the feet 
 and toes, part of potter's clay and part of iron : 
 the kingdom shall be divided ; but there shall 
 be in it of the strength of iron, forasmuch 
 as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry- 
 clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of 
 iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be 
 partly strong and partly broken. 
 
 ** And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with 
 jniry clay, they shall mingle with the seed of 
 men : but they shall not cleave one to another, 
 even as iron is not mixed with clay." 
 
 This is a most circumstantial representation 
 of the new form of dominion, that arose under 
 the Lcitin or Reman name, when the victorious 
 barbarians mingled with the inhabitants of the 
 ancient dominion, and constituted a kind of 
 republic of kingdoms, all owning the same 
 origin, and professing to derive their laws, 
 and authority, and their principles of govern- 
 ment and of religion, from the same source* 
 And, as in the lowest, or last part of the image, 
 the dominion seemed divided into ten princi- 
 
af the Beasts. 1S7 
 
 palities, represented by the ten toes of the feet : 
 so, in the prophet's vision, in which the fonrth 
 beast he saw represents this dominion, that 
 beast appeared with ten horns, or emblems of 
 power ; and it is thus explained to him :~ 
 *' The ten horns out of this kingdom, are ten 
 kings that shall arise." Not that the domin- 
 ion should be thus distinguished from the be- 
 ginning ; but in its progress, these principal- 
 ities should arise, and distinguish its latter 
 appearance. 
 
 This is another distinguishing character of 
 the beast, which the Apostle saw rise out of 
 the sea, 
 
 fid. In its ten horns. 
 
 In a former vision, recorded in the 12th 
 chapter, the Apostle had seen these ten horns 
 of the beast, as Daniel saw them ; yet un- 
 crowned ; for they had not yet attained their 
 dominion. And although, at the time to 
 which that vision relates, the characteristic 
 mark, of several various heads, or different 
 forms of government, had been developed ia 
 history, so that the Apostle, in addition to 
 what had been seen by Daniel, saw also, the 
 seven heads of the beast, wearing their seven 
 crowns; yet the horns wore the same appearance 
 
12^ The Vision [ixc. yj. 
 
 as in the ancient vision, till the Apostle, in this 
 vision, describing the rising of the beast in 
 this particular form of it, with reference to the 
 time of the change taking place, saw it arise 
 with '* ten horns, and upon his horns ten 
 crowns^'*^ In a succeeding vision the angel 
 explains this, as the same vision had been ex- 
 plained to Daniel. ** The ten horns which 
 thou sawest, are ten kings." And he adds, 
 with reference to the time when the Apostle saw 
 the vision, *' Which have received no kingdom 
 as yet, but receive power as kings one hour 
 with the beast.*' 
 
 They did not exist to characterise the beast 
 in any of the preceding forms ; but they con- 
 stitute the supreme power of the beast during 
 one hour, or one division, or part of his exist- 
 ence. And although they cannot be accounted 
 strictly an individual head, as all the former 
 were, when the supreme power was lodged 
 with one individual, or with several conjoined, 
 so as to be only one distinct body ; yet thejr 
 come in place of the head, and actually con- 
 stitute the supreme power of the beast in one 
 of its forms. This is the eighth, and what- 
 ever the change may seem, is of the seven. 
 
of the Beasts. l^S 
 
 It ariseth out of the bottomless pit, under 
 the iiifluence of the old serpent, after he was 
 cast out of his ancient dominion ; and is 
 the form, under which the fourth beast will 
 end, and go into perdition. 
 
 This makes that other seemingly contradic- 
 tory description applicable to it, *' The beast 
 that was, and is not, and yet is." 
 
 The Roman dominion seemed crushed, and 
 overwhelmed by the barbarian nations. And 
 when they settled within its bounds, and the 
 several principalities represented by the ten 
 horns arose, it certainly wore the appearance 
 of a new dominion. Yet the spirit of pro- 
 phecy recognized it, as only another farm of 
 the same fourth, and last earthly dominion that 
 shall exist. The beast is the same, but no 
 longer united under one individual head as 
 formerly. As the Macedonian empire, after 
 the first horn was broken, was represented by 
 a beast with four horns, to signify the four 
 principalities which arose with the successors 
 of Alexander : so the fourth, or Roman do- 
 minion, is represented to the Apostle as rising 
 under its last form, out of the sea, from the 
 deadly wound it had received, in ten distinct 
 principalities. It is not the same head that 
 
13d The Vision [lec. ti# 
 
 received the deadly wound, that again revives t 
 but it is the beast that was wounded, that 
 again recovers life, and is healed of his deadly 
 wound. 
 
 A catalogue of these kingdoms, as they 
 first divided the supreme power among them, 
 is given, in a distinct and formal manner, by 
 a historian, {MachiaveL) whom no one ever 
 suspected of being prejudiced in favour of ap* 
 plying these prophecies to them as horns of 
 the beast* 
 
 Their names, with the dates of their origin^ 
 are as follows : — 
 
 1st, The Huns in Hungary, about the year 
 
 2d. The Ostrogoths in Mcesia, in 377. 
 
 ^^, The Visigoths in Paunonia, in 378- 
 
 4th. The Franks in France, in 407. 
 
 5th. The Vandals in Africa, in 407. 
 
 6th, The Sueves and Alans in Spain, in 407. 
 
 7th. The Burgundians in Burgundy, in 407. 
 
 8th. The Heruli and Turingi in Italy, in 476- 
 
 9th. The Saxons and Angles ia Britain, in 
 476. 
 
 10th. The Lombards in Hungary and Italy, 
 in 520, 
 
of the Beasts, 131 
 
 Of these kingdoms, some continue to the 
 present day. And although there have been 
 changes with regard to others, some falling, 
 and others rising up in their stead ; yet, from 
 that time to the present, this dominion has 
 been distinguished from all other dominions, 
 by its being constantly occupied by several 
 distinct principalities, all united in some com- 
 mon principles, by which they hold themselves, 
 in some respects at least, to be one body. 
 Though the attempt has been repeatedly 
 made, by foreign invasion, and by one and an- 
 other rising up among themselves, to reduce 
 them all under one head, it has always failed of 
 success. In this, the late scourge of Europe 
 attempted to go beyond his commission, and 
 from the scourge, aimed to become the con» 
 queror of those guilty nations. But when he 
 seemed, in all human probability, ready to ac- 
 complish his aim, he was suddenly cast down, 
 and his commission taken from him. 
 
 To this day they have cofitinued about the 
 same number of distinct principalities ; and 
 will continue till the beast shall go into perdi- 
 tion. Every one of then) has maintained, 
 throughout, its beastly character ; requiring 
 cF their subjects to bow down, and worship 
 
13^ The Vision [^lec. vi. 
 
 whatever image, or idol they are pleased to set 
 up : and ruling, both in civil and ecclesiastical 
 concerns, by the law of furce, or mere ph\ sical 
 po er. This *• ratio ultima ref^um,^^ or, last 
 argument oj' kings, has been the boast of their 
 dominion. And, however they may have been 
 obliged, at times, to modify the exercise of it 
 for a season, it has always been, and still is, the 
 foundation or which they rest, and the vital 
 principle of their existence. 
 
 It is not in this alone, however, that they are 
 identified with each other, and with the Roman 
 dominion. This character they have, in com- 
 mon wirh all the other beasts that have reigned 
 on the earth. 
 
 They also agree and give their power and 
 strength unto the beast. 
 
 There subsists a family compact between 
 them, in which, though they are alniost con* 
 tinually at war among themselves, yet they 
 hold themselves bound, to a certain extent, not 
 only for defence against foreign invasions, but 
 also in their striving among themselves, to 
 maintain, what they technically call, " the bal- 
 ance of power;" and prevent atry one from 
 sinkii g out of existence, orfrcm rising to a 
 Supreme dominion. In this principle the great 
 
oj the Beasts. 133 
 
 Congress of nations is now, or has lately been, 
 assembled at Vienna. And if the time of their 
 continuance is now drawing near to its close, 
 they will, probably, arrange the dominion, and 
 parcel it distinctly into ten different principali- 
 ties, that under that form it may go into perdi- 
 tion. Out of the same principle, also, has 
 grown, what is called among them, '* The law 
 of nations," by which they hold themselves 
 bound to each other, in certain general max- 
 ims or rules, which all are pledged to support^ 
 for the mutual defence of their authority and 
 dominion. Thus they form a kind of republic 
 of kingdoms, all resting on the same founda- 
 tion, and supporting the same cause ; and 
 having, therefore, a community of interests, ia 
 the maintenance of which they constitute ef- 
 fectually one body, and agree, and give their 
 power and strength to this body. 
 
 They are also identified v/ith each other, 
 and with the Roman power of dominion, in 
 their all deriving their principles of law, and of 
 civil policy from the same source. 
 
 After ihey had established themselves with- 
 in the bounds of the Roman empire, but be- 
 fore this family compact was begun, Justinian, 
 v;ho then reigned at Constantinople with the 
 
 M 
 
134 The Vision [lec. ti. 
 
 title of emperor, in the eastern division of the 
 empire, employed the most learned and able 
 civilians of his time, the principal one of whom 
 was a pagan, to collect and digest into one 
 body, or code, the ancient Roman laws and 
 principles of jurisprudence. This, when comj- 
 pleted, he published in about the year 530, as 
 the standard law of the empire. The princi- 
 ples of this code were sooner or later adopted 
 by all the newly risen kingdoms : and to this 
 day, the Justinian code is the great fountain of 
 law with every one pf them. 
 
 So, also, in their ecclesiastical concerns, their 
 religious principles and policy are derived from 
 the same sources. 
 
 They adopted the forms of the Christian 
 religion, and received the nominally Christian 
 Church, as they had been arranged and model- 
 ed by the emperors and their bishops : and 
 the Roman Church became their Church, and 
 the Romish religion, their religion. 
 
 These two great causes iirst brought them 
 into compact with each other, and at the same 
 time that they had influence to bind thern togeth- 
 er as one body, they also necessarily connected 
 them to the Roman dynasty, and brought them 
 into the authority and power of the lloman 
 dominion. 
 
of the Beasts. 135 
 
 I'll lis they were revealed to the Apostle, as 
 the continuation of the fourth kingdom on 
 earth, which had been revealed to the ancient 
 prophet* 
 
 They constitute one body, though divided 
 into several distinct principalities, like the toes 
 of the great image, and the ten horns of the 
 beast, wearing their ten crowns. And they 
 will continue to maintain this characteristic, 
 till the end of the triumphing of the adversa- 
 ries of the Church of the living God, and of 
 the enemies of true godliness. 
 
 The beast is farther described in the vision, 
 ** And the beast which I saw was like unto a 
 leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, 
 and his mouth as the mouth of a lion." He 
 concentrated in himself the br^astly qualities 
 and character of the three former beasts, that 
 had bi^en described by the prophet Daniel. 
 
 "' And the Dragon gave him his power, and 
 his seat, and great authority," 
 
 The dragon of paganism, animated by the 
 old serpe'it the devil, had been cast out from 
 the imperial dominion, and had come down to 
 his inferior dominions with great wrath, and 
 cast out water as a fiowd after the woman. 
 He stirred up the pagan nations, to invade the 
 
136 The Tision [lec. ti* 
 
 dominion from wliich he had been cast out, 
 with intent to destroy the Church of Christ. 
 But when he found that these nations, though 
 victorious, were yet adopting the laws and 
 sentiments of the conquered, and were likely 
 to be swallowed up of them ; like a subtle 
 adversary, he changed his measures, and joined 
 issue with them, that he might thereby bring 
 in the spirit, though he could not the name, of 
 paganism into the reputed Church of Christ, 
 and thus more successfully make war with the 
 remnant of the seed of the woman which keep 
 the commandments of God, and have the tes- 
 ♦:-^-r.Tr Qf Jesus Christ. For there was a 
 
 remnant, even in those daysj that testified 
 against the pagan innovations that were intro- 
 duced into the Church. But the great body 
 of the Church had exceedingly corrupted their 
 ways ; and the Lord, in his holy and mysteri- 
 ous providence, suffered the dragon in this 
 way, to prevail. And the dragon gave the 
 beast his power, and his seat, and great author- 
 ity, that he might thereby secure his service, 
 and use him as an instrument and agent of his 
 hatred and malice against the followers of the 
 Lanib. 
 
 In this way the pagan philosophy, and pagan* 
 
of the Beasts. 137 
 
 notions of God and of religion, soon came to 
 take the lead, and prevail in the Church : and 
 the writings of Piato and of Aristotle gained a 
 credit, above those of Paul and the Apostles : 
 and reputed saints, like the demons of pagan- 
 ism, occupied the place of the one only Medi- 
 ator between God and man. Pagan principles 
 of moralit}', and pagan notions and forms of 
 religion triumphed, and to this hour continue 
 to triumph, under the authority of the beast, 
 and the patronage of the dragon. 
 
 Thus the Christian world, with a pagan 
 phrenzy, " wondered after the beast. And 
 they worshipped the dragon, which gave pow- 
 er unto the beast ; and they worshipped the 
 beast," delighting to call it the great holy Ro- 
 man empire, and bowing down and prostrating 
 themselves to adore and serve, as the Lord's 
 anointed, the viceroys of the devil ; ** saying, 
 Who is like unto the beast ? Who is able 
 to make w^ar with him ? 
 
 *' And there was given unto him a mouth 
 speaking great things, and blasphemies, and 
 power was given unto him to continue forty 
 and two months." 
 
 The time of his blasphemies is limited ; 
 and the charter of his existence will expire, 
 
 M 2 
 
138 The Vision [lec. yi. 
 
 with the 1260 years given to the Gentiles to 
 tread under foot the holy city. 
 
 Then shall the saints of the Most High take 
 the kingdom, and possess it even forever and 
 ever. But, till that period is accomplished, " It 
 was given unto him to make war with the saints, 
 and to overcome them ; and power was given 
 him over all kindreds, and tongues, and na- 
 tions. And all that dwell upon the earth shall 
 worship him, whose names are not written in 
 the book of life of the Lamb slain from tht 
 foundation of the world." 
 
 Mysterious as this may seem, in the holy 
 providence of Christ the Lord toward his saints, 
 yet it has been literally fulfilled according to 
 the prediction. The fundamental principles 
 of the policy of the beast, and of all the craft 
 by which he prospers, from their very nature, 
 lead him to war against the saints, as those 
 whom he most dreads and hates : and, in the 
 holy providence of the Lord, he is permitted 
 to overcome them. And so extensive and ab- 
 solute is his influence and power over ail 
 kindreds, and tongues, and nations, that none 
 has been found to stand up agaii st him cr 
 their behalf. Whatever l.avr b<.<-n the efforts 
 of ambiuous individuals, or combinations of 
 
of the Beasts. , 139 
 
 men, to break the power of this dominion, 
 they have all been animated by the spirit of 
 the beast himself, and have aimed at nothing 
 more, than to occupy his place, and receive for 
 themselves individually, that adoration and 
 worship which they still held to be due to the 
 isupreme authority in the seat of dominion. 
 Aad all, whose names arc not written in the 
 Lamb's book of life, have worshipped, and 
 still continue to worship the beast. While his 
 power and authority are devoted to the support 
 of beastly anti-christian principles, and contin- 
 ually exercised in oppressing and afflicting the 
 saints ; yet all acknowledge that power and 
 authority to be of God, and therefore to be 
 conscientiously respected and obeyed. Even 
 at the time of the reformation, the reformers 
 seem to have thought of but half their work ; 
 and while they resisted the domination of anti- 
 christian power and principles in the Church, 
 they either through necessity, or perhaps un- 
 wittingly bowed respect to the very pov/er and 
 autl^ority that supported and maintained the 
 Antichrist, 
 
 Although they received favors from some of 
 the horns \i the beast, that seemed to oblige 
 the generosity of their natures to a return of 
 
140 The Vision ^c, [lbc. vi. 
 
 compliments ; and by this means some of 
 those horns abated a liule the rigour of their 
 domination over the saints ; yet, to this day, 
 every horn of the beast maintains his beastly- 
 power and authority over them, and each one, 
 as far as he thinks he may with safety to his 
 dominion, excrcises'^his power and authority, 
 to oppress and afflict the humble followers of 
 the Lamb. Their acts of Jciith — their acts of 
 uniformitt/ and of conformity — their establish- 
 ments — their concordat — their test-larusy and 
 even their tolerations, as they now exist, all of 
 them bear the same stamp : and by whatever 
 new names, or reformed appearances they may 
 seek to disguise them, they all partake of the 
 same nature, and are designed to sanction the 
 exercise, in a greater or less degree, of that 
 beastly domination, by which they attempt to 
 bind the consciences of men to obey their au- 
 thority, and in which they oppress and afflict 
 the saints. 
 
 But the end of all these things is at hand, 
 ** If any man have an ear, kt him hear. 
 ** He that leadeth into captivity, hhall go into 
 captivity ; he that killeth with the sword, 
 must be killed with the sword. Here is the 
 patience and the faith of the saints.'' 
 
mmmmamtmmn 
 
 LE CTURE VII. 
 
LECTURE VIL 
 
 The Beast with two Ilovns. 
 
 REVELATION xni. 11. 
 
 " And I beheld another bea^t coming up out of tJie 
 earth ; and he had two horns like a kimby and he spake 
 as a dragon, 
 
 1- HIS new dominion, here represented 
 as rising up out of the eanh, is not reckoned 
 among the great dominions revealed to th.e 
 prophet Daniel, as those that should reign over 
 the earth m succession, till the dominion shall 
 be given to the saints. The last of those cor- 
 responds with the ten-horned dominion de- 
 scribed in the former part of this chapter^ 
 
 But, in considering the horns of that domin- 
 ion, the Prophet beheld, and '' there came up 
 among them another little i)orn, before 'vhom 
 there were three of the first horns plucked up 
 by the roots ; and behold, in this horn were 
 
i44 The Beast [ixc. th. 
 
 eyes like the eyes of a man, and a rr.outh spea- 
 king grtat things, — and his look was more stout 
 than his fellows.'' 
 
 Here is a dominion described as connected 
 with the fourth that should be on the earth in 
 its last form, and in some sense rising out of it, 
 and making a constituent part aniong the seve*- 
 ral principalities; yet differing from them, in 
 having eyes like a man, and his look more stout 
 than his fellows, speaking great things. 
 
 This has generally been understood to rep- 
 resent that spiritual, or ecclesiastical dominion, 
 of earthly foundation and authority, that arose, 
 and subsisted in the church of Rome, and has 
 for centuries been exercised with such arro# 
 srancv in connexion with the dominion of the 
 beast w^ith ten horns. 
 
 The Beast here described by the Apostle, 
 appears to correspond with this horn, and to 
 represent the same dominion. It is the dominr 
 ion arrogated to itself by an apostate Church, 
 which, proJessing to held only the power, and 
 to exercise only the dominion of a lamb, yet 
 speaks as a dragon, and tyrannizes over man* 
 kind. 
 
 Other dominions arose up out of the sea, 
 from small beginnings, in the midst of tumults 
 
with two Horns. 145 
 
 and agitations, conquering and subduing na- 
 tions under them. But this arose out of the 
 earth in the midst of a dominion already form- 
 ed. And therefore, also, this beast is said to 
 exercise all the power of the first beast beforfe 
 him, or in his presence. It is a kind of em- 
 pire within an empire : a dominion in some 
 respects essentially distinct from the other ; 
 yet in its origin and foundation, and in its pro- 
 fessed 'design and aim, so diverse from the 
 other, that its existence is not deemed incom- 
 patible with it ; nor even the possession and 
 exercise of its whole authority in the very 
 presence of the other dominion. There seems, 
 in this, a very singular concurrence and agree- 
 ment between these two dominions. 
 
 Just such a friendly concurrence and agree- 
 ment has subsisted between the Roman em- 
 pire under its last form, and the ecclesiastical 
 dominion of the Church of Rome. 
 
 Under the emperors, the Christian Church 
 was either oppressed and persecuted by them, 
 as by enemies, or when they professed to be its 
 friends, was subjected to their authority and do- 
 mination. And even after emperors ceased to 
 reign in the west, the emperors of the east 
 held a supreme controul 'and dominion, in and 
 N 
 
146 The Bcasi [lec. yii. 
 
 over the Church, till the end of the reign of 
 Justinian. Vigilius, at that time bishop of 
 Rome, strove hard to cast ofF the authority of 
 the emperor. But, in the language of a pious 
 historian, " Justinian suffered not Vigilius to be 
 the pope of the Church.'' He chose to be 
 himself both pope and emperor. After the 
 death of Justinian, however, the Roman Church 
 seems to have acted very much independently 
 of the emperors. And amidst the changes 
 that took place, and in the absence of all 
 supreme authority in the west, while the bar- 
 barian kingdoms were settling within the 
 bounds of the Roman empire, the authority 
 of the Church increased, and became in a grt at 
 measure independent. And those who held 
 and administered the Church authority, suc- 
 ceedtd to make it so necessary in those newly 
 formed kingdoms, that they found it for their 
 interest to countenance and support it, and al- 
 io v/cd it to extend an influence, even to teri\- 
 poral concerns, and generally, to all the inteir- 
 ests of their dominion. 
 
 Thus, as a judicious writer, (WlmtGn.) ob- 
 serves, the ecclesiastical power has become 
 *' the common centre ai.d cement, which unites 
 ail the distinct kingdoms of the Roman empire ; 
 
with two Horns. 147 
 
 and, by joining with them, procures them a 
 blind obedience from their subjects ; and so it 
 is the occasion of the preservation of the old 
 Roman empire in some kind of unity and 
 name and strength." 
 
 This extraordinary dominion was obtained, 
 and is exercised by the concurrence of two 
 distinct powers, or orders of men in the 
 Church, represented by the two horns, with 
 which the beast appeared. And as the horns 
 were like those of a Iamb, so these two powers 
 both profess to derive their authority from 
 Christ the Lamb of God, and to exercise it ia 
 his name, and for the service of his cause. 
 
 These are the two orders of the Romish 
 hierarchy, or priesthood, called the regular, 
 and the secular clergy. The former, holding 
 a kind of general office and influencing author- 
 ity in the church, without any particular 
 charge ; the latter having particular charges 
 annexed to their office, and being the allowed 
 legal rulers in the Church. These are the two 
 eminent fountains of power in the Roman 
 Church ; or the two horns of the beast. In 
 their authority and influence, the ecclesiastical 
 dominion affects an entire supremacy over all 
 sublunary persons and things, and takes to 
 
us The Beast [lec. vif. 
 
 itself the state of the god of this world, and 
 utters decisions and decrees like the dragon, 
 and to the same idolatrous and blasphemous 
 purposes. 
 
 " He exerciseth all the power of the first 
 beast before him, and caiiscth the earth, and 
 them which dwell therein, to worship the first 
 beast whose deadly wound was healed." 
 
 The plain common sense of mankind, while 
 professing the Christian religion, would never, 
 of its own motions, have come to identify the 
 barbarian dominion, with all its pagan spiriC 
 and character, with Christian dominion ; so as 
 to look upon it as an ordinance of God, that 
 ought to be cherished and supported at every 
 expence, as containing in it the spirit and life 
 of the Christian Church. But the hierarchy- 
 perceiving that their importance, and beastly 
 dominion must rest on such a foundation, and 
 be supported by such principles, were greatly 
 zealous and active to settle this foundation 
 and enforce these principles, in such a way, 
 that their interposition was necessary to sanc- 
 tify the thrones, and to consecrate the princes. 
 Thus these pagan thrones, by the ghostly au- 
 thority of the hierarchy, became sacred, as 
 ordinances of God, and the princes, the Lord's 
 
with two Horns. 149 
 
 anointed. By the inBuence of the hierarchy 
 the barbarian kingdoms had their stability ; yet 
 in such a way that the good will, and the favor 
 of the hierarchy were always necessary to the 
 stability of their thrones, as they were also 
 necessary to the support of the hierarchy. 
 Thus this beastly dominion, under the appear- 
 ance of a lamb, caused the earth and them that 
 dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose 
 deadly wound was healed. By its means, the 
 name, and the authority, and the glory of the 
 old Roman dominion was revived in the ten 
 horns. And these pagan principalities, having 
 assumed Christian names, and appearing under 
 Christian forms, were worshipped as occupy- 
 ing the place of God and of Christ in civil 
 concerns, as the hierarchy also affected to do 
 in spiritual. Dr. Scott, in his commentary, 
 well observesof the Romish hierarchy, '* They 
 have always been the enemies of civil liberty, 
 and the supporters of tyranny, and even of the 
 ww/aw^/l// commands of those princes who sup- 
 ported their authority ; which is a kind of 
 idolatry, as it exalts the will of man above that 
 of God. So tnv. tyranny upholds them, and 
 the) uphold tyranny ; they enslave men's 
 consciences and help kings to enslave their 
 n2 
 
150 The Beast [lec. vii. 
 
 persons ; and in bot)i respects enforce idolatry. 
 Implicit obedience, however, to the authority 
 of the beast, as su^^porting idolatry, and re- 
 quiring men to worship creatures and images, 
 under heavy penalties, must be especially 
 meant." 
 
 " And he doeth great wonders, so that he 
 inaketh fire come down from heaven on the 
 earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them 
 that dwell on the earth, by means of those 
 hiiracles, whieh he had power to do in the sight 
 of the beast." 
 
 In explaining and applying this, I need only 
 copy from the same excellent commentator as 
 above, " The second beast maintains his 
 power by doing great wonders, &c." 
 
 These, whether they be human impostures, 
 or wro'jght by the agency of satan, he doeth in 
 the sight of men to deceive them, and in the 
 sight of the first beast to serve him ; but they 
 are performed neither by the power, nor for 
 the glory of God. The fire may allude to the 
 miracles wrought by Elijah ; and predict the 
 vain pretences of the beast to miracles of the 
 same kind. Thus the miracles of which the 
 advocates for popery boast, as certain marks of 
 a true Church, are here shewn to be the 
 
with two Horns. 151 
 
 distinguishing stigma of Antichrist — that is, 
 such ambiguous and suspicious miracles, or 
 indeed any miracles, if wrought in support of 
 idolatry, in opposition to the doctrines of the 
 scriptures, and to justify the persecuting cru- 
 elty of those who profess them. By these 
 means the two horned-beast, or the regular and 
 secular clergy deceived the inhabitants of the 
 earth, to make an image of the first beast, or 
 the temporal authority of the empire, as it 
 formerly subsisted in the emperor at Rome." 
 
 " Saying to them that dwell on the earth, 
 that they should make an image to the beast, 
 which had the wound by a sword and did live. 
 
 " And he had power to give life to the image 
 of the beast, that the image of the beast should 
 both speak, and cause that as many as would 
 not worship the image of the beast should be 
 killed. 
 
 " And he causeth all, both small and great, 
 rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark 
 in their right hand, or in their foreheads ; 
 
 *' And that no man might buy or sell, save 
 he that had the mark or the name of the beast, 
 or the number of his name." 
 
 This is the description of an image, very 
 active indeed, and very efficient to promote the 
 
15^ The Beast [lec. vh. 
 
 designs and purposes of the beast that made it. 
 It can be no other, I diink^ than the popc« 
 do'ai, or papacy of the Church of Rome, in- 
 cluding under it, the general form ai.d organi- 
 zation of the Church on the principles, and 
 after the plan of the old Roman empire ; the 
 pope occupying the place of the emperor. It 
 was invented and contrived by the two orders 
 of the clergy, represented as the two horns of 
 the beast, and is by their power and authority, 
 supported; for in the papacy their powxr and 
 authority centres. And, from time to time, 
 when the old incumbent dies, or is otherwise 
 removed, they^ in the college or consistory of 
 cardinals, elect a new one, and raise- whom they 
 please, even from the lowest orders, if they so 
 choose, to fill the office. And having elected 
 him, and given him his crown, and clothed 
 him in the pontifical robes, they then elevate 
 him upon an altar, and kiss his feet. Thus they 
 create him, and then adore him : for the} tlicm- 
 selves call this ceremony adoring his holiness. 
 When thus by them created and exalted, he 
 rules for them, and supports and sanction^ 
 their authority, as they do his. By him they 
 h(jld a kind of supremacy over the prir>ci;;ali- 
 ties of the empire, by which they arc uii boun4 
 
with two'Rorns. 15d 
 
 60 serve and support one dominion ; and all 
 conspire together to " blaspheme the name of 
 God, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell 
 in heaven ;" and to hold together their beast- 
 ly dominion, and tyrannize over them that dwell 
 on the earth. 
 
 Bishop Newton remarks, " The pope is the 
 principle of unity to the ten kingdoms of the 
 beast ; and he causeth, as far as he is able, all 
 who will not acknowledge his supremacy to be 
 put to death. In short, he is the most perfect 
 resemblance of the ancient Roman emperors — 
 is as great a tyrant in the Christian, as they were 
 in the heathen world — presides in the same 
 city, usurps the same powers, affects the same 
 titles, and requires the same homage and ado- 
 ration. So that the prophecy descends more 
 and more into particulars, from the Roman 
 state, or the ten kingdoms in general, to the 
 Roman clergy in particular ; and then to the 
 pope, the head of the state, as well as of the 
 Church, the king of kings, as well as bishop 
 of bishops.'* 
 
 " Here is wisdom. Let him that hath un- 
 derstanding count the number of the beast ; 
 for it is the number of a man ; and his num- 
 ber is six hundred three score and six." 
 
iS4} Hie Beast [lec. tit. 
 
 In the second century, Irenaeus who had 
 been the disciple of Poly carp, one of the im- 
 mediate disciples of the Apostle John, sug- 
 gested that this name was Lateinos^ a Greek 
 name, signifying the Latin man. which con- 
 tains the precise number given, according to 
 the Greek principles of notation. He esteem- 
 fd the suggestion the more probable, because, 
 said he, ** the last kingdom is so called, for 
 they are Latins who now reign." Aiid it isr 
 well known how much, since the days of Irenae- 
 us, the apostate Church has affected the Latin 
 name and language. He seems to have had" 
 no hesitation on account of its being a Greek 
 name ; for the Revelation was written in the 
 Greek language, and that language was in great 
 use in tiie Church in the early ages. Bat 
 there is a very extraordinary coincidence ia 
 this respect, in the chief and distinguishing 
 names by which that Church, as a community, 
 and the supreme head whom they worbhip, 
 have chosen to be called. In Hebrew, ia 
 Greek, and in Latin, the chief distinguishing 
 name, in which they glory, contaiub in each of 
 these languages, the precise number 666.* 
 
 *The Hebrew appellative /?owz7r^, signifying a ^owii/n com- 
 jnunity.the Greek Lutcinos, signifying the Latin n.an, and th«f 
 Lratii) tiV.s ViQarlm Ft Hi Dei, Vicar nf the Son of God, which i3 
 
with two Horns. . ib^ 
 
 These names applying both to the commu- 
 nity, and to the individual head of the com- 
 munity, seem to answer to the dtrscription 
 staring that the number b( longs both to the 
 beast, as a body, and to a man, as the head of 
 that body. 
 
 In their union or connexion, as both togeth- 
 er forming one power, they seem to have b. en 
 represented to the- Prophet Daniel under the 
 idea of a little horn rising up among the ten. 
 Bat the Apostle John had a more distinct rep- 
 reseritation of the beast, with two horns like a 
 Iamb, making, or creating a distinct image of 
 
 the chief distinguishing tlile by which the Church of Rome 
 lias uaiversally chosen to desig;nate their supreme head, the 
 pope, cxc\\ contains, according lo tiie principles oi uo:a;ion ir* 
 the several languages, the precise number 666. 
 
 THE HEBREW. THE GREEK. THE LATIN« 
 
 R 200 L. 30 
 
 O .6 A 1 
 
 M 40 T 300 
 
 1 10 E 5 
 
 I 10 1 10 
 
 TH....400 N 50 
 
 O 70 
 
 665 S 200 
 
 66$ 
 
 v... 
 
 5 
 
 T , 
 
 .1 
 
 C... 
 
 ...100 
 
 A... 
 
 ,,.. 
 
 Jl.- 
 
 
 1.. . 
 
 1 
 
 U or 
 
 V..^ 
 
 S .. 
 
 
 F. ., 
 
 
 T 
 
 1 
 
 T..., 
 
 ....50 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 T 
 
 . ... 1 
 
 13... 
 
 .500 
 
 E ... 
 
 .... 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 66S 
 
156 The Heast [lec. vh. 
 
 the fourth beast that Daniel saw, according td 
 the form in which it had in its highest glory- 
 existed, and giving life and efficiency to that 
 image. The Apostle Paul, also, has spoken of 
 it with the same distinction, describing an 
 apostacy to take place in the Church, and the 
 consequent revealing of ** that man of sin, the 
 son of perdition." 
 
 Even in the early ages of the Church, many- 
 shewed a strong inclination to be called after 
 the names of men ; and to have the Church 
 united under some visible earthly head. And 
 ambitious men in the Church, early began to 
 aspire to that distinction and supremacy for 
 themselves. This disguised and deceitful 
 principle, called by the Apostle the mystery 
 of iniquity, began to work, as he testifies, even 
 in his days. But the existence of a supreme 
 head in the Roman dominion, that ruled over 
 them, hindered the revealing of that man of 
 sin ; for the Roman emperors, whether pagan 
 or Christian, would never suffer such an en- 
 croachment on what they esteemed their pre- 
 rogative. And the same cause continued to 
 hinder, till the end of Justinian's reign. 
 
 That emperor, jealous as he was of suffer- 
 ing any but himself to be the actual pope of 
 
with two Hoists. 157 
 
 the Roman Church, yet laid the foundation, 
 9nd prepared the way for the bishop of Rome 
 to fill this station. His code of laws or in- 
 stitutes, in regulating the religious concerns of 
 the empire, distinctly acknowledges the bishop 
 of Rome as the head of all the Churches : 
 and the emperor himself sent legates to him> 
 as ambassadors to the court of a prince. 
 
 A papal supremacy in and over the Church 
 began, in fact, to be exercised by Constantine. 
 It was reduced to system, and regularly es- 
 tablished by Justinian, in connexion with his 
 supremacy in the dominion of the empire. 
 And when the Roman dominion was broken in 
 the west, and wounded to death in its last or 
 seventh head, in the new form of dominion 
 that arose, this supremacy was transferred to 
 the bishop of Rome ; and he ruled in the au- 
 thority and by the power of the apostate 
 Church — the beast with two horns like a 
 lamb. So that the pope was created for the 
 office, rather than the office for the pope.-^- 
 Then was revealed, in his true character, 
 ^* That man of sin, the son of perdition ; who 
 opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is 
 <;^kd God, or that is worshipped ; so that he, 
 O 
 
i5S The Beast [lec. vm 
 
 as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing 
 himself that he is God.'*— (ii. T/iess. 2d 
 chapter.) 
 
 It was a specious pretext, as there is un- 
 questionabl}^ in the true Christian Churchy 
 *' One Lord — one faith — one baptism," that 
 there should also be one visible head of the 
 Church on earth, and that under him, all 
 should hold the same f^ith, and be united and 
 conformed together in the same sentiments, 
 and external forms of religion. But this vit/s- 
 tery of iniquity arrogated for ambitious and 
 wicked man, a prerogative that belongs to 
 Christ alone ; and vainly sought to constrain 
 and direct the minds of men, by exercising a 
 tyrannical authority, and a torturing dominion 
 over their bodies. The Creator, as intending 
 the rational mind shall be free, and subject to 
 no direct authority but his own, has formed it 
 inaccessible by all direct exercise of power 
 short of on^nipot^nce. And the only efficient 
 and honest infjuenpe of man with man, that 
 our rational nature admits, is that of argument 
 and persuasion. But the wicked pride and the 
 pernicious ambition of men, are ever prompt- 
 ing them to assume the place of God, and 
 tvrannize over the minds of their feilow-men? 
 
tvith two Horns. 159 
 
 They persuade themselves that they serve God, 
 when they, by their power and authority, con* 
 strain others to put on the appearance of serv- 
 ing him ; and that they promote the unity of 
 the Church, when they attempt to make others 
 think just as they do in religious matters. 
 And as this is a kind of service congenial with 
 their native tempers, they delight and glory in 
 acts of uniformity, and formulas, and creeds 
 sanctioned by civil penalties. To enforce 
 these, seems the very life and spirit of all their 
 religion. 
 
 The time approaches, however, when the 
 operation of this mystery of iniquity will be 
 no longer permiited to rule the destinies of 
 the Church, and destroy the souls of men. 
 Especially, that great system of it, which has 
 so long prevailed in the Church of Rome, shall 
 come to its end with its chief production, ** the 
 man of sin — that Wicked whom the Lord 
 shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, 
 and shall destroy v/ith the brightness of his 
 coming," 
 
LECTURE Vin. 
 
t 1 
 
LE CTUB.E VIII 
 
 The Harvest and the Vintage, 
 
 EEVELATION xiv. 1. 
 
 *' And I looked^ and^ lo^ a Lamb stood on the mount 
 Sion^ and xvith him an hundred forty and four 
 thousand^ having his Father's name written in their 
 foreheads*^ 
 
 An the two preceding Visions, the 
 Apostle had witnessed representations of the 
 hatred and persecutions of the adversary, and 
 of the agents by whose instrumentality be op- 
 presses and alRicts the servants of Christ. In 
 this, he was called to witness the triumph of 
 Christ, and the utter destruction of the oppres- 
 sors of his people. 
 
 The vision opens xvith a triumphant view of 
 the purchase of Christ's blood, in the redeem- 
 ed of the seed of Abraham his friend, and of 
 the glorious efficacy of his Gospel, preached 
 
I6li The Ilavvesi [p^c. viri. 
 
 to *' them that dwell on the earth, and to every 
 nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." 
 
 This opening of the vision necessarily turns 
 our thoughts back, to what is recorded in the 
 7th chapter of the book. There the Apostle 
 describes, among the events disclosed by the 
 opening of the sixth seal, " Four angels stand* 
 ing on the four corners of the earth, holding 
 the four winds of the earth, that the wind 
 should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, 
 nor on any tree :" while another angel, having 
 the seal of the living God, is employed in seal* 
 ing the servants of God in their foreheads^^ 
 " And there were sealed one hundred forty 
 and four thousand of all the tribes of the chiU 
 dren of Israel. And after this, a great multi- 
 tude which no man could number, of all na^ 
 tions, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, 
 stood before the throne, and before the Lamb.'? 
 The same hundred forty and four thousand, 
 and the same multitude of all nations, xm^ 
 kindreds, and people, and tongues, are here 
 again brought into view in this vision. 
 
 I have considered the 7th chapter, as pre* 
 dieting the restoration of the seed of Abraham-^ 
 the gathering of the dispersed of Israel to the 
 true shepherd and bishop of their souls, and 
 
and the Vintage. 163 
 
 the consequent glorious success of the Gospel 
 among the nations of men : events that are of- 
 ten spoken of and promised in the sacred 
 volume. And I have supposed, that while the 
 events comprised under the sixth seal are ac* 
 €omplishing, and the last indignation against 
 the oppressors of the servants of Christ is 
 taking its effect on the nations, there shall yet 
 be a delay, in some period of that time, proba* 
 bly just before the final consummation, when 
 these hundred forty and four thousand shall be 
 sealed with the seal of the living God, in their 
 foreheads ; and that, consequent to this, the 
 countless multitude of the nations, and kin- 
 dreds, and tongues, and people, shall come 
 and stand with acceptance before the Lamb. 
 Accordingly, in this vision, before the Apostle 
 witnessed the final destruction of the enemies 
 of Christ, there appeared, standing on the 
 mount Sion, that is in the true Church of God, 
 which, on this occasion, begins to be revealed 
 in its true glory, '* A lamb, and with him an 
 hundred forty and four thousand, having his 
 father's name written in their foreheads. 
 
 " And they sung, as it were, a new song be- 
 fore the throne, and before the four living 
 creatures, and the elders ; and no man could 
 
166 The Harvest [LtO. vm. 
 
 learn that song but the hundred forty and four 
 thousand that were redeemed from the earth." 
 
 It is twice repeated in the Psalms, *' Oh 
 that the salvation of Israel were come out of 
 Zion ! When the Lord bringeth back the cap- 
 tivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice and Is- , 
 rael shall be glad." 
 
 It will indeed be a new song of praises tOv 
 the Redeemer that shall be sung on that occa-, 
 sion ; and being suited to the case of the dis- 
 persed of Israel, when the Lord shall bring: 
 back the captivity of Jacob, it will be peculiar-, 
 to them, and no man will be able to sing it, in, 
 the same appropriate sentiments and feelings,, 
 but the hundred forty and four thousand o£ 
 those redeemed. 
 
 These are they, that have never been defiled 
 with spiritual svhoredoms — that have never 
 partaken in the idolatries of those that have , 
 apostatized from Christian faith and morals-. 
 They come to Christ, in this respect, as vir.; 
 gins: and are the first fruits unto God and: 
 unto the I^amb, of a glorious ingathering of 
 such as shall follow the Lamb whithersover he> 
 goeth, without any mixture of pagan philoso- , 
 phy or human traditions, or superstitions, in 
 ♦heir belief and practice of Christianity. 
 
and the Vintage. 16? 
 
 5^ The Apostles and primitive Christians, after 
 they received the promise of the Father in the 
 Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, had, I 
 suppose, more just and clearer views of Chris- 
 tian doctrine, and exhibited more of the Chris- 
 tian spirit and temper in their life and n manners, 
 than has, since their days, ever been witnessed 
 generally in the Church. In the mysteries uf his 
 providence, God has been pleased to suffer the 
 passions, the weaknesses, and the ignorance of 
 men, to bring into the church many corrupt 
 tions, and errors, and superstitions : And al- 
 though there have been great and good refor- 
 mations, it is, 1 think, evident that none of them 
 ever brought christians, of later days, back to 
 the Apostolic standard. However zve may 
 congratulate ourselves, on the light, ar.d knowl- 
 edge, and christian sentiment and practice, that 
 abound in the phurch, in our days ; it is yet 
 not one of the least of the mysteries oi God's 
 providence over his church, that, to this hour^ 
 the paijsions, and the prejudices, and the un- 
 hallowed speculations of men are suffered so to 
 discolour and cloud the truth, and to pervert 
 and abuse the piire doctrine of Christ : And 
 that, what we esteem a sincere and honest be- 
 lief of the christian religion, i§ for the inogt 
 
168 The Harvest [ivEC. yiu, 
 
 part so powerless over our hearts, and has so 
 feeble, and so unsteady an influence on our 
 principles and manners. 
 
 But in the days of the voice of the seventh 
 angel, when he shall begin to sound, this mys* 
 tery of God also shall be finished. Then, not 
 only here and there, once in an age, shall there a 
 Nathaniel to be met with, *'An Israelite indeed, 
 in whom there is no guile ;" but the whole 
 company of these redeemed will be followers 
 of the Lamb, in the true spirit of discipleship, 
 and in their mouth will be found no guile ; for 
 they will, in this respect, be without fault be? 
 fore the throne of God, Coming to Christ a^ 
 virgins not polluted with any of those world- 
 ly or heathenish sentiments and maxims, by 
 which the profession of Christianity has been 
 so much and so long debased, they will give 
 an exhibition of the power and the purity of 
 the Gospel of Christ, that will propably astonish 
 and confound many, that now rank high in the 
 Christian church. The promise of God {Ezek^ 
 xxxvi. 25) concerning them is, *• Then will 
 I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be 
 clean ; from all your filthiness, and from all 
 your idols will I cleanse you. And I will put 
 jny spirit within you, and cause you to w^l^ i^ 
 
and the Vintage. 169 
 
 my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments 
 and do them. I will also save you from all 
 your uncleanessesJ' " These are the first 
 fruits unto God and to the Lamb." And when 
 they appear and stand on the mount Sion, as 
 trophies of the grace and power of Christ, 
 then the three angels, in quick succession, 
 make their several public and solemn procla- 
 mations, as is represented in the vision. 
 
 " And I saw another angel fly in the midst 
 of heaven." There seems no reason for this 
 bein^ called another angel, without referring to 
 the 7th chapter, and considering the opening 
 of this vision as presenting the same scene as is 
 there recorded. It was another angel succeed- 
 ing the one that sealed the redeemed of the 
 twelve tribes. And as he ascended from the 
 east, with a special and particular commission, 
 so this one was seen to fly in the midst of 
 heaven, as executing a commission of a more 
 general tenor, and of a more extensive appli- 
 cation — '* Having the everlasting Gospel to 
 preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and 
 to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and 
 people.** 
 
 His commission relates to the great mul- 
 titude, which no man could number, of all 
 P 
 
170 The Harvest [lec. viii, 
 
 nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, 
 which, on a fornner occasion, the Apostle saw 
 stand before the throne, and before the Lamb, 
 clothed with white robes and palms in their 
 hands. 
 
 The missionary spirit, manifested in the so* 
 cieties formed for missionary purposes, and by 
 a very few individuals, who have consecrated 
 themselves to the work of missionaries, and 
 the disposition to multiply and distribute copies 
 of the sacred scriptures, that have distinguish- 
 ed the present age, seem to be hopeful essays 
 toward the fulfilling of this part of the vision. 
 But while this spirit and these efforts fall so far as 
 they do below what even sectarian feelings and 
 efforts usually are, for vigor of pursuit and de- 
 votedness to their object, and indeed so far be- 
 low what has been often exhibited even by an 
 apostate Church to proselyte to its commun^ 
 ion, they are destitute, in a very great measure, 
 of that Apostolic spirit and character, which 
 sffc essential to the accomplishing of the work* 
 When Christians generally shall begin to feel 
 the obligations they are under, to hold them- 
 selves personally, and all they possess and en- 
 joy, honestly devoted to serve God in the 
 Gospel of his Son, and shall keep back nothing 
 
and the Vintage , 17 i 
 
 that could be profitable to this service, then will 
 the everlasting Gospel speedily be preached, 
 unto theni that dwell on the earth, and to every 
 nation, and tongue, and people. But this they 
 will probably not feel, till they shall be per- 
 suaded that the hour of his judgment is come. 
 This therefore will be the subject of the an- 
 gel's proclamation, as he flies through the 
 midst of heaven, ** Saying with a loud voice, 
 Fear God, and give glory to him ; for the 
 hour of his judgment is come*'* 
 
 Christians will then be constrained no lon- 
 ger to glory in men, and range themselves in 
 sects under the names of men. Nor must 
 they any more do homage to the petty perisli- 
 ing claimants of the earth and of the sea, but 
 " Worship him who made heaven, and earthy 
 and the sea, and the fountains of waters." 
 
 When the sealing of the servants of God 
 shall be completed, and the four angels, stand- 
 ing on the four corners of the earth, shall no 
 longer restrain the tempests of wrath, the hour 
 of God's judgment being then come, it will 
 begin to take effect, first on great Babylon. 
 This is the subject of the proclamation of 
 the second angel, who is represented as follow- 
 ing the angel that was seen to fly in the midst 
 
i7M> The Harvest i.ec. viii. 
 
 of heaven, proclaiming the hour of judgment 
 to be come. 
 
 *' And there followed another angel, saying, 
 Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, be- 
 cause she made all nations drink of the wine 
 of the wrath of her fornication." 
 
 As this will be an event of great nUerest, 
 the Apostle was afterward instructed, in a 
 distinct and separate vision, on this subject, 
 which is recorded in the 17th and 18 th chap- 
 ters of the book. It will be, however, only 
 the beginning of those final judgments, ia 
 which Christ will gloriously triumph in the 
 utter destruction of all the oppressors of his 
 people. But there will be an awful rapidity in 
 the succession in which the rest will follow. 
 Having begun, *' He will finish the work, and 
 cut it short in righteousness ; because a short 
 work will the Lord make upon the earth." 
 Accordingly, the proclamation of the third an- 
 gel immediately follows, warning men that the 
 Judge is at hand, and that he comes with a 
 purpose of judgment, no longer to be delayed. 
 
 ** And the third angel followed them, saying 
 with a loud voice, If any man worship the 
 beast and his image, and receive his mark ia 
 his forehead or in his hand, 
 
and the Vintage. lys 
 
 <* The same shall drink of the wine of the 
 wrath of God, which is poured out without 
 mixture into the cup of his indignation ; and 
 he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone 
 in the presence of the holy angels, and in the 
 presence of the Lamb : 
 
 '' And the smoke of their torment ascend- 
 eth up forever and ever ; and they have no 
 rest day nor night who worship the beast and 
 his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark 
 of his name." 
 
 The Apostle Paul, preaching to tlie men of 
 Athens, and speakmg of the times past, when 
 God '* suffered all nations to walk in their own 
 ways," says, ** And the times of this igno- 
 rance God winked at ; but now commandeth 
 all men every where to repent : because he 
 hath appointed a day, in the which he will 
 judge the world in righteousness, by that man 
 whom he hath ordained : whereof, he hath 
 given assurance unto all men, in that he hath 
 raised him from the dead." 
 
 God has indeed never left himself without 
 witness among the children of men ; so that 
 they are always without excuse, if they do not 
 fear and obey him. Yet charity constrains us 
 to believe, there may have been good and 
 
 ?2 
 
174 The Harvest [lec. viii. 
 
 pious people, who have yet, unwittingly, borne 
 the mark of the beast and of his image. This, 
 with other mysteries of his providence, God 
 has suffered. But when the seventh trumpet 
 shall begin to sound, this mystery shall be 
 finished. A proclamation will be made, for 
 all that fear God, to separate themselves from 
 them ; and this will bd enforced, by the dread- 
 ful warning here recorded : and whoever they 
 may be, that after this shall continue attached 
 to the beast and to his image, hope and charity 
 must leave them forever. 
 
 ** Here is the patience of the saints : here 
 are they that keep the commandments of God, 
 and the faith of Jesus." 
 
 Men shall then return and discern between 
 the righteous and the wicked ; between him 
 that serveth God and him that serveth him 
 not. The faith and patience of the saints shall 
 no longer be subjected to those severe trials, 
 which the ungodliness of men in every age, 
 has one way and another occasioned. The 
 great issue will then begin to be revealed, ac- 
 cording as they have believed in God, and 
 have kept the word of Christ's patience ; and 
 he will keep them from the hour of temptation, 
 which shall come upon all the world, to try 
 
and the Vintage, 175 
 
 them that dwell upon the earth. For at that 
 time, when Michael shall stand up, the great 
 prince that standeth for the children of the 
 people of Israel, there shall be a time of trouble, 
 such as never was since there was a nation, 
 even to that same time. — {Daniel xii. 1.) 
 
 The saints will, of necessity, be more or 
 less involved in this perplexity and distress of 
 nations ; but they shall be delivered, every 
 ©ne that shall be found written in the book. 
 The effect of the trial on them shall be only as 
 the refiner's fire, to purify them, and to make 
 them white. 
 
 It was, I suppose, with reference to this, 
 that the voice from heaven proclaimed, " Bles- 
 sed are the dead which die in the Lord from 
 henceforth." 
 
 When the Apostle had heard the warning 
 voice of the third angel, and the awful scenes 
 of the harvest and the vintage were ready to 
 be revealed, there seems to have been a mo- 
 mentary suspension of the prophetic scenes 
 that were passing before him ; and he heard a 
 voiee from heaven, for the support and conso- 
 lation of the servants of Christ amidst the 
 fearful scenes and the awful terrors of those 
 days, '* Saying, Blessed are the dead that die 
 
173 The Harvest [lkc. \ui. 
 
 in the Lord from henceforth.'* And the Holy 
 Spirit, before proceeding with his prophetic 
 representations, adds the confirmation, " Yea, 
 saith the Spirit ; that they may rest from their 
 labors ; and their works do follow them." 
 There seems in this, a reference to that in the 
 57th chapter of Isaiah — **The righteous perish- 
 eth, and no man layeth it to heart, and merciful 
 men are taken away, none considering that the 
 righteous are taken away from the evil to come. 
 He shall enter into peace : they shall rest in 
 their beds, each one walking in his upright- 
 ness.'' The prophetic Spirit had said, on a for- 
 mer occasion, (C/io/?". ix.6,) *'In those days shall 
 men seek death, and shall not find it ; and 
 shall desire to die, and death shall flee from 
 them." In both these cases, reference is had 
 to the calamitous events, and the distress- 
 ing circumstances of the times. But there is 
 a wide difference in the character and circum- 
 stances of the persons, who are the subjects of 
 these two parts of the sacred word. Those in 
 the 9th chapter, under the pains and suffering of 
 the righteous judgnnents of God for their in- 
 iquities, are described as seeking in mad despair 
 for any refuge, even in death itself, from the 
 present power and weight of their sufferings. 
 
and the Vintage, 177 
 
 But In this place, they are represented as taken 
 by their Lord and Saviour from the fury of a 
 wicked and malicious world, whose hour of 
 judgment is come, to enter into their rest, and 
 cease from all their toils and sorrows. 
 
 Immediately after this, the Apostle beheld 
 the majestic appearance of the great Judge of 
 quick and dead, come forth to separate be- 
 tween the wheat and the tares. 
 
 ** And I looked, and, behold, a white cloud, 
 and upon the cloud one sat like unto the sou 
 of man, having on his head a golden crown^, 
 and in his hand a sharp sickle. 
 
 ** And another angel came out of the temple, 
 crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the 
 cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap ; for the 
 time is come for thee to reap ; for the harvest 
 of the earth is ripe. 
 
 '* And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his 
 sickle on the earth : and the earth was reaped.'' 
 
 In explaining the parable of the wheat and 
 the tares, Christ said, *^ The harvest is the end 
 of the world." 
 
 On the same principles, it may be under- 
 stood to mean the end of any particular state 
 of discipline in his providence, when he pleases 
 to bring it to a conclusion. But it cannot 
 
178 Tiie Ilarvesi [lec. viit. 
 
 inteod any thing less : and it implies the ideas 
 of a day of reckoning, of separation, and of 
 retribution. 
 
 The harvest, here spoken of, is like that 
 concerning Babylon, (Jer. li. 33 ) *' Thus 
 saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, the 
 daughter of Babylon is like a threshing-floor, 
 it is time to thresh her ; yfet a little while, and 
 the time of her harvest shall come." And it 
 is, probably, the very same that is prophesied 
 of, (Joel iii. 13,) *'Let the heathen be wa- 
 kened, and come up to the valley of Jehosha- 
 phat ; for there will 1 sit to judge all the 
 heathen round about." 
 
 " Put ye in the sickle ; for the harvest is ripe ; 
 come, get you down ; for the press is full, the 
 vats overflow ; for their wickedness is great. 
 
 *' Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of de« 
 cision ; for the day of the Lord is near in the 
 valley of decision." 
 
 Here, both the harvest and the vintage are 
 introduced to represent God's purpose of 
 judgment and retribution — " For their wick- 
 edness is great." 
 
 iSo also in this vision that the Apostle saw, 
 after the harvest, succeeds also the vintage. 
 
and the Vintage. 1^9 
 
 " And another angel came out of the temple 
 which is in heaven, he also having a sharp 
 sickle. 
 
 ** And another angel came out from the 
 altar, which had power over fire ; and cried 
 with a loud cry to him that had the sharp 
 sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and 
 gather the clusters of the vine of the earth ; 
 for her grapes are fully ripe. 
 
 " And the angel thrust in his sickle into the 
 earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and 
 cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of 
 God " 
 
 The Vine, as an emblem, was originally 
 used to designate the true Church of God. 
 But by the prophet Jeremiah, (ii. 21.) God re- 
 bukes the apostacy of his people, saying, ** I 
 had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right 
 seed : how then art thou turned into the degen- 
 erate plant of a strange vine unto me ?" So also 
 by Isaiah, ii. 4 — " What could have been done 
 more to my vineyard, that I have not done ia 
 it? Wherefore, when 1 looked that it should 
 bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild 
 grapes?'* And again, (Z)c/if. xxxli 32 )-^ 
 " Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of 
 the fields of Gomorrah ; their grapes are 
 
180 The Harvest [lec. tux. 
 
 grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter ; their 
 wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel 
 venom of asps." And according to what the 
 Apostle saw and heard in this place, the vine 
 of the earth is to be gathered, and cast into 
 the great vvine.pres$ of the wrath of God, 
 This vintage, therefore, 1 think, evidently in- 
 tends, the exttrminating judgments which 
 shall be executed upon an apostate Church ; 
 and the dreadful vengeance Christ will take 
 on them that have prostituted the profession 
 of his Gospel, and his name, to the purposes 
 of their own aggrandizeinent and self-will, at 
 the expense of the blood of his martyrs, and 
 the suppression of his truth. 
 
 The harvest seems of a more general na- 
 ture ; but the vintage particular and apprppri. 
 ate to the apostate Church. 
 
 They seem to be very nearly connected, and 
 may, probably, be both accomplished at the 
 same time, and in a great measure by the same » 
 events. For the harvest seems to intend the 
 bringing to dissolution, in an utter extinction, 
 the anti-christian dominions of the earth iti 
 general ; or, perhaps, especially those of civil, 
 or secular policy : And the vintage a like demo« 
 lition oi aiiti«christian ecclesiastical institutions 
 
and the Vintage. 18 i 
 
 and authorities. Whatever may be the precise 
 dibtinction between them, 1 think it unques. 
 tionable, that both together, they unequivocally 
 predict an entire subversion of all anti-christiaa 
 usurpation and authority, in both Church and 
 State ; and a day of reckoning, and of terrible 
 retributions, for the adversaries of Christ, and 
 the oppressors and persecutors of his servants. 
 The same judgment and retribution, with a 
 view of the preparatory process for the intro- 
 duction of them, are more specifically predicted 
 in the next vision, under the idea of the seven 
 golden vials full of the wrath of God, and 
 poured out by the ** seven angels having the 
 seven last plagues ; for in them is filled up 
 the wrath of God." And yet again more ex- 
 pressly, in the description of ** the batde of 
 that great day of God Almighty," when he 
 that shall rule all nations with a rod of iron, 
 shall ** tread the wine-press of the fierceness 
 and wrath of Almighty ^God.'* 
 
LECTURE IX, 
 
LECTURE IX. 
 
 The Vision of the Vials, 
 
 REVELATION xv. 1. 
 
 *' And I saw another sign in heaven^ great and mat'^ 
 vellousy seven angels having the seven last plagues 4 
 for in them isfiUed up the wrath of God.'* 
 
 A HIS sign, from the terms in which k 
 is described, evidently relates to the last period 
 of that twelve hundred and si^ty years, ia 
 which the sanctuary is given to be trodden 
 ^nder foot of the Gentiles. 
 
 The vision contains a representation of the 
 means, and of the several successive judgments, 
 by which the anti-christian powers will be de- 
 stroyed, and a way prepared for tlie saints of the 
 Most High to take the kingdom. It is one of 
 those particular and detailed representations, by 
 which the general view, exhibited at the opening 
 of the seals^ is filled up : and is to be rar^kedi 
 ^2 
 
186 The Vision [lec. ix. 
 
 under the sixth seal. It cannot, I think, be 
 comprehended under the seventh trumpet, as 
 has commonly been supposed ; for the oath of 
 the Almighty has proclaimed that time shall 
 then be no longer, but in the days of the voice 
 of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to 
 sound, the mystery of God shall be finished. 
 This vision, no doubt, extends to the last in- 
 dignation. And the first six vials prepare the 
 way for the sounding of the last trumpet. 
 
 The pouring out of the seventh vial, will, 
 therefore, coincide with the sounding of the 
 seventh trumpet, and constitute the judgments, 
 by which the mystery of God will be finished. 
 
 In the preceding vision, the Apostle had 
 witnessed a representation of the concluding 
 scenes of this period, both in the triumphs of 
 grace, and in the execution of a righteous 
 vengeance, accomplishing the destruction of 
 the enemies of Christ. In this vision, he is 
 led back to view the several steps, by which 
 the way wrll be prepared, and these scenes in- 
 troduced. 
 
 These judgments, from their nature, and 
 their relation to each other, and to the great 
 filial consummation, would seem as though 
 they mubt foiiovv each other in quick succes- 
 
of the Vials. 187 
 
 sion : and the description of them in the text 
 determines that this will be the case. They 
 are ** the seven last plagues ; for in them is 
 filled up the wrath of God.'* All the intima- 
 tions, given us in the scriptures of those judg- 
 ments, by which the final destruction of the 
 enemies of Christ's kingdom on earth shall be 
 accomplished, seem distinctly to imply, that 
 the vengeance taken in them, will be speedy, 
 and that the Lord will hasten his work in his 
 time ; '* for a short work will the Lord make 
 upon the earth." 
 
 Accompanying this sign, the Apostle saw 
 also a representation of the condition and feel- 
 ings of the true servants of Christ, during the 
 -^.execution of these last plagues. Standing on 
 a foundation, supported by no earthly consti- 
 tutions, and continually sending forth the fire 
 of God's judgments, they seem, according to 
 human calculations, to rest upon a fragile and 
 slippery support, in the midst of awful judg- 
 ments and desolations ; as though they stood 
 upon a sea of glass mingled with fire. But kept 
 by the power of God, through faith, unto sal- 
 vation, they sing the song of Moses and the 
 Lamb; expecting, with full assurance, the 
 speedy accomplijsliing of all the good things 
 
188 The Vision [lec. ix. 
 
 spoken concerning Zson ; and beholding, in 
 the surrounding desolations, the true and 
 righteous judgments of the King of Saints. 
 To their faith, " the temple of the tabernacle 
 of the testimony in heaven is opened :" and 
 from the light of God's word, and the testU 
 mony of his covenant, they see the approach of 
 that blissful state of the Church, which is so 
 much the object of their desires. But by 
 reason of the smoke from the glory of God, 
 and from his power, no man will be able to en- 
 ter into that state, till the seven plagues of the 
 seven angels are fulfilled* In this condition, 
 and with these feelings and expectations, in 
 the midst of many and great temptations, the 
 true servants of Christ wait for his salvation, 
 while the last indignation is accomplishing up- 
 4dn them that destroy the earth. 
 
 *' The first angel poured out his vial upoa 
 the earth ; and there fell a noisome and griev- 
 ous sore upon the men which had the mark of 
 the beast, and upon them which worshipped 
 his image." 
 
 This has, by several late commentators, 
 been understood as predicting the breaking out 
 of that great moral putrefaction, which prepared 
 the way, and introduced those awful convulsiojis 
 
of the Vials. 189 
 
 tvhich, five and twenty years ago, began to in* 
 dicate the approaching dissolution of the body 
 politic, in the dominion of the beasts of the 
 earth. The explanation seems precisely t© 
 accord with the order and progress of the pro- 
 phetic visions, and to be consistent with the 
 general manner and spirit of the representa- 
 tions contained in the book; I therefore know 
 of no reason, why it may not safely be adopted. 
 
 ** And the second angel poured out his vial 
 upon the sea^ and it became as the blood of a 
 Jead man ; and every living soul died in the 
 sea." 
 
 When the bonds of social order, and of mor« 
 al obligations were loosened, or shaken off, the 
 population of the kingdom of the beast became 
 unsettled and agitated like the sea : And the 
 vial of God's wrath being poured out upon 
 them in that situation, scenes of blood and 
 carnage desolated the dominion, and that tu- 
 multuous sea became as the blood of a dead 
 man. 
 
 *'And the third angel poured out his vial 
 upon th€ rivers and fountains of waters ; and 
 they became blood." 
 
 By ** the rivers and fountains of waters" are 
 intended, those who **have shed the blood of 
 
i90 The Vision lec. ix. 
 
 saints and prophets :" and the angel of the 
 waters, and another angel out of the altar, unite 
 to praise God's righteous judgments upon 
 them. 
 
 The symbol requires, that this should be ap- 
 plied to the spiritual rulers and teachers of 
 the apostate Church ; and the history of late 
 events furnishes abundant record of the fulfil- 
 ment of the prophecy, in this application of it, 
 
 ** And the fourth angel poured out his vial 
 upon the sun ; and power was given unto him 
 to scorch men with fire." 
 
 The events of the three preceding vials, 
 greatly awakened the jealousy and the wrath of 
 the ruling powers within the dominion of the 
 beast ; and, to support their tottering thrones, 
 they grasped at an authority, subjecting the 
 lives and possessions of their people to the 
 most lavish and unbounded expense of blood 
 and of treasure; "And men were scorched with 
 great heat." They were consumed by this 
 absolute and unlimited exercise of authority 
 and power over them. Yet so much did 
 madness and raging passions prevail, that they 
 *' blasphemed the name of God, which hath 
 power over these plas^ues : and they repented 
 not to give him glory." But all this exertion 
 
of the Viah. 191 
 
 of power and authority by the rulers, and this 
 madness of the people, will not avail thtm : 
 for when the fifth angel shall pour out his vial 
 upon the seat of the btast, and it is probably 
 now just ready to be poured out, his knigdom 
 will be full of darkness ; and they will gnaw 
 their tongues for pain. 
 
 -» Mr. Faber has very justly remarked— 
 "Wherever the beast is simply nientiont d, by 
 way of eminence, as it were, I believe it will 
 invariably be found, that the ten-horned or sec- 
 ular beast is intended." 
 
 Wliat the particular kind of judgment will 
 be, that at the pouring out of the fifth vial, 
 shall come upon them that worship the beast 
 and his image, is not here revealed. It wiW 
 be one that will deeply affect his dominion, 
 and will probably go nigh to destroy it ; for it 
 wilt come upon the very seat of the beast, and 
 will fill them with such anguish, that thev will 
 gnaw their tongues for pain. But still will 
 they blaspheme the God of heaven, because of 
 their pains and their sores, and repent nor of 
 their deeds. 
 
 ** And the sixth angel poured out his vial 
 upon the great river Euphrates ; and the water 
 
i%2 The Vision [lec. ix. 
 
 thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings 
 of the east might be prepared." 
 
 In a former vision, the Euphrates, according 
 to the almost universal consent of all commen- 
 tators of later days, is a symbol of the Othmaa 
 or Turkish Empire, that arose on the borders 
 of that river ; and, according to every princi- 
 ple of consistent interpretation, it must be the 
 same here. This vial therefore includes un- 
 der it the destruction of the Turkish domin- 
 ion, which is 10 prepare the way of the kings 
 of the east. Whether this is to open a way 
 for the return of the seed of Abraham, as some 
 have supposed, to come and inherit the land giv- 
 en to them by promise, and live and reign with 
 Christ a thousand years : or whether it in- 
 tends the opening of the way for the thrones 
 and dominions of Asia to come into a nearer 
 intimacy with the potentates of Europe, that 
 they may bv gathered with them to partake 
 in the judgments of the last vial of the wrath 
 of God cannot I suppose now be determined. 
 But from what immediately follows, under this 
 vial, it would seem to be the latter. 
 
 *^ And 1 saw threr uncleaii spirits like frogs 
 come out of the mouth of the dragon^ and otit 
 
ef the Viah. 193 
 
 ©f the mouth of the beast, and out of the 
 mouth of the false prophet. 
 
 " For they are the spirits of devils, working 
 miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the 
 earth and of the whole worlds to gather them 
 to the battle of that great day of God AI- 
 mighty." 
 
 This certainly portends a day of wrath, not 
 only for the dominion of the beast, but also 
 expressly for the kings of the whole world* 
 These deluding and infuriating spirits come 
 out of the mouth of the dragon of paganism, 
 and out of the mouth of the beast of Roman do- 
 minion, and out of the mouth of the false pro- 
 phet, either of Mahommedism, or of Romish 
 ecclesiastical tyranny : and they are instrumental 
 of a universal gathering of all the enemies of 
 Christ, and the oppressors of his people, to 
 suffer his indignation in the pouring out of the 
 last vial of the wrath of God, 
 
 ** And he gathered them together into a 
 place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armaged- 
 don. " That is, •' the cursing to utter destruc- 
 tron at Megiddo," as the name is explained, 
 I think justly, by Mr. Faber. 
 
 " And the seventh angel poured out his vial 
 into the air, and there came a great voice out 
 K 
 
494 The Vision lec. iX 
 
 fjf the temple of heaven from the throne, say- 
 ing, It is done.'* 
 
 In explanation of this I qiiote from Scott's 
 Commentary — ** Satan is called t^e prince of 
 the power of the airy and this last vial will be 
 poured into the seat of his empire ; for after 
 it, his cause in every place, without as well as 
 within the dominions of the beast will be ruin- 
 ed. A proclamation was therefore made, that 
 it was done, or finished ; as under the seventh 
 Irumpet, the mystery of God was to be finish- 
 ed, (x. 7.) Terrible calamities... aw fu) displays 
 of the divine presence... intestine distractions, 
 and the revolt or destruction of ciiies and na- 
 tions, &c. will make way for great Babylon 
 to drink of the wine of the fierceness of God's 
 wrath ; and the concurrent judgments ar-e ds' 
 scribed in the strongest language : especially 
 by hail stones of above a hundred pounds 
 weight each ; which must dash in pieces all 
 persons and things whatsoever, on which they 
 fall." — *' It is clear beyond doubt, that convul- 
 sions, revolutions, and the wreck of nations, to 
 a degree and extent never hitherto vvituesscd^ 
 or recorded, are yet to be expected, before the 
 mystery of God is finished." 
 
of the Viats. 19^ 
 
 ** And there were voices, and thunders, and 
 lightnings ; and there was a great earthquake," 
 such as was not since men were upon the earth, 
 m mighty an earthquake and so great. 
 
 " And the great city was divided into three 
 parts, and the cities of the nations fell : and 
 great Babylon came in remembrance before 
 God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of 
 the fierceness of his wrath. 
 
 ** And every island fled away, and the moun« 
 tains were not found. 
 
 *' And there fell upon men a great hail out of 
 heaven, every stone about the weight of a tal- 
 ent : and men blasphemed God because of the 
 plague of the hail ; for the plague thereof was 
 exceeding great." 
 
 The pouring out of the seventh vial is coin*- 
 cident with the judgments of the seventh trum- 
 pet, and, I think, seems to be a detail of those 
 judgments. The former trumpets do not in- 
 rilude every judgment thai fell upon men, with- 
 in the period of time v/hich they embrace. — 
 They only announce those distinguished judg- 
 ments, by which some important change was 
 effected in the state or condition of the Church* 
 On the same principles, the seventh trumpet, 
 after the way is prepared by the judgments com- 
 
i95 The Vision [leg. ix. 
 
 prised under the first six vials, announces the 
 last great exterminating judgments, by which 
 the existence of the apostate Church, with all 
 its earthly connexions and establishments, is 
 brought to an end. 
 
 These it announces, however, in more gen*^ 
 era! terms than any of the preceding trumpets ; 
 and the detail under the seventh vial seems ne- 
 cessary to make it as explicit as they had been* 
 Here we learn, what will be the attending cir- 
 cumstances, and the effects of the lightning and 
 voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and 
 great hail, announced by the seventh trumpet. 
 
 The great city, or Roman community, will 
 be divided into three parts, and the cities, or 
 associated communities of the nations will fall ; 
 and great Babylon will come into remembrance 
 before God, to give unto her the cup of the 
 wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And even 
 the separate, and isolated structures of human 
 inventions, whether secular or ecclesiastical, 
 vAW flee away : And the mountains of human 
 establishments will no more be found. And 
 the most destructive plagues will come upon all 
 them, that do not truly serve Christ, and obey 
 his Gospel. Thus will the way be prepared, 
 that '; The kingdoms of this world may be- 
 
of the Vials. £97 
 
 come the kingdoms of our Lord and of his 
 Christ ; and he shall reign forever and ever.'^ 
 He will utterly destroy them that now destroy 
 the earth. This is again more distinctly fore- 
 told in the 19th chapter, where He that is Faith- 
 ful and True, is described as coming forth, 
 -clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and 
 the armies of heaven following him, that he may 
 smite the nations, and tread the wine-press <5f 
 ibe fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 
 
 a^ 
 
LECTURE X. 
 
 Sir. 
 
LECTURE X. 
 
 The Warrdiw, 
 
 REVELATION xvi. 15. 
 
 ^ Behold, I come as a thief * Blessed is he that zvatcM*- 
 eth, and hepeth his garments J kst he walk naked^ 
 end they see his shameP 
 
 JL HIS is an interesting admonition. 
 
 It is in the voice of the exalted Judge oJT 
 quick and dead, that it is proclaimed. 
 
 It relates to his coming to execute righteous 
 judgment on the adversaries of his kingdom, 
 and to give the kingdom and the dominion to 
 the people of the saints of the Most-High. 
 And it admonishes us, that this his coming will 
 be sudden and unexpected to men ; and will 
 be productive of most decisive and important 
 effects. 
 
 It is introduced in that part of ** the Revela- 
 tion of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto 
 
^OS The JVarning. [i.E€, % 
 
 Jiim, to shew unto his servants things which 
 tnust shortly come to pass,*' where the seven 
 iangels are seen coming forth with the seven 
 last plagues, in which is filled up the wrath of 
 God. When they have come forth, at the call 
 of the great voice out of the temple, and six 
 of them have, in quick succession, poured out 
 their vials of wrath, and \he three unclean 
 -spirits are gone forth to the kings of the earth, 
 and of the whole world, to gather them to the 
 battle of the great day ;— just before the 
 pouring out of the last vial, which is to fill up 
 the measure of 'God's wrath. While those un- 
 clean spirits are busy througli the whole world 
 to stir up "Strife, then is this solemn admoni- 
 aion introduced. 
 
 In the midst of the prophetic representa« 
 4ion, when the awful catastrophe is wound up 
 to its close, and the finishing of it is ready to 
 be revealed, there is a solemn pause of the 
 ^.arnjtion. The interesting representation is 
 suspended, just when the last convulsion is 
 ready to be disclosed! aiid the voice from the 
 temple proclaims the admonition, 
 
 *' Behold, 1 come as a thief. Blessed is he 
 that watcheth, and kcepeth his garments, Jest 
 yhc walk naked^ and they see his &hame/' 
 
Tfte fVcmihig; ^oa 
 
 Let us consider this admonition, in its rela- 
 tion to the event it announces ; 
 
 I. In the nature and circumstances of tl^.at 
 event. 
 
 II. In its effects. 
 
 Ill As to the time of its accomplisbmentv 
 
 I. As to the nature of the event — It will be 
 a very solemn, and a very interesting one ; the 
 most so of any event that is to take place un- 
 til the day of the last judgment. 
 
 Tht descriptions ol it in the prophecies are in 
 so many respects like the descriptions of tht- last 
 great day, that many have believed they are both 
 one : and that when the seventh trumpet shall 
 sound, and the seventh angel shall have poured 
 out the last of the x ials of the wrath of God, 
 there shall imnudiately buccct d the gathering 
 of the natioiis together, to btai.d before the son 
 of man, and receive their final award of judg- 
 ment. 
 
 There will, unquestionably, be a great and 
 solemn account to be settled in that day, be- 
 tween Chribt and the world. He will comt to. 
 iTiakc mquisition of olood ; and to avenge the 
 blood of his haints, that has been shed upoiv 
 the earth. And there will be ^ great gaUieriii^ 
 
g04j The Wavning, [lec. x, 
 
 of his enemies together to suffer the effects of 
 his indignation. 
 
 This is represented here, by the three un- 
 clean spirits going forth unto the kings of the 
 earth, and of the whole world, to gather them 
 to the battle: and by the thunderings, and the 
 lighinings, and the earthquake, and the hail, 
 that shall be employed as the instruments of 
 vengeance in that day : and especially by the 
 calhng all the fowls that fly in the midst of 
 heaven, to gather themselves together to the 
 supper of the great God, that they eat the 
 flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and 
 the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, 
 and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of 
 all men, both free and bond, both small and 
 great. 
 
 These representations seem to intimate, that 
 God, by the secret ministers of his wrath, will 
 sift out and distinguish his enemies, in all na- 
 tions, or certainly in all that have borne the 
 Christian name, suffering one or another un- 
 clean spirit to engage them, and lead them out, 
 and distinguish theni for destruction. And 
 when they shall be hhus sifted out and distin- 
 guished, in the height of their rage and their 
 madness with which the unclean spirits will 
 
The IFarning. ^05 
 
 inspire them, He that in righteousness doth 
 judge and make war, will come forth against 
 them, clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, 
 and will smite the nations, and tread the wine- 
 press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty- 
 God. And so blinded, and so intoxicated 
 will they be, by the passions and the rage 
 which the unclean spirits will stir up in them, 
 that they will not know, or regard the King of 
 kings and Lord of lords, but will gather them- 
 selves together to make war against him, till 
 they shall be taken, and the leaders and fore- 
 most of them shall be cast alive into a lake of 
 fire burning with brimstone : and the remnant 
 shall be slain with the sword ; and all the 
 fowls be filled with their flesh. In this will 
 be accomplished that alarming circumstance 
 declared in the text, *' Behold, I come as a 
 thief." 
 
 In every instance, in which the scriptures re» 
 veal to us this coming of Christ, they also warn 
 us of this circumstance, that it will be sudden 
 and unexpected to them that dwell on the 
 earth. Whatever may be the reasons wht/ it 
 will be thus, it will most certainly be so. In 
 warning his disciples on this subject, Christ 
 has said, *' As the days of Noah w^cre, so shall 
 S 
 
200 The Warnbig. [lec. x. 
 
 also the coming of the Son of man be. For 
 as in the days that were before the flood, they 
 were eating and drinking, marrying and giving 
 in marriage, until the day that Noah entered 
 into the ark, and knew not till the flood came 
 and took them all away; so shall also thq 
 coming of the Son of man be." And when 
 he represents this matter in the parable of the 
 ten virgins, he describes them as all slumber- 
 ing and sleeping. " And at 7nidmght there 
 was a cry made, behold the bridegroom cometh, 
 go ye out to meet him." 
 
 They had all been waiting in expectation of 
 his coming ; yet while he seemed to them to 
 tarry, they slept. And when they least ex- 
 pected it, his approach was announced. In 
 another place it is recorded, that he warned his 
 disciples of the coming of this day in these very- 
 remarkable words ; '* As a snare shall it come 
 on all them that dwell on the face of the whoh 
 earthy 
 
 Now this will not be for want of suitable 
 warning on the subject ; or because Christ 
 will hide his coming, or omit to give the pre- 
 dicted signs of his approach. He has told us 
 what shall be the signs of his coming, and has 
 SO distinctly noted them, that none need be 
 
The Warning. SO? 
 
 taken unawares by it, unless a spirit of unbe- 
 lief, or some dreadful passion blind their nniinds. 
 
 The old world did not perish without a 
 warning. They had long and distinct warning 
 by the space of a hundred and twenty years : 
 and yet they knew not till the floods came. 
 Their unbelief, and their lusts, and their paSo 
 sions prevailing, the warning had no good ef- 
 fect on their minds. So also, at the first coming 
 of the Son of man ; the Jews had express 
 prophecies pointing out the precise time, and 
 the distinguishing signs and tokens, that should 
 attend his coming ; and they, and the world 
 generally, were looking for the event, at the 
 very time when it did take place. Yet, through 
 the pride and hardness of their hearts, and the 
 wilfulness of their tempers, they knew him not^ 
 when he appeared among them. 
 
 S o, it will not be for want of warning, that 
 this awful day will come as a snare, on all them 
 that dwell on the face of the whole earth. The 
 time is expressly foretold, both by the desig- 
 nation of a precise number of years, and of 
 the course of events that shall precede it ; and 
 by comparing the time with the times of other 
 events that shall prepare the way, and intro- 
 duce it« And the most distinguishing and 
 
^08 The Waruing. [li:c. x. 
 
 unequivocal signs and tokens of its approach 
 are ibreshown, and expressly pointed out ia 
 the scriptures. It will not therefore be, be- 
 cause men cannot distinguish the approach of 
 that day : it will be through a destitution of 
 that lively faith, that should keep their minds 
 ia a waiting and expecting temper; and through 
 a dreadful spirit of malignity, distrust, and 
 worldly speculations, that will prevail among 
 men, that they will not be aware of that day« 
 Christ has said, " When the Son of man 
 Cometh, shall he find faith on the earth ?*' Not 
 that the professsion of faith, or the knowledge 
 of the truth, shall be less at that day than in 
 any time before. It is probable, from the 
 strain of prophecies, and from the present 
 state of the \vorld, that many shall run to and 
 fro, and knowledge shall be increased previous 
 to that day : and perhaps, a much greater num- 
 ber of names will be attached to the profession 
 of the Christian religion at that time, than in 
 any preceding. But the spirit of the world will 
 so fill up the minds of professing Christians, 
 and the lusts and the passions of men will 
 bear so much sway, that humble and expect- 
 ing faith will scarce be found at all in that 
 day. 
 
The Warnhig. 209 
 
 Many, no doubt, will be deceived by the 
 events of that day being brought about con- 
 trary to their preconceived opinions or wishes. 
 But probably the greater part will be taken by 
 it as by a snare, by reason of their being en- 
 gaged, and having tTieir passions enlisted, by 
 those very events that will introduce it. And 
 while He, who disposeth these events, is making 
 his way to the speedy accomplishment of his 
 vengeance, they will regard them, only as the 
 actions and designs of men are concerned in 
 them, and taking diierent sides on those sub- 
 jects, they will contend with each other, till 
 that day shall overtake them, **asa thief in the 
 night." It is probable, that but few of Christ's 
 own people will be found in that humble and 
 expecting temper, which is necessary to pre- 
 pare them for the fearful events of that great 
 and terrible day of the Lord. And perhaps 
 some, even of them that shall be aware of its 
 approach, and distinguish the signs of Christ's 
 coming, will yet so suffer their lusts and pas- 
 sions to influence and occupy them, that they 
 will be wholly unprepared to meet him. The 
 Holy Ghost has said, by the prophet Daniel, 
 *' And some them of understanding shall fallp 
 to try them, and to purge and make them whiter 
 fi 2 
 
eiO The Warning. lec. x. 
 
 even to the time of the end." And we know 
 it was the case in his first advent, that, notwith- 
 standing all their warning on the subject, the 
 disciples slept, while he endured the agonies 
 of Gethsemane, and while the traitor gathered 
 his band, and came to betray their Master : 
 and after he was taken, they all forsook him 
 and iled. So it will likely be in that day, that 
 either tlirough a sluggishness and unbelief of 
 temper, or through the blindness that passion, 
 and jealousy, and ill temper will occasion, that 
 day will take by surprize most even of the fol- 
 lowers of Christ, and find them enprepared for 
 its events. Here a Simeon, and there an Anna, 
 will be found watching and praying, and will 
 be prepared to hail the morning of that day^ 
 that shall break the fetters of the servants of 
 Christ, and cast the rod of oppression into the 
 consuming fire. But, v.'ith only these few ex- 
 ceptions, ** As a snare shall it come on all them 
 that dwell on the face of the whole eanL^\ 
 
 Let us now consider, 
 
 II, The elTects of the comi4ig of this day. 
 
 We may be assured that it will be emphat- 
 ically, a day that will try men's souls. 
 
 When God shall siificr those wicked and de- 
 luding spirits 10 go forth to all the world; fo^ 
 
The Warning, Sll 
 
 the express purpose of enlisting, and drawing 
 out all the enemies of Christ to make war a- 
 gainst him ; and when it is his design, that 
 they shall all be distinguished and known, that 
 he may pour out his vengeance in a most sig- 
 nal and terrible manner upon them, there will 
 not be one of them left behind. These secret 
 ministers of divine wratli will enter into eve- 
 ry place, and stir up the wicked passions, on 
 which they are allowed to work, in every breast, 
 to bring them forth. They are said to be ii/i:e 
 JrogSj I suppose^ in allusion to the plagues of 
 Egypt, when tlie frogs were brought upon the 
 land, and came into the houses and into the bed- 
 chambers, and on the beds, and into the houses 
 of the servants, and into the ovens, and into ihc 
 kneeding-troughs, so that no place, even of do- 
 mestic recess, escaped them. So these unclean 
 spirits will, probably, not only visit ^very neigh- 
 borhood to vent their malignant poison, and stir 
 up the wicked passions of men one againat 
 another ; but will even enter into every family, 
 and into the very bed-chambers ; and in all the 
 relations of life will stir up jealousies, and strifes, 
 and wrath, and variance, so thcd: every enemy t)f 
 the kingdom of Christ will be stirred up, and 
 provoked to disiinguishhimself asanenemyj and 
 
^iS The Warning. [i.ec. x. 
 
 make it evident to all, that the vengeance to be 
 poured out upon him, will be a just and lioly 
 vengeance. 
 
 Christ himself has warned us on this sub- 
 ject, (Lukt xvii. 34,^ '* In that night there 
 shall be two in one bed ; the one shall be ta- 
 ken, and the other shall be left, Tv/o shall 
 be grinding together ; the one shall be taken 
 and the other left. Two shall be in the field ;- 
 the one shall be taken and the other left." — 
 And when the disciples asked him, " where. 
 Lord ?" He answered, " Wheresoever the 
 carcase is, thither will the eagles be gathered 
 together :'* Intimating that, with all the acute- 
 ness in which the eagle discovers carrion, to prey 
 upon it, so these ministers of divine wrath will 
 seek and search out all its objects, and not one 
 of them Vv^ill escape. It will be a day of fear- 
 ful terrors to all the enemies of Christ's King- 
 dom, when he shall come to tread the wine- 
 press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty 
 God, and none of them will be suffered to es- 
 cape. Though they hide themselves in dens 
 and caves of the mountains, they shall not be 
 passed by. '* He will slay the last of them witb 
 the sword : he that fleeth of them shall not 
 flee away ; and he that escapeth of them shall 
 
The^ JVarning. gl3 
 
 shall not be delivered"... (^/tioj ix. 1,) It is al- 
 so added, (verse 2d,) " Though they dig into 
 hell, thence shall mine hand take them ; though 
 they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring 
 them down : and though they hide themselves 
 in the top of Carmel, I will search and take 
 them out thence ; and though they be hid from 
 my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I 
 command the serpent, and he shall bite them." 
 There will be no escaping the terrors and the 
 judgments of that day, any more than those of 
 the last judgment ; but in all lands, where the 
 Gospel has been preached, every enemy will 
 be sought out, and not one shall escape. In 
 vain will they call to the rocks and mountains 
 to fall on them, and hide them from the face of 
 Him that sitteth on ihe throne, and from the 
 wrath of the Lamb : when the great day of his 
 wrath is come. 
 
 Men have usually been accustomed to think 
 of Christ, as a Lamb who does nothing else 
 but save sinners by the sacrifice of himself. 
 But they will then find, that even the Lamb 
 has his day of wrath. There is a time for 
 judgment, as well as a time for mercy : and 
 the abusers and dcspistrs of Gospel grace shall 
 yet see the compassionate Redccm<!r of men, 
 
ft 14 The Warning. [lbc. x. 
 
 when he will have put on all the terrors of 
 righteous judgment, and bathed his sword in 
 heaven, that it may come down upon the people 
 of his curse to judgment. Hitherto his tri« 
 umphs, in building up his kingdom on the earth, 
 have usually been the triumphs of grace : and 
 his people have been saved under oppressions, 
 and preserved in the midst of dangers and 
 tribulations : while the wicked have enjoyed 
 all the pride and the splendor of external tri- 
 umph ; and his enemies have reigned in the 
 earth. But when there shall have been enough 
 of this fully to display the glory of his provi- 
 dence, and the faithfulness of his care to pre- 
 serve his Church in the wilderness, and to 
 keep his people safely amidst the ragings of the 
 savage beasts of prey that have thirsted for theif 
 blood ; then these things shall have an end ; 
 and the Lord will awake to judgment. He 
 shall go forth as a mighty man ; and shall stir 
 up jealousy like a man of war. *' The Lord 
 shall rise up as in mount Perazim ; he shall 
 be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he 
 may do his work, his strange work : and bring 
 to pass his act, his strange act." Strangle as it 
 may seem, the time is coming, when the com- 
 passionate Redeemer of sinners, who was once 
 
The Warning. SI if 
 
 heard to groan, and seen to yield himself to 
 the death of the crobs, through the influence 
 of that love, stronger than death, which he 
 ever feels toward the work of his hands, will 
 yet ** put on the garments of vengeance for 
 clothing, and be clad with zeal as a cloak ; 
 that according to their deeds, he may repay fu- 
 ry to his adversaries — recompense to his ene- 
 mies." He intends the utter ruin of that pre- 
 eminently wicked one, '* whom the Lord shall 
 consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall 
 destroy with the brightness of his coming ;" 
 and the entire overthrow of all his enemies. • 
 And however he may prepare his way for 
 the accomplishment of this great purpose by 
 the gracious influences of his spirit, and by ex- 
 tending light and knowledge among men ; yet 
 the last end of it shall be with a flood, and unto 
 the end of the war desolations are determined. 
 When the sealing of the servants of God shall 
 be completed, there will then be an awful 
 pause in the annals of mercy ; and the reign of 
 grace, for one dreadful moment, will seem 
 suspended, when the King of grace shall arise 
 up out of his place, and put on the robes of 
 judgment, that he may come forth, and tread 
 
S16 The Warning. [lec. x. 
 
 the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of 
 Almighty God. 
 
 I am aware, that the current of public sen- 
 timent, in the present day, does not favor the 
 expectation of such events. Christians, weari* 
 ed with beholding the scenes of blood and 
 desolation, that have held them in astonishment 
 for twenty five years past, seem disposed to 
 hope, that the days of vengeance are nearly- 
 over ; and that the triumphs of grace shall 
 now complete the work of subduing the na* 
 tions of men to the obedience of faith. I 
 would gladly cherish such a hope, if I did not 
 fear, that it would become the means of hiding 
 from men's observation the approach of a day, 
 often described in the scriptures by representa* 
 tions too great, too terrible, and too extensive 
 in their import, to be applied to any thing the 
 world has yet witnessed ; and involving in it, 
 changes and events that certainly have not yet 
 taken place. 
 
 It will indeed be a fearful day to the ungod- 
 ly among men, when the last refuge of hope 
 shall be covered with the flame ol God's jeaU 
 ousy, and the God oi mercy himsetf shau rise 
 up, and come forth out of his place, clothed 
 with a vesture dipped in bloody and his sword 
 
The Warning. S17 
 
 bathed in heaven, that he may avenge the blood 
 of his saints, upon them that dwell on the earth ; 
 and destroy them that destroy the earth. But 
 such a day will yet most assuredly come. 
 
 In that day, also, " The Lord will search Je- 
 rusalem with candles, that he may punish the 
 men that are settled on their lees ; and that 
 say in their hearts, the Lord will not do good, 
 neither will he do evil." 
 
 The pale of the Church will be no defence, 
 and the thick veil, the deep disguises of hy- 
 pocricy, will be no covering in that day. It 
 will have a solemn and awful effect on the true 
 Church of Christ, and upon its members in- 
 dividually. The unbelieving must be punish- 
 ed ; and all that in any way hide or pervert the 
 counsel of God. Some of the true disciples 
 of Christ will fall, in the sight of the world, 
 and become victims of those visible temporal 
 judgments that are ordained against the ene- 
 mies. And probably the far greater part of 
 them will be affected by it as intimated in the 
 warning. 
 
 They will be so led away by the spirit of the 
 
 world, and so involved in the quarrels, and 
 
 raging passions, and worldly speculations of 
 
 the times, that when the light of that day shall 
 
 T 
 
S18 The Warnnig. [lec. x. 
 
 break upon them as the lightning that cometh 
 in the east, and shineth even unto the west, they 
 will be like men^ who, walking naked in the 
 darkness, have suddenly emerged into the 
 light, and their shame is exposed to the sur- 
 rounding multitude. ** Blessed is he that 
 watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he 
 walk naked and they see his shame.'' While 
 men suffer jealousies, and passions, and pride 
 to reign in their hearts, they easily flatter them- 
 selves, that almost any conduct or sentiments, 
 to which these prompt them, is right, or may 
 at least be excused in them. By this means, 
 they become enveloped in darkness and igno- 
 rance of themselves... are strangers to their true 
 character, and obliterate, in a great measure, 
 the distinctions between virtue and vice, and 
 confound truth and falsehood together. But 
 when the light of that day shall break upon 
 them, they will be deeply conscious of the ug- 
 liness of their passions, the hatefulness of their 
 ways, and the shamefulness of thejr pleas and 
 excuses, by which they have attempted to jus- 
 tify themselves before men, and to excuse 
 themselves to God ; and will perceive that 
 others discover the same bhame upon them, S9 
 
The Warning. gl9 
 
 that they will be like people walking naked, and 
 all their shame uncovered. 
 
 While fear, and the pit, and the snare shall 
 be upon the rest of the world, their nakedness 
 will be exposed, and their shame will be seen ; 
 and the Lord will take a signal vengeance of 
 their inventions : and though they shall be 
 saved in that day, yet shall be only so as by 
 fire ; for the fire shall try every man's work, 
 and the wood, and the hay, and the stubble 
 shall be burnt up. 
 
 Only those few, who shall be clothed with 
 ** the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, 
 which, in the sight of the Lord, is of great 
 price," shall escape the shame, and the confu- 
 sion, and the terrors of that day, and be ac- 
 counted worthy to stand before the Son of man, 
 when he shall appear in his glory. But upon 
 all others it shall come as a snare. '* As the 
 fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the 
 birds that are caught in the snare, so shall the 
 children of men be snared in an evil time, 
 when it falleth suddenly upon them." The 
 shameful and wicked passions and prejudices, 
 by which even pious people now suffer them- 
 selves to be influenced, will then appear in their 
 
iitm The Signs [lec. :s:; 
 
 true light. " Then shall ye return, and dis- 
 cern between the righteous and the wicked ; 
 between him that serveth God, and him that 
 serveth him not." 
 
 ** Therefore, be ye also ready ; for in such 
 hour as ye think net, the Son of man cometh.*' 
 
 •* Blessed is that servant whom his lord, 
 Yvhen he cometh, shall find so doing." 
 
 We are now to consider, 
 
 III. The time of Christ's coming in these 
 dread events, 
 
 THE SIGNS OF THE TIME&. 
 
 III. The signs, or tokens of the approach of 
 these dreadful and decisive events, are of two 
 kinds : 
 
 1st. The dates that are given in prophe- 
 cy for the continuance of God's forbearance, 
 till the measure of the iniquities of the adver. 
 sarics of his kingdom is filled up. 
 
 And 2d, The accomplibhing of other events, 
 iliat, according to the v/ord of prophec}, are 
 to prepare the way for the execution of God's 
 wrath, or are to be cotcmporancous with it, 
 
 1st, The dates. 
 
 The onl^ definite period of time given in 
 
of the times. SSi 
 
 the book of the revelation, as fixed to a pre- 
 cise number of years, is the forty and two 
 months, or one thousand two hundred and three 
 score days, a day being given for a year, at the 
 expiration of which the afflictions and oppres- 
 sions of the saints are to cease, and the pollu- 
 tions of the sanctuary are to be cleansed. 
 
 This period is given in relation to four dif- 
 ferent events. 
 
 1st. The holy city being given to be trod- 
 den under foot of the Gentiles forty and two 
 months, (xi. 2.) 
 
 2d. The prophesying of the witnesses for 
 the space of one thousand two. hundred and 
 three score days, clothed in sacTc-cloth. (xi. 3.) 
 
 3d. The nourishing and preservation of the 
 Church in the wilderness a thousand two 
 hundred and three score days....(xii. 6 ) This 
 is also again spoken of in the 1 4th verse of the 
 same chapter, as to continue for a time and 
 times, and half a time— that is, three years and a 
 half, or forty and two months ; which, reckon- 
 ing the months at thirty days each, is one 
 thousand two hundred and three score days, 
 as stated in the 6th verse. 
 
 4th and lastly, The continuance of the pow- 
 er of the beast with seven heads and ten 
 T 2 
 
gas The Sipis [lec. x, 
 
 horns, is to be forty and two months, after the 
 healing of his deadly wound in his head, ia 
 which he received the wound by a sword and 
 yet did live.... (C/^fl/>. xiii. 5.) "Power was 
 given unto him to continue forty and two 
 months ;" or, more literally rendered, " Pow- 
 er was given him to do," or "to act". ..That 
 is, I suppose, to opcupy his place and main- 
 tain his beastly state, and tyrannize over the 
 saints ** forty and two months." 
 
 These events seem, in their nature, so inti- 
 mately connected with each other, and in the 
 prophecy revealed in such connexion, that, as 
 they all have precisely the same duration as- 
 signed them ; so, I suppose, the time of their 
 Commencement, and, of course, the time of 
 their ending, must be very nearly the same 
 with all of them. If, therefore, we could as- 
 certain the beginning of this period, in refer- 
 ence to any one of the four events, it would 
 very nearly determine the times of the others. 
 
 The giving of the holy city to be trodden un- 
 der foot of the Gentiles, and the retiring of the 
 Church into the wilderness from the fi\ce of 
 the serpent, and the two witnesses putting on 
 their sack -cloth, are events that I am persuaded 
 had their beginning before the close of the 
 
of the times. 22S 
 
 sixth century. The history of the latter part 
 of this century is as strongly indicative of the 
 state of things intended by these representa- 
 tions, as that of almost any succeeding age. 
 But the histories we have of these times, ex- 
 cept the jejune and uncertain one that bears 
 the name of Evagrius, have all been composed 
 in later ages, from the few and doubtful public 
 records, and detached tracts that have passed 
 through the dark ages, to the revival of letters 
 in the 13th century, and most of them to tlie 
 invention of printing in the 15th. It is there- 
 fore not to be accounted strange, if we can fix 
 on no one precise date, that from the light of 
 such history seems eminently distinguished by 
 circumstances, that would unequivocally mark 
 the commencement of these events. From 
 their nature, I suppose, they must have been 
 nearly connected in time with the prevailing of 
 the power of the beast with seven heads and 
 ten horns. But as there was a difference of 
 almost two hundred years, between the rising 
 of the first and of the last of the principalities 
 represented by the ten horns, and as the union 
 of these principailities, in giving their strength 
 and power to the beast, was not an event all at 
 once brought about, and made manifest by any 
 
^^A^ The Signs lec. x, 
 
 explicit general compact or act of union, it 
 seems difficult to fix the aera of this event. 
 
 There is, however, an intimation on this sub- 
 ject, in the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians, 
 that seems to have in it something decisive. 
 The spirit of inspiration is unquestionably the 
 best guide to the interpretation of the prophe- 
 cies, which he has dictated. 
 
 Speaking of the man of sin, the son of per- 
 dition, the Apostle says *' Ye know what 
 withholdeih that he might be revealed in his 
 time. For the mystery of iniquity doth aU 
 ready work, only he who now letteth, will let, 
 until he be taken out of the way ; and then 
 shall that wicked be revealed.*' The tradition 
 that this hindrance, which prevented the re- 
 vealing of the man of sin, was the dominion 
 of the ancient Roman empire, is, I think, 
 worthy of full credit. And whatever may be 
 meant by this man of sin, we must look for 
 his manifestation immediately upon the old 
 Roman dominion being removed out of the 
 ^vay. This seemed to be accomplished, when 
 the title of emperor expired with the reign of 
 Augustulus, in 476. But as the senate and 
 consuls still continued to exercise their office, 
 and the Church of Rome siill acknowledged 
 
of the times. t^o 
 
 the authority of the emperor of the east, there 
 was not yet an opportunity for his being fully 
 revealed. But when the entire dominion of 
 the old Roman empire ceased, and no longer 
 stood in the way to hinder the exaltation of the 
 man of sin, then was he revealed, and com- 
 menced his full career of iniquity. 
 
 The eastern emperor withdrew his deputy 
 from Rome, and gave up the city to the gov- 
 ernment of the pope, in the year 552. But it 
 was not till 566 that the entire dominion of the «sr^Ml 
 Roman senate ceased, and the whole form of ^-'"^ 
 the old Roman government was abolished, and Jf0 y^ 
 gave full scope to the dominancy of him, who 
 opposeth and exalteth himself, above all that 
 is called God, or that is worshipped. te^- 
 
 It is true that there is no specific period "ca^^^^^^TZ 
 tioned in prophecy for the continuance of the ^^ r . 
 papacy, which seems chiefly to be intended by / 
 the man of sin ; neither is there any period 
 assigned in the revelation, for the continuance 
 of the beast with two horns like a lamb, or the 
 spiritual tyranny of the Romish priesthood. 
 But the union of these powers, as they are in 
 fact one in their nature and j:>» incipies, seems to 
 be intended by the little horn, wiiich the pro- 
 phet Daniel saw coming up auiong the tea 
 
226 The Signs [lec. x. 
 
 horns of the fourth beast. And of him it is 
 there said, the saints shall be given into his 
 hands for a time, and times, and the dividing of 
 time, which is the same period, that is assign- 
 ed for the continuance of the beast with seven 
 heads and ten horns. Indeed, so intimately 
 blended with each other, are all the three pow* 
 ers predicted in the 13th chapter of the Reve- 
 lation, and so dependent on each other for 
 support and continuance, that it seems scarcely 
 possible, that they can subsist separately, or 
 any one of them much outlive the others. So 
 also in their origin, they are probably to be ac- 
 counted nearly coeval. 
 
 Now the dragon is said to give the beast 
 with seven heads and ten horns his power and 
 his seat, and great authority. But this seat 
 could not be occupied by a new dynasty, until 
 vacated by the old ; therefore the succession 
 of this beast, cannot be dated till the old Ro- 
 man form of government entirely ceased and 
 was abolished. The very same event was ne- 
 ccssary to make way for the revealing of this, 
 as for the revealing of the other dominions 
 predicted in connexion with it in the same 
 chapter. The old Roman form of govern- 
 ment must cease, and be taken out of the wav, 
 
of the times, 227 
 
 before any of them could occupy the places 
 assigned them, and exercise their beastly do- 
 minion, as ascribed to them in the prophecy. 
 
 This took place in 566, when that which 
 hindered the revealing of the man of sin, was 
 taken out of the way, and the form of dominion 
 of the fourth kingdom on the earth was 
 changed, to admit of the last form of that do- 
 minion coming forward to occupy its place and 
 exercise its authority. 
 
 The seat of the dragon would not be left 
 long vacant, nor the man of sin any longer b^ 
 withheld, when that which hindered was taken 
 out of the way. Accordingly, every thing 
 was already prepared, at that time, for the 
 coming in of this triple aiiiance of anti- chris- 
 tian powers. 
 
 The ten principalities were already estab- 
 lished, and only v/aited the entire removal of 
 the ancient form, to have the transfer of the 
 supreme authority made by the dragon to them, 
 that they might succeed to the seat and domin- 
 ion of the old Roman Empire. 
 
 The code of the Roman laws that was, by 
 their adopting it, to identify them, in after times, 
 as the legal succej^sors to the dominion, had 
 been formed and published by Justinian, a lit,>- 
 
228 The Signs [ixc. x, 
 
 tie more than thirty years before : and at what- 
 ever time they may have in any way explicitly 
 adopted this code ; yet, as they from the first 
 came into man}^ of the principles of jurispru- 
 dence of the people whom they conquered, and 
 widi whom they intermingled, 1 think they 
 must be reckoned to have commenced their do- 
 minion, as the last form of the fourth kingdom 
 on earth, immediately on the entire removal 
 and dissolution of the preceding form. 
 
 So, likewise, the fundamental principles of 
 the spiritual dominion had been adopted, and 
 acted on before this time. Justinian had also 
 thirty years before published his Novelise, or 
 ecclesiastical canons, for regulating the polity 
 of the Church, which to this day are the foun- 
 tain of canon law to the Church of Rome, and 
 to all the ecclesiastical establishments that have 
 copied from her. These, however, were ad- 
 ministered by the authority of the Emperor, as 
 long as Justinian lived, and in the dominion of 
 the Empire, as long as it lasted in the west : 
 but when Justinian died, in 565, and the last re- 
 mains of the ancient form of government in the 
 west was removed, in the year followi ^ ; then, 
 the beast that rose up out of the earth, or the 
 tiierarchy of the church of Rome, took the ad- 
 
of the Times. S29 
 
 ministration on themselves, and constituting 
 an ecclesiastical empire under the Bishop of 
 Home, as the Image of the ancient beast, in 
 his name administered the government of the 
 Church, 
 
 Thus, when that which hindered was taken 
 out of the way, then was that Wicked revealed, 
 whose coming is after the working of Satan, 
 with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, 
 
 Serez, a French historian, says *' The Bish- 
 op of Rome lived there amidst the confusions 
 of the Empire, even at Rome. Whereas the 
 Emperors were seldom seen there ; which for* 
 ced Christians to fly to their Bishop for coun- 
 sel, and laid the foundation for their authority.'* 
 And again, in the early part of the sixth cen- 
 tury, he says ** The Pop;- of Rome thrust 
 himself forward amidst these confusions and 
 ruins of the Empire, recovering that which 
 the Emperors had lost,'* 
 
 Thus was the way preparing, and the new 
 form of dominion was coming forward, as the 
 old retired and gave way. The actual change, 
 when the new dominion must be considered ! 
 as absolutely taking place of the old, cannot, I i 
 think, be dated later than 566, when the last re- 1 
 mains of the ancient form entirely ceased : for | 
 U 
 
230 The Signs [lec. x. 
 
 so fully was every thing prepared and matured 
 for the coming in, and establishment of the new 
 dominion, that the history of the times, for 
 some years before this period, seems to be the 
 history of that new dominion : and nothing but 
 the two facts, 1st, of the ancient form of the Se- 
 nate and Consuls being continued to that time. . . 
 and, 2d, of the dominion of the beasts that suc- 
 ceeded being continued to the present time, 
 could seem to warrant us in fixing the date of 
 this change so late as 566. For 14 years be- 
 fore this time, even the claim of the emperor of 
 the east to a secular dominion in Rome had 
 been withdrawn ; and although the eastern 
 emperors continued to attempt something in 
 the general government of the universal 
 Church, as they had formerly been used to 
 hold a dominion over it, yet after the death 
 of Justinian, their authority was very little re- 
 garded, and never again had efficacy in the 
 west to control or limit the spiritual dominion. 
 As to the open revealing of the spiritual do- 
 minion, or the kingdom of the little horn 
 described by Daniel, Machiavel himself says 
 expressly, *' Upon the coming of the Longo- 
 bards into Italy, began the evident and open 
 State of the Pope's kingdom." Now this was 
 
of the times. mi 
 
 in 56Q. I perceive, however, no sufficient 
 reason to suppose there was a delay, even of 
 two years only, after the ancient seat of the 
 dragon was vacated by the ancient dynasty, 
 and that which hindered the revealing of the 
 man of sin, was taken out of the way ; but 
 that the anti-christian triumvirate commenced 
 immediately their tyrannical and impious ca- 
 reer. 
 
 This was in 566, and if to this be added, the 
 period assigned, 1260 years, for the existence 
 of their dominion, it must end in 1826. 
 
 Mr. Faber has, I think, sufficiently exposed 
 the mistake of former commentators, in sup- 
 posing, that the little horn intends the temporal 
 authority of the Popes, and that consequently 
 the saints could not be given into his hands, till 
 he becaoie a temporal Prince. But he has 
 himself mistook, I think, in supposing that 
 they were given into his hands by the grant of 
 Phocas, giving the Pope the title of universal 
 Bishop. He had already been recognized ia 
 the code of Justinian, as the head of all the 
 Churches, and the Bishop of Bishops. The 
 truth is, that the saints had long before this 
 been oppressed by the old Roman Beast, who 
 changed not his beastly character by professing 
 
S8S The Signs [lec. x. 
 
 Christianity, but sliil continued to rule with 
 beastly authority, and hold the saints under his 
 dominion, as long as that dominion lasted 
 in the West : and when that ceased, and the 
 dominion passed over to thenewanti-christiati 
 powers, the transfer was made, not by any 
 grant or proclamation of man, but by the pro- 
 vidence of God, suffering the coming in of this 
 new dominion, and thus giving the saints into 
 the hands of the little horn, " Until a time, and 
 times, and the dividing of time." This was 
 net the beginningof the saints being subjected 
 to beastly domination, nor was it the beginning 
 of the Pope's claiming such a domination for 
 liimself over them ; but it was the beginning of 
 his being suffered, in the providence of God, 
 to come into the actual exercise of this domin- 
 ion, in connexion with other anti- christian pow- 
 ers, who, instead of hindering, as the ancient gov- 
 ernment had done, this exercise of dominion, not 
 only assented to it, but supported it, as securing 
 to them the stability of their own. This is the 
 last form of the fourth and last beastly king- 
 dom that shall be upon the earth, whose dura- 
 tion is limited, also, to 1260 years from its 
 commencement. At the expiration of that 
 time, whenever it may be, their destruction 
 Vv'ill be inevitable. 
 
oj^ the times. 233 
 
 2dly. We must look also to the course and 
 succession of the events predicted, to ascertain 
 the progress of their accomplishing ; for noth- 
 ing shall be able to divert this course, or to 
 hinder or delay, even for one moment, the 
 accomplishing of these events, precisely ac- 
 cording to the prediction. He who declareth 
 the end from the beginning, hath given the 
 revelation of them to his servants, for their in« 
 struction and warning. 
 
 I suppose that, according to the explanation 
 I have here given of the order and progress of 
 the prophetic visions, the events disclosed by 
 the opening of the sixth seal, must have begun 
 to be accomplished — (vi, 12.) 
 
 The first concussions of that great earth- 
 quake have already been felt, and although 
 there may be short intervals of awful stillness, 
 yet the concussions will continue to be renew- 
 ed, till the total removing of the things that 
 are shaken shall be completed. The thrones 
 and dominions of the earth, both secular and 
 ecclesiastical, have begun to be shrouded in 
 darkness, and covered with blood, and the 
 princes and potentates to fall from their high 
 places, '^ even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely 
 figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.'* 
 
^34 The Signs [lec. x. 
 
 I suppose, also, that of the seven angels 
 which have the seven last phigues, in which is 
 iilied up the wrath of God, and which are de- 
 scribed as following each other with an awful 
 rapidity in their succession, the first four have 
 already poured out their vials of wrath ; and 
 that we may be daily looking for the fifth to 
 begin to take effect, and fill the kingdom of the 
 beast with darkness, and cause them that are 
 ' attached to it, to gnaw their tongues for pain. 
 And that very soon after this, and perhaps in a 
 ' measure coteraporaneous v/ith it, the pouring 
 . out of the sixth vial udll bring on the destruc- 
 tion of the Turkish empire, and open the way 
 I for the kings of the east to come in for their 
 portion in the events of the last day. They 
 ^ have long enslaved multitudes of them that 
 \ have borne the Christian name. 
 
 After this there will probably be a general 
 1 cessation of the nations, for a little season, 
 from the tempests and desolations of war, 
 I Nvhile the four angels, standing on the four 
 corners of the earth, hold the four winds of 
 ' the earth, till the servants of the living God 
 I shall be sealed in their foreheads... .(vii. 1.) 
 
 During this calm, the dispersed of Israel 
 \ will begin to be gathered to the land of their 
 
of the times. 235 
 
 inheritance, and be brought to the' knowltdgc! j 
 and acknowledgment of Christ as the true I 
 Messiah.. ..(vii. 4.) 
 
 True Christians will then generally be con- \ 
 vinced, that the liour of God's judgment is ) 
 come, and there will be a general concurrence ( 
 among them, and a union of successful eftorts | 
 to spread the knowledge of the Gospel among { 
 the nations.... (xiv. 6 and 7.) \ 
 
 And while the servants of the living God \ 
 are thus separating themselves, and receiving \ 
 his seal in their foreheads, that they may be 
 distinguished as his servants, the three unclean 
 spirits will be executing their commission, to / 
 distinguish also his enemies, and gather the / 
 kings of the earth, and of the whole world, / 
 with their marshalled hosts, to suffer the ven- I 
 geance of the King of kings and Lord of / 
 lords. ...(xvi. 13 ^pd 14.) 
 
 When these things shall be accomplished, 
 and every thing thus prepared, the calm will 
 be interrupted, and the silence broken by the 
 sounding of the seventh trumpet in an unex- 
 pected moment, and the pouring out of the 
 seventh vial, when men have become most con- 
 fident in their security. The great city will 
 then be divided into three parts. 
 
r^3C} Condiision. 
 
 The cities of the nations will fall. 
 
 Gn at Babvlon will be made to drink the cup 
 ©f the wine of the fierceness of God's wrath. 
 
 The Beast and the False Prophet will be 
 taken and cast alive into an endless perdition ; 
 and the remnant of their hosts will be slain with 
 the sword of him, that in righteousness doth 
 judge atid make war. 
 
 Then Satan shall be bound a thousand years, 
 and a seal be put upon him, that he shall de- 
 ceive the nations no more, till the thousand 
 years shall be fulfilled. And the saints shall 
 live and reign with Christ a thousand years. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 1 have now given such an abstract of my 
 Lectures on this great and interesting subject, 
 as will, I hope, make the plan, on which I would 
 explain the Visions of the Revelation, intelligi- 
 ble to my readers. Perhap? a fear of burden- 
 ing the volume with matter not absolutely ne- 
 cessary to my purpose, may have prevailed to 
 leave some parts but indistinctly explained.— 
 Those things which I found satisfactorily ex- 
 plained in any of the writers on the subject, 
 ^vho are commonly held in high esteem, as 
 Newton, Scott, and Fabcr, 1 have passed over^ 
 
Concliisioiu nzT 
 
 with only those observations which seemed ne- 
 cessary to show their place, in the plan I would 
 adopt. The last Lecture, as the subject seem- 
 ed to require it, I have given entire. Some of 
 them, that were confined to the illustration of 
 particular subjects, are wholly omitted. 
 
 As they are here given, I beg leave to sub- 
 mit them to the consideration of my Christian 
 Friends, and particularly of my Brethren in 
 the Ministry. — If in my retired situation I have 
 found more leisure, than they usually enjoy, 
 and have had my attention more turned to this 
 particular subject, they will on this account al- 
 low me a claim on their attention to what I 
 submit to their consideration. I make no pre- 
 tensions to any other claim. Of the nature, 
 the greatness, and the extent of the changes I 
 have supposed are predicted, as soon to take 
 place in the religious, the moral, and the polit- 
 ical world, I have the more confidence, because 
 I have found so sober and j-idicious a Com- 
 mentator as Doct. Scott, speaking of them as 
 unquestionably intended by the prediction, — 
 And since preaching these Lectures, I have ac- 
 quired some confidence to have them publish- 
 ed, by finding in the Appendix to Mr. Faber's 
 second edition of his Dissertation, which I had 
 
^38 iJondmion, 
 
 not before seen, that both he and Archdeacon 
 Woodhouse are agreed in the leading princi- 
 ple, which induced me to depart from the com- 
 monly received opinion, in explaining the Vis- 
 ion of the Seals. In most of the other instan- 
 ces in which I have departed from the general 
 opinion, I have ventured, as f\ir as I know, 
 without the support or countenance of names. 
 And I frankly acknowledge, it is very much 
 for me to adventure. But I have not done it 
 hastily, or inconsiderately ; and I trust I have 
 not done impiousl3^ 
 
 If my general plan be in any good measure 
 correct, it must involve in it matters, that I 
 confess, I have not confidence at present to 
 state : and that very nearly concern the duty, 
 and the interests of all the true servants of Christ 
 in these days. 
 
 I anxiously wait the judgment of my Chris- 
 tian Friends. 
 
 THI5 END. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Lecture 1. lalvodiictory. 
 
 Rev. i. 1. 
 
 <• The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, 
 to shew unto his servants things which mu&t si.urtly couje to 
 pass ; and he sent and signified it by his angei unto his ser- 
 vant John." - Page 7 
 
 Lec. S. The Vision of the Sealed Book, 
 
 Rev. v. 1. 
 "" And I saw in the right hand of hinfi that sat on the throne a 
 book written wiihin, and on the back side sealed with seven 
 seals. ♦» 23 
 
 Lec. 3. The Sounding of the Trumpets. 
 
 Rev viii. 2. 
 '" And I saw the seven angels which stood before God ; and to 
 them were given seven trumpets." - . 47 
 
 Lec. 4. The Little Booh. 
 
 Rev. X. 11. 
 
 " And he said unto me, Thou must prophecy again before 
 many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." . 75 
 
 Lec. 5. The Fevsecutions of the Dragon. 
 
 Rev. xii. 1. 
 ** And there appeared a great wonder in heaven ; a Woman 
 clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon 
 her heaid a crown of twelve stars." - - - - 99 
 
 Lec. 6. The Vision of the Beasts. 
 
 Rev. xiii. 1. 
 
 **^ Aiid I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a Beast rjse 
 
 up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and 
 
 upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of 
 
 blasphemy." -119 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 liEC. y. The Beast with two Horns, 
 
 Rev. xlii 11. 
 " And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth ; 
 and he nad two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a 
 dragon." 143 
 
 Lec. 8. The Ilarresl and the Vintage. 
 
 Kev. xiv. 1. 
 " And I looked, and, lo, a Lanib stood on the nnount of Sion, 
 and wi'h him an hundred forty and four thousand, having 
 his Father's name written in ihcir foreheads.'* - - - 163 
 
 Lec. 9. The Tlslon of the Vials. 
 
 Ilev XV. 1. 
 ** And I saw another sign ^n heaven, great and marvellous, 
 seven angels having the seven last plagues , for in them is fill- 
 ed up the wrath of God " 185 
 
 Lec. 10. The Warning, 
 
 Rey. xvi 15. 
 
 " Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, am 
 keeperh his garments, lest he walk naked, and they set hi 
 
 shame." 201 
 
 Signs of the timss, .... - - 22( 
 Conclusion, «■ - 236 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 The reader will please to siiike out the (— )in the Tth line of] 
 page 19 ; insert the word be before a at the close of 7th line off 
 pa§9 168, and the word ?;J9' before cat in the 12th line of page 204. 
 
\ 
 
DATE DUE 
 
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BS2827 .A73 
 
 A syllabus of lectures on the visions of 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary-Speer Library 
 
 1 1012 00029 1841