tachment to her idolatries, and giving vent to the malignity of her heart, by perfecuting the lawful children of her alleged husband. How far the description of this last is applicable to the church of Rome, we have already feen. But my intention at present is, to confider what part this woman acts in the Antichristian go

verment.

She is represented as riding triumphantly on the first beaft'. She holds her cup as an

object

(1) This view muft refute the explication given by late Catholic writers, of the woman and the beast. They acknowledge that the woman is Rome, and that the beast is Antichrift; but fay that the woman is Pagan Rome, and that Antichrift has not yet appeared. (See Paftormie's explication of the Apocalypfe, on the paffage). The emblematical reprefentations of the Apocalypfe may be fitly called a history-painting. Now, put the cafe, that you fee a piece of history-painting, in which a perfon on horse-back makes a confpicuous figure; you ask an explication of the painter; he tells you, that by the horse he understands Bucephalus, and by the rider, Frederick III. King of Pruffia: You would readily note him down as an enormous blunderer, and conclude he intended to reprefent fomething fictitious, not real history; because it were monftroufly abfurd to mount Frederick on a horse that had died ages before he exifted. Or, fuppofe the painter tells you that the horfe is now alive, belonging to George III. King of Britain, and that the rideris Pyrrhus,

object of admiration to the world, that the honour and attachment beftowed on her may be reflected on him, as her fupporter. This artifice proves fuccefsful, for her occupation, her ornaments, the philters or love-potions adminiftered by her, all concur to procure a numerous crowd of admirers among princes and people, while thofe admirers cannot poffibly feparate her intereft from that of her fupporter; in venerating her, they muft neceflarily bow to his authority. In exact conformity to this reprefentation, the Bishop of Rome has had the artifice to perfuade the world that he is the vifible head of the church, the fupreme judge of all controverfies, and confequently that a fubmiffion to his authority is neceffary, not only for the glory, but even for the existence of the church, as a collective body. And certain it is, that many who difcern the illegal ufurpations of the Pope in temporals, fubmit to his authority in fpirituals, from a belief that it is neceffa

ry

King of Epire, ftill the abfurdity were the fame, to reprefent on a horfe now exifting, a man who had died ages before. But this abfurdity is very modeftly laid to the charge of the Spirit of prophecy, by thefe Catholic writers. Behold, according to them, Pagan Rome, which ceafed to exift 1500 years ago, riding on Antichrift, who has not yet appeared in the world.

ry for the glory of the church. Behold, then, Antichrift revealed, and the fources of his enormous power unfolded.

He is represented as a temporal prince fitting in Rome, on the throne of the ancient Cefars, but poffefling a small territory, for the unity of the empire is diffolved, and the territory divided into several separate independent kingdoms, yet claiming, and fuccefsfully eftablishing an un. limited fupremacy, in matters temporal and fpiritual, not only over the princes and people of the empire, but in fome measure over all nations. While the fuccefs of his claim is owing partly to the voluntary but blind fubmiffion of the contemporary princes; partly to the influence of a great fociety, fimilar in spirit to himself, profeffing to be the teachers. of Christianity, yet in reality falfe prophets, inculcating every where, and on all men, fubmiffion to his authority; partly to the artifice of this fociety, holding him up to the world as a visible representative of the Deity, and as fuch endowed with infallible authority, which, wherefoever it is established, puts it in his power, by fentences of death and confifcation, to terrify the refractory into fubmiffion; and partly to the artifice of representing his authority, as neceffarily connected with the existence of the true church of Chrift; he

Such

is in reality the fupporter of a vile prostitute, unfaithful to her alleged husband, using forceries, and every inveigling art, to draw admirers, while her fuccefs establishes his claim, on account of their mutual connection. are the features of Antichrift in the prophecy. That each of them separately, and the whole affemblage, fit the Bishop of Rome, as exactly as if he fat for the picture, all Europe knows; and for my part, I cannot fuppofe that this ftriking resemblance betwixt the portrait and the man arifes from chance, without a design in the spirit of prophecy to represent him, any more than I can believe that the beautiful fabric of the world owes its regularity to a fortuitous concourfe of atoms.

Thus far we have seen the view which the prophecies give of the corruptions of profeffed Chriftians in our times, and the great punishment inficted by the Sovereign Ruler on account of these corruptions. Let us now confider the view given of the real followers of Chrift in the fame period. It is laid before us in three feveral representations; that of the 144,000 fealed ones, (Rev. vii. 2.—8. chap. xiv. I.-5.), the two witneffes prophefying in fackcloth, (chap. xi. 3.-6.), and the woman hid in the wilderness, (chap. xii. 6. and 14.).

SE C.

SECTION III.

Of the 144,000 fealed Ones.

THE time of the 144,000 fealed ones commenced much earlier than the period in which we live;, but still they continue in our time, and beyond it, existing coeval with the beaft and Babylon, as appears from the contraft in their characters: "These are they which were not defiled with

women, for they are virgins :" that is, they are free from the fpiritual fornication of Babylon, extenfively prevailing in their time. The circumftances refpecting them which are remarkable, are thefe That they should make but a small part of all Ifrael, that is, of the profeffed people of God: That the great body of Ifrael should be corrupted; hence the neceffity of their being sealed for preservation: That they should not be confined to any particular tribe or fituation in the land, but should be taken from among all the tribes, and over all the extent of the land: That their profeffion, though fincere should be fecret, making melody to God, while their voice was not heard by the world; "for

no man could learn that song :" That they fhould be free from the idolatry of their contemporaries, and should be followers of the example of their Redeemer.