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denominated a beast, excepting the two-horned and the tenhorned Beasts; I shall cite the next clause of v. 12, which asserts, that the Ten Kings receive power as kings one hour with the Beast. The Beast pointed to in this passage the prophet speaks of as distinct from the Ten Kings; and he thereby has admonished us, that he has not here in view the greater of the two Beasts, but the smaller, who has two horns and is the representative of the antichristian priesthood. • What we translate one hour, av pav, ought,' says Lowman, 'to have been translated the same hour or point of time, as several learned interpreters have justly observed. The Beast then, and the Ten Kings or Kingdoms, are to be contemporary powers, or to reign at the same time.' These kave one mind, i. e. says Lowman, they have the same design and intentions." Will it not to be suspected by some, that the full exposition of this prophetical clause is this, that, whilst their joint reign subsists, I mean that of the antichristian kings and their allies in the priesthood, too many among them will have the same common design of pillaging the property, and of usurping the rights, of mankind? Besides, in another view, how true an idea do these verses suggest of the despots of Europe! They speak a similar language to some before quoted from ch. xiii. Consult the pages of modern history; and examine, if they have not uniformly given their power and strength unto the Beast, that has two horns like a lamb? Have they not, to the authors of spiritual despotism, constantly imparted aid? Are not these the persons who have most successfully made war with the lamb? Has not an unlawful power been assumed by them over the religion of Jesus? When they have not dared themselves to model and to alter it, have they not authorised the claim in a foreign priest or a domestic synod? Are not the annals of every country, and of almost every period, stained by the blood of the disciples of the Lamb, which they have shed; and have they not levelled their bitterest

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opposition against those, who have been most distinguished for purity of faith, of practice, and of external worship?

The sentence pronounced against the several antichristian monarchies of Europe in v. 8, and 11, of this chapter, I must not altogether omit. In the former place, it is affirmed, that the Beast having Ten Horns, which at the time of the prophecy had no. being, shall arise, and afterwards shall go into perdition, or, as it might have been translated shall go into destruction. In the latter, it is again said of him, that he goeth into perdition.

'These Ten Horns,' says an early commentator, ‘ are Ten European Kings, and whoever reckons them up, I find, brings in the Kings of Britain, for one of the horns of this terrible and fearful monster".' But this is a subject, on which I shall, for certain reasons which it is not difficult to comprehend, decline entering: and I shall only observe, that though every other European monarchy should stand justly chargeable with notorious antichristianism, it does not of necessity follow, that that of Great Britain carries upon it the same fatal marks; nor, though every other writer on the subject should maintain, that the English monarchy is unquestionably and of course one of the Ten Horns, is it an inevitable inference, that the evidence should strike me with equal force, or that I should entertain the opinion at all? It is, however, apprehended, that on this point the mind of the intelligent and unprejudiced reader will not long hesitate to decide.

As the events, foretold by St. John in ch. xvii. are of great importance, and terminate in a manner favorable to the bests interests of mankind, he resumes the subject in ch. xix. And I saw the Beast, and the Kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, (i. e. against Christ) and against his army. And the Beast was taken, and with him the False

6 Haughton on Antichrist, p. 88.

7 The Beast and the False Prophet,' i. e. says bp. Newton (in loc.), the Antichristian Powers, Civil and Ecclesiastical."

Prophets, that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast, and them that had worshipped his image: these were both cast alive into a lake of fire. This passage alike respects the oppressive governments and oppressive hierarchies of the European world. The final overthrow of the antichristian church, says a learned commentator on prophecy,' will be accomplished in the subversion of those civil powers, which have been its only and its long support. It is nothing,' says a celebrated writer, but the alliance of the kingdom of Christ with the kingdoms of this world (an alliance which our Lord himself expressly disclaimed), that supports the grossest corruptions of Christianity; and perhaps we must wait for the fall of the civil powers before this most unnatural alliance be broken. Calamitous, no doubt, will that time be. But what convulsion in the political world ought to be a subject of lamentation, if it be attended with so desirable an event? May the kingdom of God, and of Christ (that which I conceive to be intended in the Lord's prayer) truly and fully come, though all the kingdoms of the world be removed in order to make way for it.'

Fire is a symbol of destruction; and accordingly the casting of the Beast and the False Prophet into a lake of fire, denotes, to use the words of an early apocalyptical writer upon this passage, the perpetual ruin of all antichristian tyranny, and an utter end of all wicked dominion". In the 14th v. of the xxth chapter, immediately after the description of the general resurrection and the day of judgment, the same language is employed. It is

8 Mr. Wakefield translates it, the False Teacher.

9 Commentaries and Essays; printed for Johnson. Signature Synergus,

p. 435.

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10 Priestley's Hist. of the Corruptions of Christianity, vol. II. p. 489. 11 The Irenicon Abridged, by W. Sherwin, 1674, p. 37.

12 In the original the two passages vary not at all. In both it is v TE TUPOS, which our translation arbitrarily renders, in one place,

a lake of fire, in the other the lake of fire.

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said of Death, that he was cast into a lake of fire. Here also the expression has a figurative acceptation: here also it denotes, not torment, but destruction": here also it is applied, not to a real, but an ideal personage. The tenhorned Beast and the False Prophet were both cast alive into a lake of fire. This,' says Dr. Lancaster in his abridgement of Daubuz, 'not only signifies, that the punishment of the Beast and of the False Prophet will be exceeding dreadful, but also that it will, and at the same time the consequences of it, be more terrible than that of their adherents. For we must consider, that the Beast and False Prophet are bodies politic and perpetual or successive; and that the design here it to shew us, that Christ will not only destroy at last the persons, who at that time are in possesion of what is signified by the Beast and False Prophet, but also utterly extirpate the succession of the tyranny and false prophecy for ever. So that the Beast and the False Prophet are persons in a double capacity; that is, persons in general, enemies to Christ, and also in possession of a power, which is to be extinguished with them. And therefore their particular judgment must be considered with that double view.' Of these two emblematic personages the prophet asserts, not only that they were thrown into a lake of fire, but that they were thrown alive. Now, says Daubuz, alive signifies one having power and activity; and therefore when they are said to be cast alive, this may be designed to shew, that this sudden Revolution shall happen to them whilst they are vigorous and active, strengthening themselves to resist, and little

13 ‹This lake of fire is but a symbolical notion, or representation of the perpetual continuation and unchangeableness of that state, into which those matters are reduced, which are said to be thrown therein; implying, that they shall no more affect mankind, as being to them utterly destroyed.' Daubuz.

14 Perfectly does this correspond with the account of the war of Armageddon, in which the confederated antichristian princes are to levy mighty forces, and vigorously to exert themselves, immediately previous to their complete overthrow.

expecting to be suddenly overcome, and that all the power of this tyranny and false prophecy shall be so destroyed, that it shall never be able to act again. That is, not only that the persons of them that hold the power shall be destroyed, which is but a transient punishment; but also, that their succession shall be stopped, and the like power shall never be revived.'

But enough has been said to shew, that a momentous conclusion is to be drawn from the words of St. John. A conclusion highly consolatory and encouraging. Since we have not only seen, that the duration of the sovereignty of the Ten Kings is limited, it being declared, that they receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast (xvii. 12)"; but have seen it farther announced by the voice of the prophet, that the Lamb shall overcome the Ten Kings (xvii. 14), that the Beast having Ten Horns shall go into perdition (xvii. 8, 11), and again, that this Beast was taken and cast into a lake of fire (xix. 20), i, e. totally destroyed; we are, on the authority of prophecy, delivered clearly and repeatedly, authorised to conclude, that all the Monarchies of Europe which are antichristian will at length be destroyed. And were scripture altogether silent, we might gather from the light of reason, that all governments, founded on despotism and oppression, MUST be offensive to the Deity. 'From the known perfections of God, we conclude he wills the happiness of mankind; and though he condescends not to interpose miraculously, that that kind of civil polity is most pleasing in his eye", which is productive of the greatest felicity".'

15 It is also said, in ch. xiii. 5, of the Beast having Ten Horns, that power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

16 We read but of one government appointed by the Deity; and it was not an HEREDITARY and MONARCHICAL GOVERNMENT, like those of the surrounding nations, but a FREE and POPULAR one. I now cite from a respectable anonymous writer. 'The government which God ordained over the children of Israel consisted of three parts, besides the magistrates of the several tribes and cities. They had a chief magistrate, who was called judge or captain, as Joshua, Gideon, and others; a council of 70 chosen men; and THE GENERAL ASSEMBLIES OF THE PEOPLE: and

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