the kingdom, given up to the brutal ferocity of the soldiery, imprisoned, condemned, and executed. This was a tyranny perfect in its kind, unknown in other kingdoms, and perfectly resembling that of the papal beast. It was properly an exercise of the "power of the first beast." If we have found the dragon and the beast, there will remain no doubt concerning the false prophet. This must be the papal clergy, or the hierarchy of the church of Rome. In this interpretation, Protestant writers, are, I suppose, generally agreed; and to this we are indubitably led by St. John himself. He says, chap. xix. 20, "The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet, that wrought miracles before him," (or did wonders in the presence of the beast) "with which he deceived them, that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image." The false prophet is here described, as acting in subservience to, and in concert with the beast; as making an ostentation of miracles, and as using every argument and artifice to support the cause of the beast, and to promote idolatrous worship. He can therefore be no other, than the Roman hierarchy. Mahomet is by his followers called the prophet; and he is vulgarly called the false prophet. But he is never so called in sacred prophecy. John, in his prediction of this impostor, makes no mention of him under such a title. Indeed, John's description of the false prophet is quite inapplicable, and in some respects wholly opposite to the character of Mahomet and his successors; for they never acted in concert with idolatrous powers, but invariably opposed them. Besides, it should be remembered, that John never gives names to persons or things by anticipation, but rather by allusions to names in the Old Tes tament. We have endeavoured to ascertain the characters, intended by the dragon, beast, and false prophet. "From their mouths issued three unclean spirits," foul, odious, and clamorous, "like frogs. These are the spirits of devils, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world." As by the dragon, beast, and false prophet must be understood, not single persons, but communities; so by the three spirits, we must understand companies of spirits or persons, not merely three individuals. The work here ascribed to the three spirits, is too great to be accomplished by three single persons. They are called unclean spirits, and the spirits of devils, to signify their wicked and irreligious principles, and their impure and turbulent dispositions; or their opposition to the faith and purity of the gospel, and to the peace and happiness of mankind. They are men, engaged in the cause of error and vice, which is the cause, in which the devil acts, and in which he employs his agents. "They go forth to gather the kings to battle;" to foment sedition in society; to excite opposition to government; to urge the powers of the earth to mutual destruction, and all with a view to exterminate the religion of Christ, which is "their tor ment." These impure spirits, if our interpretation is just, proceed, in an eminent manner, from the German empire, from the French monarchy, and from the papal hierarchy. Now, if the battle here mentioned, is to be understood of a literal war, and if we are now under the sixth vial, then we are to look for the causes of this last, and of the next preceding European wars, in these three sources, And were not these wars, especially the former, first excited, and afterward encouragéd and continued, by the influence of the German court, the French royalists and nobles, and the papal clergy in France and other countries? This was the general opinion in the time of the French revolution. These wars, contrary to all human policy, have had a great effect in drying up the mystical Euphrates, and in opening the way for the subversion of mystical Babylon; and the horrors of these wars have been, though not exclusively, yet principally felt, in those parts of Europe, which are subject to the papal beast. Even France, which has been a distinguished agent in this subversion, has had her share in the common calamity and distress. All this is manifestly agreeable to prophecy. Or, if by the battle of the great day of God Almighty, we understand a metaphorical war, a war against religion, we shall still find the prophecy verified. It is well known, that for many years, there has been in Europe, and especially in France and Germany, great opposition to the religion of the gospel; and that of late years this opposition has increased and become more open and active than it was formerly, Not only the peculiar doctrines of the gospel have been denied, but the essential duties of morality and the very principles of civil society have been treated with contempt. That the war against religion might be con ducted more sytematically and successfully, its enemics in some parts of Europe have formed themselves into societies for that purpose. This opposition has in a great measure been owing to the causes already mentioned; the tyranny of the German empire, the despotism of the French monarchy, and the foolery, bigotry, and intolerance. of the Catholic church. In those countries the most arbitrary and rigorous restraints have been laid on men's natural, social, and religious liberties. From such restraints naturally arise preju, dices, discontents, and impatient and restless passions, which, though for a while repressed, will sooner or later give themselves vent in some way or other. Hence it was, that many men of learning and talents, finding it dangerous to speak openly in ordinary conversation on certain things relative to the established religion and government, instituted clubs and organized societies for free discussion of such matters. It is natural to suppose that men associating and conversing under the influence of strong passions and prejudices, should overlook the laudable object of reformation in religion and government, and contem-plate the subversion of both. It is not the nature of passion to view things candidly, and to separate the precious from the vile; but to confound the good with the bad, and to destroy both promiscuously. Bigotry in religion, like despotism in government, may endure for a season, sometimes longer than we should have imagined; but, by overacting its part, it will in time destroy itself. As a revolution in despotic governments often produces anarchy in the first instance, but may terminate in something more reasonable; so a revolution in bigotry and superstition may be immediately followed with an apparent increase of irreligion, but be ultimately productive of a real reformation. Prophecy teaches us to expect, that, on the demolition of the papal superstition, there will be a remarkable prevalence of infidelity; but in a short time there will be a general spread of pure Christianity. John farther says, "The kings of the earth are gathered to battle into a place, called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon," or the mountain of destruction. The name is taken from the ancient Megiddo, or Megiddon; a place famous in the Jewish history for war and slaughter. The late extraordinary wars in Europe have had their principal seat in the Netherlands, and adjacent parts, which, like the Megiddo of the Hebrews, have long been fields of blood and slaughter. The battle, to which the kings are gathered, is called "the battle of the great day of God Almighty;" a day, in which the cause of religion is assailed, and in which God is about to perform some great work in its support; Fifth Commandment. "HONOUR thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." From father and mother all other duties originate. Duty is reciprocal. reciprocal. Parents must not provoke their children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and children must honour their parents. The command is a little varied in Leviticus. Ye shall fear every man his mother and father, and keep my Sabbaths. Honour in that passage is explained by fear in this. Father is mentioned first in the one, but mother in the other, probably intimating that both have an equal claim upon the honour and fear of children. Instruction of a delicate nature may be involved in the appendix to the command; "ye shall fear every man his mother and father, and shall keep my Sabbaths." The command of a mother and father is binding; but if it interfere with the command of God, obey God rather than man. Should parents require that children break the Sabbath, or throw contempt upon any of God's ordinances; obedience, otherwise indispensable, must be withheld, that we may discover proper respect to the highest of all authorities. Grateful and affectionate ought we to be to our parents. They watched over our infant years with anxiety, and have been unremitting in their friendly offices. Their kind attachment to us, their mature judgment, and their authority over us, lay the foundation of dutiful attachment to their persons, deference to their judgment, and obedience to their commands. If they are in circumstances which require our sympathy or service, how can piety be better expressed, than by returning the sympathy and service which we received from them, when in infancy we were thrown helpless upon their care. The profligate Jews had a strange contrivance for satisfying their own minds, while they neglected this duty. Our Lord severely animadverts upon their conduct, Matt. xv. 3, 6. The supply, to which parents were entitled, they devoted by a rash vow to the sacred treasury, and thereby vainly imagined, and were confirmed in the imagination by an avaricious priesthood, that they were absolved from any further obligations to either of their parents. Such evasions are in the highest degree criminal. Children, says the apostle, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing in the sight of the Lord. The child Jesus was subject to his parents; and he ended a useful life by an act of duty to his mother, providing for her future sustenance and comfort. All nations have had some sense of the duty, which children owe to their parents. It was enacted by the Athenian legisla tor, that whoever refused to maintain his aged parents fhould be deemed infamous. The laws of Romulus carried the matter much too far, subjecting the child, of whatever age, or however dignified by talents, office, or reputation, so entirely to the power of the parents, that of his own authority he might imprison or enslave him, and even put him to death. The youth of Sparta were obliged to rise up, whenever their superiors in age appeared, to give place, meeting them in the street, and to be silent in their presence. This duty, as all others, was taught very deficiently, in the systems of morality known to the Gentiles. In the sacred page it appears in its full extent, and is enjoined by proper motives. The command before us includes relative duties of every kind, requiring us to be dutiful to superiors, whether in the family, the church, or the state. This commandment is the first, to which a promise is annexed. In the second commandment, indeed, there is a general declaration of mercy toward them, who love God, and keep his commandments. But this is the only precept of the decalogue, which contains a promise peculiar to itself. Let children honour their father and mother, that their days may be long upon the land, which the Lord their God giveth them. Under the Jewish dispensation, to curse, or to strike a parent was punished with death. The same punishment was inflicted on those, who continued in stubborn disobedience to a parent's command. But abedi ent children dwelt in safety. The blessing of God visibly attended them, securing such temporal prosperity, as would be for their real advantage. Such persons live in honour and peace. They fhall come to their grave in a full age, as a shock of corn cometh in its season. The heathen encouraged obedience to parents by the same argument. Euripides says, that children, who bonour their parents, are dear to the gods, both living and dead. Senarius is mentioned by Stephanius as saying; "Thou shalt live as long as thou canst desire, if thou nourIsh thy aged parents." Hence Xenophon's description of children who deserve praise; thofe zubo nourish the aged. The daughter, whose breasts supplied nourishment to an aged father, arbitrarily condemned to die by hunger, has acquired fame which ages shall listen to, and respect. Such actions perpetuate the name, and give a kind of immortality on earth. PHILOLOGOS. ON RELIGIOUS SINCERITY. THE insincerity of many, who profess to be Christians, is to be deeply lamented, as the bane of their own salvation, as well as the cause of exposing religion to frequent though unmerited reproach. It is of the last import ance, therefore, for all who have the form of godliness, to ascertain to their own conviction, whether they have sincerely embraced the gospel, or have only a name to live, while they are still dead in trespasses and sin. With out this conviction, it is impossiVol. II. No. 2. L ble they can enjoy either solid comfort or joyful hope, as creatures formed for eternity, and hereafter to be judged according to the gospel. To assist them in this interesting inquiry, their attention is earnestly requested to the following observations. 1. Sincerity in the profession of Christianity is inseparable from just and impressive views of Christian truth. The whole value of Christianity to men ultimately rests on the truth of this principle. If sincerity, unconnected with any particular views of religious truth, be all that is necessary, of what use is the gospel, as the means of salvation? We may with impunity believe any thing we please, and our final happiness not be endangered, though we know not whom nor what we adore. Sincerity considered in itself, indeed, is perfectly compatible with the most pernicious errors, both in religion and in morals; with the rejection of the most essential doctrines and precepts of Christianity; nay, with the disbelief of the existence of God. It has been combined with ignorance and idolatry; and the history of the world loudly attests the atrocity of the deeds, which its spirit dictates, and its authority sanctions. It erected the stake, and lighted up the faggot of persecution in popish countries. It unsheathed the sword of exterminating violence, and brutal sensuality, where the crescent of Mahomet was raised. And still, it kindles the fire that consumes the widow on the plains of Hindostan; raises the knife that is plunged in the trembling victim, and gives vigour to the unrelenting arm that sac |