the Jews faid, le h's blood be upon us and our children. The hiftory of the Jews, clearly fhews, that the vengeance of Heaven hath come upon them as a people or collective body, for the blood of the just one. Their city, temple, and kingdom, have all been destroyed, with evident marks of divine displeasure, and they have long been scattered through every kingdom of the world, while they have no kingdom of their own. Great is the guilt

of fhedding any innocent blood.

The highest degree of guilt of this kind, was that of those who fhed the blood of Jefus, the juft One. Next to this is that of thofe who have shed the blood of faints for their steady attachment to the word of God, and to the teftimony of Jefus. As fo many thousands of faints were flain in the moft barbarous and fhocking manner, for the word of God, and for the teftimony, which they held, by the emperors, fenate, and people of Rome, during. a part of the firft, the whole of the fecond and third, and a part of the fourth century, moft certainly fo much innocent blood muft call for divine vengeance upon that people and empire.

We are not to fuppofe, that the departed fouls of the martyrs entertained any revenge or malice against their perfecutors. Even in this world, in which they were much lefs perfect than they are in the future ftate, they forgave their perfecutors, and even prayed to God for pardon, repentance,

and

and happiness to them; it is not, therefore, ever to be fuppofed that revenge now dwells in their purified breasts in heaven Every real Christian learns, from the highest authority and example, to forgive his enemies, and to pray for their pardon. For he who faid, "If ye forgive not men their trefpaffes, "neither will your heavenly Father forgive your 'trefpaffes," with his laft breath, prayed for his murderers, "Father forgive them, for they know "not what they do." In Rom xii. 19,-21. we have the great precept of the gospel on this matter, on which the Chriftian acts "Dearly beloved, a

แ

venge not yourselves, but rather give place to "wrath; for it is written, vengeance is mine; I "will repay, faith the Lord. Therefore, if thine "enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink for in fo doing, thou fhalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Be not overcome of evil, "but overcome evil with good." But though they entertain no revenge against their perfecutors; their innocent blood calls for vengeance; while their hearts pray for pardon. The righteous Judge of the world will avenge the caufe of innocence, of truth, and of his church. Vengeance is his, he will repay.

They are faid to call with a loud voice, because at the period of this feal, the year 311, the Chriftian church had fuffered fo much and fo long, and was thereby brought fo low, that it appeared, to even

the

the best Christians, that it could not long furvive, unless heaven should foon interpose to punish and crush its enemies. At the fame time, they leave the time and manner of vengeance to the wife determination of God only, faying, "How long!" This vengeance flows from his holinefs and truth, two effential attributes of God, on which the Chriftian depends, for the final victory of the Chriftian church over all her enemies. Becaufe God is holy, he will punish, in the fittest time, those who are polluted by fhedding innocent blood. Becaufe God is true, and hath faid clearly and repeatedly, in facred fcripture, that at the hand of every man's brother, will he require the life of man, and that whofoever fheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be fhed; thofe fhall be punished by him who have fhed the blood of martyrs for the word of God. Becaufe God is holy, because he is true, and hath promised that the gates of hell fhall not prevail against his church; therefore, the kingdom of God, which is righteoufness, fhall never be overthrown by all the policy and power of the devil and of all his angels, whether fpiritual or incar

nate..

The blood of the martyrs is to be avenged on them that dwell on the earth; that is, according to the interpretation given of the earth in the fourth verfe, on the people of Rome, the rulers and citizens of that great empire. As we proceed in

this book, we fhall find the fame expreffion uniformly and frequently used to fignify the Roman people. On whom, in confiftency with the holinefs and truth of God, ought their blood to be avenged, if not on that people who fhed it?

The fouls of the martyrs cried, Doft thou not · judge and avenge our blood? This judgement and vengeance do not refer to the final judgement, when God fhall judge all men as individuals, in righteoufnefs, according to their works, and fhall denounce the irrevocable fentence of condemnation on the wicked: But it refers to a public and ftriking approbation, in this prefent world, which God fhall give to the Chriftian religion and all its true votaries, in the courfe of his providential government of the world, at a period about two hun. dred years diftant from the prefent year; and to a condemnation and overthrow equally public and ftriking, which he fhall then pafs and inflict upon the Roman empire, in its laft form of government, as guilty of the blood of faints, and a public enemy of all thofe whofe religion is modelled on the word of God.

This judgement and vengeance are mentioned in chap. xiv. 6,--8. xviii. 20. and xix. 2. in which laft paffage it is faid of God, "For true and righ"teous are his judgements, for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with VOL. I.

86

C c

"her

"her fornications, and hath avenged the blood of "his fervants at her hand."

All these paffages, as fhall be fhewn in the commentary upon them, refer to that great and final overthrow of the Roman empire, under its laft head, the papal one, which shall manifest the vengeance of heaven on that perfecuting empire, for the blood. of the fervants of God; and which fhall be as it were the paffing and publishing this judgement or fentence of God; that the religion which is taught in the facred scriptures is the religion from God, and that those who have adhered to the bible as the standard of their faith, worship, and practice, are the true worshippers of God.

Until the fall of papal Rome, all the votaries of Rome give their teftimony as witneffes, that the Roman catholic religion is the true religion, and that the church of Rome is the church of God.

Until that time, all real Chriftians give their teftimony as witneffes, that that is the true religion which is taught in the facred fcriptures, and that all thofe individuals, in whatever country or age they live, whofe faith, worfhip, and obedience are ftrictly modelled on the word of God, all those whom the Lord knoweth to be his, and who naming the name of Chrift depart from evil, are the church of God. Until that time the great cause is, as it were under trial. While the trial is going on, fome are taking one fide, and others another, as