the Gentiles, into which the Gentiles were allowed to enter. Hence, though the temple, the altar, and they that worship therein, are fmall and few, when compared with the outer court, the holy city, and the Gentiles, yet thefe are the fymbols of the true church, of the right worship, and of the true worshippers of God. John did not meafure any of the most magnificent heathen temples, but only, the temple of God. He thus fhewed that this church fhould not confift of commandments of men taught as doctrines; fhould not be diftinguished by thofe gaudy outward ornaments, which accord to the littleness of human genius, and to the undue influence, which, in his prefent depraved ftate, the bodily faculties of man have over his spiritual ones in the matters of religion, but, which are quite beneath the greatness and fpirituality of the divine nature, and of that worship which accords to God as the pure and perfect spirit.

The altar was none of thofe on which the votaries of the Heathen deities offered facrifice, it was the altar which ftood in the temple of God. For the votaries of this church fhall hope for the pardon of their fins, not in confequence of fuch things as facrifices of the mafs, penances, the interceffion of departed, or the prayers of furviving faints, to waft them through purgatory with a gentle gale; but only in confequence of the facrifice of Chrift

the

the Lamb of God, which taketh away the fins of the world. They know, that "Chrift died, the

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just for the unjust, that he might bring us unto "God;"-" that as there is one God, fo there is only one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jefus ;"-" that there is no falvation "in any other, no other name given under heaven among men, whereby we can be faved but the name of Jefus ;"-" and that he is able to fave "unto the uttermoft all who come unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make inter"ceffion for them."

"And them that worship therein." Before the altar none worshipped but the priests and the Levites. In the temple none worshipped but the Ifraelites who were purified. The worshippers whom John marked out by this fymbol, are thofe, who in the language of the New Teftament are ftiled kings and priests unto God, and Ifraelites indeed,

They are fuch, who

in whom there is no guile. far from fatisfying themselves with a name to live whilst they are dead, far from amufing themselves with the vain parade of empty fhew in matters of religion, believe, efteem, love, and obey the truth; practise virtue in all its branches, as it refpects God, their neighbour, and themfelves; worship God in fpirit and in truth, through the mediation of Chrift; walk before the Searcher of hearts with uprightness of heart; in the honeft and diligent ufe

of

of every means of knowledge and grace which God places within the reach of their power; implore and depend upon the bleffing of God, and agency of his Spirit, to work in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure, and in every fituation enjoy God as their chief good.

Whilft this comparatively small church and these few worshippers are meafüred off and marked out as his inheritance, an inheritance, of which devils and wicked men for 1243 years, fhall attempt in vain to rob him with facrilegious hands, a church of much greater extent and outward fhew fhall arife in the world.

He is commanded to leave out the court which is without the temple, "for it is given to the Gen"tiles: and the holy city fhall they tread under foot

42 months." By the Gentiles, is meant the church of Rome. The votaries of this church are called Gentiles, in oppofition to the true worshippers of God, who in the fymbolical language are called Jews. While the true worshippers of God, like the Jews of old, make the oracles of God the fole ftandard of their religion and worship; the votaries of that church, like the Gentiles, regulate their religion and worship by antient customs, the prejudices of the vulgar, and the dictates of their priests. Particularly, they are called Gentiles on account of the external fhew and pomp of their worship, and of those fuperftitions and ceremonies which

that

that church hath in fact borrowed from the Gentile or Heathen worship. Every one acquainted with the heathen theology, and with the fuperftitions of that church, muft clearly perceive that the latter are derived from the former. This may not only be deduced from hiftorians of eftablifhed character, but it is alfo exprefly afferted by them.

Thus Mofheim, Church Hift. Cent. iv. vol. i. page 191. "A ridiculous precipitation in receiving new opinions, a prepoterous defire of imitat

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ing the Pagan rites, and of blending them with "the Chriftian worship, and that idle propenfity "which the generality of mankind have towards "a gaudy and oftentatious religion, all contribut"ed to establish the reign of fuperftition on the "ruins of Chriflianity.-The public proceflions " and fuperftitions, by which the Pagans endea"voured to appeafe their gods, were now adopted "into the Chriftian worship, and celebrated with great pomp and magnificence in feveral places.

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The virtues that had been formerly afcribed to the Heathen temples, to their luftrations, to the "ftatues of their gods and heroes, were now attri"buted to Chriftian churches, to water confecrat"ed by certain forms of prayer, and to the images "of holy men. And the fame privileges that the "former enjoyed under the darknefs of Paganifin "were conferred upon the latter under the light VOL. I.

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"of the gofpel, or rather under the cloud of fu

perftition that was obfcuring its glory. It is "true, that as yet images were not very common, "nor were there any ftatues at all. But it is at "the fame time as undoubtedly certain, as it is extravagant and monftrous, that the worship of "the martyrs was modelled by degrees, according to the religious fervices that were paid to the gods before the coming of Chrift."

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Cent. v. page 249. "As there were none in "these times to hinder the Chriftians from retain"ing the opinions of their Pagan ancestors con

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cerning departed fouls, heroes, demons, temples, "and fuch like matters, and even tranferring them "into their religious fervices; and as, inftead of entirely abolishing the rites and inftitutions of "antient times, thefe inftitutions were ftill obferv

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ed, with fome flight alterations; all this fwelled, "of neceffity, the torrent of fuperftition, and de"formed the beauty of the Christian religion and

worthip with thofe corrupt remains of Paganifm "which ftill fubfift in a certain church. It will not "be improper to obferve here, that the famous Pagan doctrine concerning the purification of

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departed fouls by means of a certain kind of fire, was more amply explained and confirmed "now, than it had formerly been. Every body knows, that this doctrine proved an inexhauftible fource of riches to the clergy through the "fucceeding

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