against them and fhall overcome them. A beaft of prey fignifies a temporal kingdom, as fhall be fully fhewn in the commentary on chap. xiii. This temporal kingdom fhall perfecute the Chriftians; shall in all appearance destroy them; and shall infult their dead bodies. By the great city which is fpiritually called Sodom and Egypt, is meant the city of Rome. This city is compared to Sodom for its fenfuality, and for its final overthrow in which the hand of God fhall be evident, and from which it fhall never more rife; and to Egypt for its luxury, idolatry, and perfecution of the people of God. This word which is tranflated the Street of the great city is artías in the original, which fignifies breadth or extent, and ought to have been tranflated" through the whole extent of the great city." The city does not fignify the city of Rome ftrictly taken, but that government which the city of Rome poffeffed over fo great a part of the world. Hence, the dead bodies lying through the whole extent of the city, fignifies that, at a particular time in this period, Chriftians fhould appear to be totally destroyed through every part of the world over which the territory of Rome extended. In this refpect, it is faid of the extent of this city, that our Lord was crucified there. For though he was crucified at Jerufalem, yet that city was then within the extent of the Roman empire, and it was by Pilate, the Roman governor over the conquer ed ed province of Judea, that the unjuft fentence of crucifixion was paffed on Jefus. For three days and an half, that is, for three years and an half, Chriftians fhall appear to be thus totally overcome, and the different people, kindreds, tongues and nations, which, at that time, shall inhabit the extent of the Roman empire, shall see them thus oppreffed, fhall all join in oppreffing them, and fhall express their rage even against their lifeless corps. This apparent univerfal, and final deftruction of those who had borne teftimony to the word of God and to Jefus, shall fill the citizens of Rome, (them who dwell upon the earth), with fuch great and univerfal joy, that, in the moft hearty and explicit manner, they fhall congratulate each other, on the destruction of those who tormented them. In three years and an half, after the votaries of Rome fhall think that Chriftians are totally deftroyed, they shall arife in fuch an unexpected manner and time, and with fuch renewed vigour and courage, as fhall clearly prove a Divine interpofition in their favour, and the power of that religion within them which is the spiritual life of man, the life derived from the fpirit of God, and confifting in the refemblance of the Divine life. This renewed vigour fhall fill the spectators with great fear. For a confiderable time before this revival, Chrif tians tians fhall appear as fcattered individuals, and for a short time shall scarcely be found as individuals; but at that time, they fhall appear in fuch numbers, and meet with fuch countenance from civil powers, that they fhall afcend up to heaven; that is, appear in the form of a conftituted church. As many imperfections fhall cleave to that church for a confiderable time; as it fhall meet with much oppofition and many difficulties; and as, during the whole remainder of this period, its purity and luftre fhall be far inferior to those, to which the church of Chrift fhall arrive in the fucceeding period, it is faid to afcend to heaven in a cloud. Their appearance now fhall be fuch as fhall be vifible to their enemies. For the preceding three years and an half, their enemies thought that there was not a fingle Chriftian in the world; they imagined that they had totally deftroyed them by fire and fword: But even then there were fome true Chriftians in the world, fome scattered individuals marked with this feal of God," that God knew them to be his, and "that they named the name of Chrift and departed "from evil;" but now when they fhall appear as a conftituted and established church, they fhall be vifible to their very enemies, and an unpleafant fight to them. In the fame hour that Chriftians fhall revive and appear as a conftituted church, there fhall be VOL. I. 3 C a a great earthquake, that is, a great revolution in the Roman empire. The effects of that revolution are enumerated. Firft," the tenth part of "the city fell." In chap. xvi. 18, 19, 20, 21. we fhall meet with an earthquake, in which the whole city and all the cities of the nations shall fall. That revolution shall happen at the end of this period, when Babylon the great fhall fall. But the one mentioned in this paffage, was to take place, not long after the middle of this period, and in it only a tenth part of the city, that is, of the Roman empire, fhould fall, or revolt from the obedience of Papal Rome. Whether by the tenth part of the city, a precife tenth part of the Roman empire is meant, or whether the tenth part is a fymbolical expreffion borrowed from the law of tithes among the Jews is not very clear to me; but which ever of these is the meaning of the phrafe, the import of the prediction will be very nearly the fame. If the firft of thefe is the fenfe of the expreffion, then it is a prediction that that revolution fhall not overthrow the whole of the Roman empire, but that only a tenth part of it fhall then revolt from the Papal dominion. If the fecond is its meaning, then it is a prediction that that part of the Roman empire, which shall then revolt may be compared to the tithes under the law; firft, because it is nearly a tenth part of the whole empire; and fecondly, because it is, in confequence confequence of this tribute acknowledging the fovereignty of God, that the rest of the empire is perferved to its poffeffor; and third, because that fame God who had taken away the tenth, can take away the whole when he pleases. Secondly, in the earthquake were flain of men feven thousand. This revolution fhould not be brought about without war and bloodfhed, and feven thousand of the votaries of Rome should be flain in these wars. The number feven fignifies what is complete or perfect. Seven thousands; therefore, may probably fignify fo many thousands as fhall completely bring about this revolution. As one plague after another was brought upon the Egyptians and Pharaoh, until he was obliged to acknowledge the finger of God, and, however unwilling, to give way to that revolution by which the Ifraelites were delivered from flavery; fo thousand after thousand of the votaries of Rome fhall be flain, until the Roman government fhall give way to the revolution, and allow the Chriftians a peaceable civil and religious eftablishment, totally independent of Papal tyranny. And, ty Thirdly, the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven. The power and ranny of Papal Rome was fo great, before this revolution, that the Papal hierarchy acted as if it feared neither God nor man. It would make conceffions to none; it thundered its anathemas a3 C 2 gainst |