porary with the feventh vial; let us proceed to confider the import of the predictions which it contains.

This trumpet contains a wo, the third and laft wo; a wo not to the church of Chrift, (the heaven), but to the votaries and citizens of the Roman empire, the inhabiters of the earth, as is evident from chap. viii. 13. This trumpet predicting the final overthrow of Papal Rome and the complete triumph of the church of Chrift, muft contain the greatest and last wo to the votaries of Rome. Either of these events would have diftreffed them more than tongue can exprefs; the two together muft occafion a diftrefs too great for us at prefent to figure.

This wo is to come (zax) quickly. The arrogance, pride, felf-confidence and vain claim to infallibility of Papal Rome fhall hinder her from perceiving the approach of her complete overthrow until it is juft at hand. With refpect to the unexpectedness and rapidity of this overthrow, God fays, chap. xvi. 15. "Behold, I come as a thief in "the night."

This trumpet which brings the last wo upon the Roman empire, (the inhabiters of the earth), brings praife and triumph to heaven, the church of Chrift. "For there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are be"come the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ,

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"and

"and he fhall reign for ever and ever." Then Christians in the church of Chrift fhall lift up their voices aloud, and in triumph proclaim the purity, profperity, and extent of Chrift's spiritual kingdom, in fuch a manner that no part of the world fhall be ignorant of the proclamation, or willing and able to gainfay it. Then all the kingdoms, which Daniel foretold fhould arife and fall in the world before the kingdom of Chrift should extend over the whole world, fhall have fallen, and that kingdom of our Lord and of his Chrift, which is not meats and drinks, but truth and righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, fhall extend over the whole earth. Then all the particular kingdoms and churches, which fhall be erected in the world, for the civil and religious government of men in fociety, fhall be formed on thefe principles of truth, righteoufnefs, peace, and joy, which form the conftitution of the kingdom of our Lord and of his Chrift. From that time forth, fo long as this world ftands, Chrift's church fhall reign in triumph; no kingdom fhall again rife up to perfecute and opprefs it with fuccefs, as Rome Heathen and Papal had done before that period, and its purity and triumph fhall be for ever and ever in the heavenly world.

The language of the 15th verfe clearly teaches the divinity of Chrift. It is faid, "The kingdoms

"of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lor4

VOL. I.

3 F

" and

"and of his Chrift, and He fhall reign for ever "and ever." Though it is faid the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Chrift, it is not added, and they fhall reign, which must have been the only proper expreffion if our Lord and his Christ had been effentially different from each other, but it is faid, “and "He shall reign," which can be proper language on no other account than that which is ftated by Chrift himself, when he fays, John x. 30. "I and my Father are one."

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The glory of this triumphant ftate of Christ's kingdom is defcribed in a very particular and full manner in chapters xix. xx. xxi. and a part of xxii. and shall be illuftrated in the commentary on these chapters. On this glorious occafion, the true church of Chrift, reprefented by the twentyfour elders, with the moft profound humility and devotion, and the warmeft gratitude, fhall adore and praise God as the felf-existent, omniprefent, and omnipotent Being, whofe perfect knowledge of all times and places, and whose fupreme power, are 'now fully illustrated by the exact accomplishment of all the predictions in this book, concerning the ftate of the world at large, of his church in particular, and of its triumphant ftate in this world in. an especial manner. Now they adore that foreknowledge of God which perceives with certainty, and that powerful providence of his which overrules

all

all events, even the moft contingent, to fixed and determinate ends, without doing violence to the liberty of moral agents and accountable creatures. They praise God, because he hath taken his great power and hath reigned. Then it shall appear, that the church of Chrift hath been supported by a divine power, and that therefore it hath finally prevailed over the oppofition of devils and wicked

men.

This interpofition of God in establishing Chrift's kingdom over the whole world is called his great power, that is, in the fymbolical language, the exertion of his power in favours of the church of Christ, of which all his former exertions were only types. However great, gracious, and many have been the exertions of divine power in favours of the church of Christ, all these fhall not only be greatly exceeded by that one which fhall overthrow Antichrift, bind Satan, and establish and perpetuate the reign of truth, righteousness, peace and joy over the whole earth, but by that one, their true intention, and the hand that performed them, fhall be rendered much more vifible than they were before that period. Then the kingdom of God fhall come, and it fhall then be evident that his is the power which hath brought about that period, and that the whole fhall illuftriously display his glory. At that time, the nations of the earth fhall be angry to fee all their

attempts to banish the true, pure, fpiritual, holy, and fimple religion of Jefus from the earth, vain. It fhall vex them to fee this religion and its votaries triumphant, both of whom they had long treated with fuch contempt. Then the wrath of God shall in heavy judgements fall upon those nations who, by contemning his religion, would not have Chrift to reign over them, nor over the world, if they could have prevented his reign. Then the prediction in Pfalm ii. 1,-9. concerning fuch kings and people fhall be accomplished.

At this period, ample juftice fhall be done to the characters and memory of the dead; that is, of the martyrs who, both under heathen and papal Rome, fealed their teftimony to the truth with their blood. Until that period fhall come, their principles, motives and characters, fhall be mifreprefented by the greatest part of mankind; and though their murderers, as individuals, must have felt the wrath of God, for the injuries which they did to them, yet till then their blood fhall not be fully avenged on the collective body of the Roman ftate which perfecuted them to death. Thofe, who were put to death by Rome in its heathen ftate, were mifreprefented by the heathens as contemners of the gods, enemies to Cæfar, and difturbers of the public peace. Whilft papal Rome built their tombs, garnished their fepulchres, and even worshipped them as mediators between God

and