and man, they perfecuted to death, and branded with the name of heretics, thofe who in their day bore the fame teftimony to Jefus and to the word of God. The memories of thofe, who fuffered in both periods have often been and fill are branded by many for their weakness, folly, enthufiafm, bigotry and obstinacy. In every age and country, those who have no fixed principles of religion; those who difbelieve or doubt Divine revelation; those who in the pride of their underflandings would much rather think wrong, than think with the bulk of mankind; and those whofe hopes are confined to this world, and the things of this world, the luft of the eye, the luft of the flesh, and the pride of life;, who alas! are always too great a proportion of mankind, treat their memory with contempt. But then, when that religion, for which these martyrs fuffered, fhall become univerfal and triumphant; when fuperftition fhall be deftroyed, and Satan bound up from tempting men; when they shall judge impartially, coolly, and attentively, they fhall admire the difcernment, the piety, and the firmness of these excellent men, of whom the world was not worthy, who perceived, loved, obeyed, and adhered to the truth, amid fo much ignorance, infidelity, fuperftition, wickednefs, and perfecution. Then they fhall highly respect the memory of those independent and generous men, who feared God, and had no

other

other fear, and who, at the price of their property, liberty, fame, and blood, tranfmitted the knowledge of truth and virtue, not merely to an ungrateful pofterity, but alfo to thofe very enemies who crucified their bodies, and ftill crucify their

memories.

"The time of the dead that they fhould be judg"ed," has a reference to a requifition made by thofe, who were flain as martyrs under Papal Rome, and to the answer which was given to it, as in chap. vi. 9.-11. They were not to be judged, and their blood was not to be avenged on the citizens of Rome, until thofe of their brethren, who fhould be flain as they were, fhould all be killed, that is, thofe Chriftians who fhould be killed as martyrs by Papal Rome. But now when papal Rome is totally deftroyed, and when the church of Chrift is rendered triumphant, the number of their brethren the martyrs is fulfilled, and the time is come, when, even in this world, ample juftice fhall be done to their memories, and that empire which killed them fhall be judged and punished in its public capacity; at this period, the flate of religion and of the world at large fhall do juftice and honour, not only to the memory of thofe worthy men who fuffered for the word of God and for the teftimony of Jefus; but it shall alfo vindicate the character of the prophets of God, and of all the true worshippers of God of every

age,

age, country, rank, or fituation in the world. Then, by the most exact and evident accomplishment of their predictions in the events, it shall be proven, beyond all contradiction, that Daniel, Ifaiah, Ezekiel, Paul, Peter, and John, were all true prophets of God. Then it fhall fully appear, that all the true worshippers of God were wife, pious, and holy, fuch as purfued that courfe, which was the best and the wifeft for themselves, and for fociety. Then, it fhall appear, that in them the fear of the Lord was wisdom, and to depart from evil was understanding. Then, a juft and high refpect fhall be paid to the memory of all the faints of God, of all who in the preceding period were holy, and whose holiness proceeded from the beft of principles, the fear of the Lord, whatever their rank in the world hath been. Then, the worth of character fhall not be estimated by rank, or any external thing which a foolish and wicked man may poffefs, and without which a man may be wife, good, truly great and happy, but by thofe qualities which conftitute real worth of character, which are infeparable from a wife, good, truly great and happy man, and which depend not on rank or fituation. The faints fhall be refpected as the excellent ones of the earth, and the righteous as more excellent than his neighbour.

At that period, "God fhall deftroy them, who "destroy the earth." By thofe who deftroy the carth

is

is meant the papal hierarchy, which fhall then deftroy the Roman empire. Perhaps fome may imagine, that the deftroyers of heaven (the church of Chrift) would have been a more just character of the papal hierarchy, than the deftroyers of the earth (Roman empire) is. A juft attention to this

candid and intelligent

matter, will fatisfy every perfon of the contrary. The words tranflated, "them who deftroy the earth," are in the original της διαφθείροντας τὴν γῆν. The verb διαφθείρω fignifies “ to deftroy completely by corrupting." The verb Serpa to deftroy by corrupting, when compounded with the prepofition dia, fignifies " to deftroy com

66

pletely." The defign of Rome was to destroy the church of Chrift; but the failed in the execution of this defign, because she could not corrupt that church, which firmly adhered to the word of God and to the teftimony of Jesus. But Rome corrupted her own votaries with her errors and fuperftitions, and thus not only led many individuals blindfold to deftruction; but, by these corruptions alfo gradually fhook the pillars of her own government, and fhal at laft totally overturn their very foundations. The defign of the devil and of the bishop of Rome was to deftroy the church of Chrift, by the floods of errors which they poured out upon the earth; but the church of Christ was unhurt by them, whilft the votaries of Rome imbibed them to their own deftruction.

This is plainly predicted in chap. xii. 15, 16, as fhall be fhewn in the commentary on these verses; and it hath also been verified in the history of the real church of Chrift, and in that of the church of Rome. By her corruptions, relative to indulgences and other fuperftitions, Rome shook the pillars of her government, in the 16th century, at the glorious æra of the reformation. By her corruptions, fhe hath frequently alarmed and roufed different kingdoms in Europe, who have greatly curtailed the extent of her territory, power, and domination. In the courfe of Divine providence, her own corruptions fhall be fo overruled, as to complete her total destruction at the period referred to in this paffage. They fhall then draw upon her the vengeance of certain furrounding temporal powers; and the cup of her iniquity, then filled up, fhall draw upon her the judgements of that God, who fhall deftroy them, who deftroy the earth.

The nature, manner and means of this deftruction are particularly predicted in chapters xvi. and xvii. and shall be explained in the commentary upon these. At that period," the temple of God fhall "be opened in heaven." As the tabernacle or moveable tent was the ftated place of public worship among the Jews, during their pilgrimage, wanderings, and perfecutions in the wilderness; VOL. I.

3 G

and