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state; but from this time forward acquire new strength by degrees, through the instrumentality of the false prophet. chap. XIII. XVII.

2. The present revolutionizing spirit in the civilized world, which has commenced its career in France, may have different fates and fortunes yet; but being the element of the beast from the bottomless pit, it will not be subdued, but acquire more strength daily in its lurking places by secret means, until it rises in all its Satanic power and phisiognomy in the beast from the bottomless pit, to the throne in Europe. chap. XIII. XVII. XIX.

3. The present missionary spirit will yet a while meet with great success anioug the Heathen, until near the termination of the third woe in Asia, when the dragon shall make war with the remnant of the seed of the woman, chap. x11, 17, and raise a tremendous persecution.

4. Some Protestant power of Europe will undertake a most laudable reformation in politics, or a number of faithful followers of Christ will collect, and establish a government on most christian principles, during a time of great revivals of religion; which shall serve as a place of refuge to all oppressed and persecuted disciples of Jesus, and shall continue to exist and prosper against all opposition. This government will be the first outline of the future kingdom of Christ, and the true antitype of the ironsceptre of the manly-son.

5. The kings of the earth, within the limits of the an

cient Roman empire, will form a confederacy, which in its principles, is inimical to the kingdom and Church of Christ. They collect their armies, probably for a different object at first, but on their way they will concentrate their forces at Armageddon,

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for the purpose of attacking the camp of the people of God, where they will meet with total destruction. 6. The beast from the abyss will at first persecute the Protestants in Roman catholic countries, but afterward also the true Christians of that community, and at last destroy the city of Rome.

7. At this battle, the Lord will manifest himself in a supernatural manner to his people, and lay the foundation of his personal kingdom, when Satan will be confined a thousand years. But truly do I assent to the words of the Poet:

Prudens futuri temporis exitum,

Caliginosa nocte premit Deus. HOR

CHAPTER XX.

The first part of this chapter is closely connected with the preceding one, and should be considered as a continuation of the same subject. For the imprisonment of Satan, though a distinct vision which, from its nature, can only take place in the invisible world, is yet a consequence of the great conflict decided by the battle at Armageddon. The whole power of Satan on earth, is here considered as destroyed, with all his instruments of opposition to Christ's kingdom. All the enemies of the Lord, have met with condign punishment; the old Dragon, who was the original source aud fountain head of all this evil, excepted, But here the eternal sentence is executed also against him in part, with rigour and just severity. Satan is exhibited in this prophecy on four different stages of action; from each of which he is hurled to a still lower state of degradation, after having achieved plans of great magnitude and wickedness. In the commencement of the seventh trumpet we find him (1) in Heaven, where he made war with the arch-angel Michael, and was cast (2) into the Earth: here he caused the third woe, first in Asia, and afterwards in Europe by the two beasts and the great harlot; whence he is confined (3) in the bottomless pit, where he shall remain a thousand years: from this prison he is set at liberty, and again deceives the nations (4) in the four quarters of the Earth, whence he is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, his final and eternal doom. It is an inexplicable mystery, why the Lord should

have more patience, and bear longer with Satan himself, than with his instruments, the beast and the falfe prophet These last were immediately cast into the lake of fire, and Satan only into the bottomless pit; where his punishment seems to consist merely in confinement, without any further sufferings for his great guilt, accumulated through a long series of ages.

Verse 1. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.

3. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season.

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Since our modern metaphysicians have robbed all spirits and angels of their ethereal bodies, against the unanimous testimony of the fathers of the Church, during the first thirteen centuries; they have also established it as an incontrovertible point, that spirits do not occupy space. Be that as it may, one thing is certain, that we cannot conceive the existence, motion or action of any being, without presupposing space; and our mind seems formed to this limitation while here, that we conceive every thing as existing in time and space. And according to this our limited capacity, the Lord has condescended to instruct us in his revelation. Finite spirits who are not omnipresent, can manifest themselves only in one place at a time, and may be confined in their sphere of action. Thus Satan was personally cast from heaven into the earth, and is here confined to the bottomless pit. Some authors have taken the angel to be Christ himself; but that would be too much honour for the old seven-headed dragon, and the Lord is never called an angel in this prophecy. The dragon was totally confounded, and his head bruised by the issue of this conflict, so that an angel

was capable to manage him, who is not even described as of any particular strength or glory. Like an old sinner, under the pangs of an accusing conscience and self-condemnation, he submits without a struggle, to be laid hold of, and bound in chains of darkness, where he might recover from his great surprise. But undoubtedly, the general was not taken without his army, his angels were confined with him; that all diabolical machinations might cease from this period throughout the whole earth, and the Pagans awaken from their delusion to a knowledge and sense of God their Redeemer.

The key of the bottomless pit. We read in this prophecy of an avenue or entrance into the abyss, to which there is a key ch. Ix, and here of a key to the abyss itself; and both the avenue and the abyss are again distinguished from the lake of fire. Reason never reaches beyond the limits of the visible creation, and was not given to scrutinize into eternity; all we know of the world of spirits, depends on revelation. But there are, no doubt, many chains of truths, extending from the visible into the invisible world, of which we behold only the last link in the inspired volume; and where we meet with them, they deserve our particular attention, and should not be neglected. Such appear to be the words here under contemplation. The avenue to the bottomless pit, the abyss itself, and the lake of fire, are probably different and distinct regions in the world of spirits; the two first of which are here represented to us as prisons only, from whence at times, an influence on human affairs and actions may, and does take place, ch. IX, 1. ch. XI, 7. ch. XVII, but the last as a place of torment and extreme pain.

A great chain in his hand. The original is i Thy xiga avrov, thrown around his hand, or arm. He had the key in one hand, and upon the other the chain. Key, chain and seal are ensigns of power and authority on the part of the angel, and in regard to the world, figures of

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