final overthrow of Babylon it was faid in Jeremiah li. 33. "Yet a little while and the time of her "harvest shall come." And a vine fignifies a church. The Jewish church is represented by a vine in the beautiful allegory contained in Pfalm lxxx. 8,-16. The Chriftian church in its head and members is ftiled the true vine, and represented by a vine and its branches in John xv. 1,-5. Ofa falfe and idolatrous church it is is faid in Deut. xxxii. 32. "Their vine is of the vine of Sodom.' That we may be at no loss to know what church is fignified by this vine, in ver. 18. it is called the vine of the earth, that is, of the Roman empire. Neither in the fymbolical, nor in any alphabetical language ancient or modern do I recollect any one word which fignifies both a civil and an ecclefiaftic government; hence to represent the complete deftruction of that government which is both civil and ecclefiaftic, I am of opinion that both these symbols were neceffary. The use of both is a plain declaration, that at that period both the church and ftate of Rome fhall be finally overthrown. And 2d, To fignify, that the final overthrow of Rome fhall be accomplished by a very bloody war; for the red juice which is preffed from the grape is the fymbol of blood shed in wars. It is called the blood of the vine. This meaning is clearly given to the preffing of grapes, by Ifaiah lxiii. 1,-6. which paffage is a prophecy of of the very fame bloody wars which are predicted in the verses under our view. This is ftiled the great wine-prefs of the wrath of God, to inform us that this shall be the most bloody and deftructive war which had ever been brought upon Rome. The last and decisive battle shall be fought very near the city of Rome. "And blood came out of the wine-prefs even "unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thou❤ fand and fix hundred furlongs." It is thus predicted that at this battle there fhall be cavalry, and that very much blood fhall be fhed. And as 1600 furlongs, or rather stadia, as they are in the original, are nearly 200 miles of English meafure; it is highly probable that by the blood flowing to that distance it is intimated, that the principal field of that last and decifive war shall extend only about 200 miles from the city of Rome, Who the parties shall be in that war, shall be fhewn in the proper place under the fixth vial in chap. xvi, 12.-16. CHAP. CHAP. XV. Verfe ift. AND ven, great and marvellous, feven angels having the feven last plagues, for in them is filled up the wrath of God. In this chapter, the introduction to the fubfequent prophecies of this book, which was begun in the preceding one, is continued. With this one the introduction ends, and the prophecies themfelves begin with the following chapter. John faw another fign in heaven. By this mode of expreffion, he refers to a former fign which he had seen in heaven. In chap. xii. 1. that other fign is thus mentioned, "and there appeared a 66 great wonder in heaven," or as it ought to have been tranflated, (and hath been explained in the commentary on that paffage), a great fign. In both places, the word in the original is the fame, nior; and its proper fignification is a fign This fign is faid to be in heaven, because these plagues have been and shall be inflicted on Papal Rome for her injuries to the church of Christ, and fhall fhall be a fign by which Chriftians fhall know Antichrist, and shall be confirmed in the belief of his final overthrow. This fign is mentioned in reference to the former fign of the woman in the wilderness, because they shall be cotemporary. During the whole period of the church's perfecuted state, that is, from the rife to the final overthrow of tfte beast, thefe feven plagues or judgements fhall be poured out on Papal Rome in fucceffion; and the laft of them fhall overthrow her, and fet the church at liberty. They are called the last plagues, because the whole temporal judgements which God shall inflict on Papal Rome fhall be included in them. Verses 2d, 3d, 4th.—And I saw as it were a fea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, ftand on the fea of glass, having the harps of God. And they fing the fong of Mofes the servant of God, and the fong of the Lamb, faying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways; thou king of faints. Who fhall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name! For thou thou only art holy for all nations fhall come and worship before thee; for thy judgements are made manifeft. After the seven vials had all been poured out; that is, immediately upon the final overthrow of Antichrift, John faw a fea of glass mingled with fire. In the commentary on chap. iv. 6, it was fhewn, that, in allufion to the fea in the temple for purification, the fea of glass fignifies the purifying influences of Chrift. Here it is mingled with fire to predict that, at that time the wrath of the Lamb fhall be kindled againft, and fhall confume his enemies. Then, the faints of God fhall obtain a complete victory over heathen and Papal Rome. This victory they fhall obtain through Chrift. By him they and their cause have always been purified and fupported, and their enemies restrained, and shall at last be fubdued: For they ftand on the fea of glass. Then the victorious church of Chrift fhall re joice and fing praife unto God. Confifting of Jews and Gentiles united into one true church of God, they shall fing in concert the song of Mofes, and the fong of the Lamb. These are mentioned here as two fongs quite well known. It is not faid a fong, as if it had been a fong then made for the occafion, or any fong of Mofes and the Lamb: but the fong, to intimate that there are two partiVOL. II. P cular |