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in chap, vi. 9-11 (to which, and the commentary upon it the reader is referred), that their reign upon earth, and their vengeance upon their enemies, fhall not commence until the perfecutions of Chriftians by Papal Rome shall be ended. When Rome fhall no longer be able to perfecute, and when the millennium fhall commence, fhall it not then appear that these promises were true?

"Who shall not fear thee O Lord, and glorify "thy name, for thou only art holy." Moral excellences properly affembled in the highest poffible perfection, in one character is abfolute holinefs. Such holiness is peculiar to God. In this fenfe, God only is holy. He is the thrice holy one. It is his holiness which renders God the proper object of religious worship. If we could fuppofe his natural perfections separated from his moral perfections, he would not be the object of worship, but of dread and averfion. But, it is his holiness which fills the minds of his intelligent, rational, and religious creatures with that esteem, love, and truft, which lead them to worship him, nay, which affections themselves are the worship of God. The ftate of the world at the millennium, when the mystery of God fhall be finifhed; when ignorance, error, vice, and misery shall be conquered, and truth, righteousness, and peace fhall be triumphant; and when the steps in divine providence, which led to that state through fo many intricate windings, are

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clearly feen, fhall exhibit in a moft ftriking point of view the holinefs of God. Such a ftriking view of the holiness of God fhall excite men to worship God in fincerity, and to glorify him by well-orderéd converfations.

"For all nations fhall come and worship before "thee, for thy judgements are made manifeft.", Thefe acquainted with the Greek language, by looking into the original," will clearly perceive, that as the article Ta is prefixed to rm, it ought not to have been tranflated nations, but fhould have been tranflated the nations, or rather the Gentiles, though the words in reality are of the fame import; but their common acceptation is different. This is the very word which is tranflated Gentiles in all the paffages of the New Teftament where we meet with this term the Gentiles. At that period, all the Gentiles fhall come and worship God in fpirit and in truth. Then fhall be accomplished the prediction of Paul, Rom. xi. 25. 26. "For I would not brethren that ye fhould be ig"norant of this mystery, that blindness in part

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happened unto Ifrael, until the fulnefs of the "Gentiles be come in, and fo all Ifrael fhall be "faved: as it is written, there fhall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he fhall turn away un"godlinefs from Jacob."

Amayaμara, the word tranflated judgements, does not fignify thofe calamities and great fufferings,

which men commonly call judgements. It fignifies the judgements or fentences pronounced by a judge on the bench. The word here ufed does not fignify the judgements or fentences of a judge in general; but, as thofe acquainted with the Greek language must know, it fignifies a fentence of approbation or juftification. This fentence paffed by God himself, the fupreme Judge of controverfy, in favours of the church of Chrift, and published or manifefted by the great events, which fhall take place at that period, is affigned as the reason why the fullness of the Gentiles shall then come in. It was formerly fhewn in chap. xi. that, from the year of Chrift 756 to the end of the year 1999, the church of Chrift is represented by two witneffes. During that period, the caufe is, comparatively speaking, undecided, whether the church of Rome or the church of Chrift is the true church of God. True Chriftians fteadily give their teftimony as witneffes, in favours of the latter; but fome men take one fide of the queftion, and others the other; and multitudes calling in queftion the knowledge or the veracity of these two witneffes, hence, during that period, take the wrong fide of that important and interefting question. But, when in the courfe of divine providence, Papal Rome shall be completely overthrown, in the manner and at the time predicted in this book; when thofe whofe religion confifts in that truth, righ VOL. II. teousness,

teousness, peace, and joy, which the bible teaches, fhall in the courfe of divine providence increase in number and rise into high respect in the world, these events fhall be justly confidered, as they are in themselves the publication of the judgement or fentence of God himself, in favours of the pure, fimple, and fcriptural religion of Chrift. This view which the minds of men fhall take of these events, fhall be one principal inftrument in the hand of God, at that period, to make all the Gentiles come and worship before God.

Verfes 5th-8th.-And after that, I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the teftimony in heaven was opened: and the feven angels came out of the temple, having the feven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the feven angels feven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the feven angels were fulfilled.

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The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven, fignifies the church of Chrift during the period of 1243 years preceding the final overthrow of Papal Rome. In chapter xi. I, 2. it is called "the temple, the altar, and them that worship therein," as diftinguished from "the court "which is without the temple," and from "the "holy city."

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Out of the church, during this period, came feven angels having feven plagues. The feven plagues, which, under feven diftinct difpenfations of divine providence, partly have been and partly fhall be brought upon Papal Rome, as predicted in the following chapter, fhall all be brought upon her in her public or national character, for the injuries which he hath done, and still shall do, in that character, to the perfecuted church of Christ, during that period. That these plagues upon Rome shall come out of the church of Chrift, during that period, is intimated, chap. xi. 6. "These "have power to fmite the earth, (the empire) "with all plagues as often as they will."

Thefe angels, like the high priest under the law, are clothed with pure and white linen, and have their breasts girded with golden girdles. Thus it is fymbolically reprefented that thefe difpenfations are the minifters of God; that they ftrictly execute the divine command, and act only minifterially in bringing thofe plagues upon Papal Rome.

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