virs, from decemvirs to military tribunes with confular authority, from military tribunes to emperors, from heathen emperors to Chriftian emperors: Which laft revolution, happening to fall within the period of these prophecies, is predicted in chap. vi. 12,-17, by the symbol of a great earthquake.

It underwent a greater revolution than any of these when the imperial government was overthrown, when the empire was totally diffolved by the northern barbarous nations, when the city of Rome, for a confiderable time, ceafed to be the feat of any government, and was only a fmall dukedom under the Exarchate of Ravenna. It underwent a great revolution, when the western empire, after this diffolution of it, was parcelled out into many independent kingdoms. It underwent a great revolution, when the Papal dominion was erected in Rome, and all these kings and kingdoms, however independent, were controuled by the Papal nod. It underwent a great revolution when, at the glorious reformation, so many of these kingdoms fhook off all fubjection to and connection with Rome; and the reft of them began to feel their own independence and power. This laft revolution is predicted in this book, chap. xi. 13, by a great earthquake. But not one of these revolutions is to be compared with the one predicted in this paffage.

"There was a great earthquake, fuch as was

" not

"not fince men were upon earth,, fo mighty an "earthquake and fo great." The greatnefs of this revolution is defcribed in verfes 19, 20, 21. in which, in fymbolical language, it is predicted that Rome and all her cities, iflands, strong-holds, and dependences, fhall be totally deftroyed. After all her former revolutions, Rome lifted up her head, and even after the total diffolution of the empire by the northern barbarians; but, after this revolution, the shall never more be numbered among the kingdoms of the world. Her name would fink unto total oblivion, were it not that perhaps it may be remembered to the disgrace of her memory. As we proceed, it fhall more fully appear in chapters xvii. xviii. xix. that Rome shall never rife more, either as a temporal kingdom or a church, after this revolution.

The events predicted in this vial shall take place in the end of the year 1999. They refer to the final overthrow of Papal Rome, as the laft head of Roman government. But it was formerly fhewn that the Papal became a temporal kingdom in the year 756, and that it was to continue for 1243 years, which two numbers, when added together, fix the termination of that empire to the end of the year 1999. Therefore this feventh vial, which predicts its final overthrow, muft refer to that year. This vial takes up little or no time, it relates only the nature and confequences of those

wars,

wars, which are predicted under the fixth feal. It is, as it were, the clofing of the period of the vials, and almoft cotemporary with the opening of the fucceeding period of the millennium. The seventh seal, the feventh trumpet, and the seventh vial, are all, in this respect, analogous. In chap. viii. 1. the seventh feal takes up almost no time; but juft clofes the feals, and opens up the trumpets. In chap. xi. 15,-19. the seventh trumpet takes up no time, but just closes the period of the trumpets, and opens up the fucceeding period of the millennium, and refers to this feventh vial as cotemporary with itself, faying, "and there were lightenings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake."

66

66

1

VOL. II.

B b

CHAP.

CHA P. XVII.

"

Verfes 1ft, 2d.

AND

ND there came one of the feven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, faying unto me, Come hither, I will fhew unte thee the judgement of the great whore, that fitteth upon many waters: with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

In this chapter an angel is introduced, in order to explain to John the plain meaning of the preceding prophecies relative to Papal Rome. Such explanations are an established part of prophetic writings. They are to be found in the prophecies of Ezekiel, of Daniel, of John, and in all prophetic. writings of any confiderable length. They form a part of the idiom of prophetic language, so to fpeak. From verfe ift to 6th, the angel in vifion gives John a compendious defcription of the pre

ceding

ceding prophecies, which he intends to explain to him. From verfe 7th to the end of the chapter, he gives him a moft minute, full, and striking explication of them. On the firft fix verfes I fhall be only general and fhort in the commentary; because the fame unerring fpirit who dictated the prophecies explains them fully in the laft ten verses of the chapter, in the commentary on which I fhall be more full.

1

In the two first verses, John, in vision, faw an angel come unto him, and heard him talk with him. The angel told him, that he would fhew him the judgement, which at last should be paffed upon a great idolatrous city and church that fits upon many waters; who had feduced to idolatry all the kings of the various kingdoms which had arifen out of the western Roman empire; and who had intoxicated all their fubjects with her idolatry and fuperftition. It is well known, that the terms of lewdness used in thefe verfes are thofe which are used in the Old Teftament, particularly in the prophetic parts of it, to fignify idolatry and fuperftition. And it is evident from the whole ftrain of this book, that in it they are used in that fenfe.

Verfes 3d, 4th.-So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness; and I faw a Bb 2

woman