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this manner ruled and fubdued them. This fymbol is taken from Pfalm ii. 9. and is a reference to the whole of that pfalm. That psalm contains a very ftriking prophecy of the oppofition which the Heathen, the people, the kings, and the rulers of the earth should make against the Lord and his Christ, and of that deftruction which they should thereby draw upon themselves, at that period when Chrift fhould have the Heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermoft parts of the earth for his poffeffion; when he shall break them with a rod of iron, and dafh them in pieces like a potter's veffel. The reader is defired to confider the whole of this pfalm with attention, and in doing fo to remember, that the Lord's Annointed is the Lord's Chrift, and with the greatest propriety might have been thus tranflated.

Treading the wine-prefs of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God fignifies, that it shall then appear that, in the course of divine providence, hẹ hath totally destroyed the enemies of his church by most bloody wars, This fymbol is a reference to a full prediction of these bloody wars in Isaiah lxiii. 1-6.

The name, King of kings and Lord of lords, hath been a name of Chrift from the time that all judgement was delivered unto the Son. In the courfe of providence, he raises up one king, and puts down another. By a fecret but powerful influence,

fluence, he commands the most powerful lords with more effect than any of them could command their vaffals and fubjects. He fits fupreme governor of the world. The greatest kings and moft powerful lords are only the minifters in his kingdom. Neither knowing, nor intending it, and without unnatural restraint upon the liberty of their minds, they contrive and execute what he hath planned for the adminiftration of the government of this world. As God faid of Pharaoh king of Egypt, fo may he fay of all the kings and lords of the earth, Exod. ix. 16. “And in very deed for "this caufe have I raised thee up, for to fhew in "thee my power: and that my name may be de"clared throughout all the earth." It is true at this moment, that Chrift, as the fupreme ruler of the world, is King of kings and Lord of Lords, as he is ftiled in chap. xvii. 14. But, at the commencement of the millennium this fhall be not only true, but also confpicuoufly evident. This name shall then be written upon his vefture and on his thigh. It fhall be as confpicuous as the name of any perfon should be if written in this manner. When it fhall be evident from fact, that all the revolutions which have happened in the different kingdoms of the world have united to bring about that great and glorious revolution, which fhall take place at the millennium, it fhall then be manifeft that the kings and lords in these kingdoms

kingdoms were overruled by a fupreme power ;. and that Christ was and is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Verfes 17th-21ft.—And I faw an angel ftanding in the fun; and he cried with a loud voice, faying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourfelves together unto the fupper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that fit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both fmall and great. And I faw the beaft, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him that fat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the falfe prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were caft alive into a lake of fire burning with brimftone. And the remnant were flain with the fword of him that fat upon the horse, which fword proceeded

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out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

These verses contain a farther description of that terrible deftruction with which Papal Rome shall be finally overthrown. So many fhall fall in the field of battle, that their unburied carcafes fhall become food to the birds of prey. This fhall be the cafe with the dead bodies of men of all ranks, from the greatest kings down to the meanest flaves. Their number fhall be fo great, that if all the ravenous birds under the whole heaven were collected together they might gorge themfelves with their carcafes. The kings of the earth, the rulers of the darkness of this age; and the Papal hierarchy, the fpiritual wickednefs in heavenly places; two of the claffes of Chrift's enemies, fhall be completely overthrown in this battel.

In verse 20th, both the beast and the false prophet are mentioned. The beaft is the Papal hierarchy, or civil conftitution of Rome. The falfe prophet is the Pope, confidered individually and perfonally as the fupreme governor in that kingdom. This falfe prophet is not Mahomet, as some have imagined. No part of the context has any reference to Mahomet, and none of the qualities afcribed to the falfe prophet in this verfe correfpond to the character of Mahomet; but they all exactly

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agree to that of the Pope of Rome, and the context relates to him. This falfe prophet wrought miracles before the beast, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beaft, and them that worshipped his image. Mahomet wrought no miracles to promote the fuperftition and idolatry of Popery. On the contrary, he wrecked his keeneft vengeance on the votaries of Rome for their idolatry. But the Pope was diftinguished by working many falfe miracles, to deceive them that had the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. By these he greatly promoted the fuperftitions of Popery. And the whole context treats of the beaft, and of the kings of the earth, to whom the Pope ftands in the nearest relation. At that period the Papal hierarchy fhall be diffolved for ever; the Roman empire fhall never more rife up in any other form of government; and the Popes, as the laft head of government, fhall go into endless perdition with it. When he and his kingdom fhall be completely overthrown, it fhall then fully appear that he was a falfe prophet; fince that kingdom is totally overthrown, which he had often declared fhould continue to the end of the world, and fhould triumph over all thofe Chriftians whom he contemptuously denominated heretics. The adherents of Rome fhall then be flain in the way preVOL. II. dicted

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