ture of the person whom it fo exactly refembled. Perfectly fimilar is the cafe with the picture of Papal Rome, which is drawn in this chapter. It is capable of conveying to the intelligent, candid, and attentive mind, more certainty that it is Papal Rome which is reprefented by it, than the name of Rome itself written in the plainest characters could have done. If the naine of Rome had been used in place of this picture, fome might have faid that it was Heathen not Papal Rome which was meant; others, that Rome was not to be taken for Rome itself, but like the names of Egypt and Babylon, for fome idolatrous and perfecuting power which was to arife. But when a picture is drawn at full length, in which all the features exactly agree to Papal Rome, and to no other kingdom that ever hath been on the face of the earth, what unprejudiced man can doubt that by it Papal Rome is reprefented? And 3d, That as this picture was drawn by John 657 years before Papal Rome became a civil government, that is, before Rome was in fact poffeffed of any of thefe features which are drawn fo minutely in this picture; that as thefe at the predicted time appeared in the character of Papal Rome, fo exactly correfpondent to this picture, that if a limner fhould have drawn a picture of Papal Rome from the life, he could not poffibly have drawn a more juft or ftriking one than that which is exhibited in this chapter; we may hence fee a clear proof that this book was written by the infpiration of that God to whom all things paft, present, and future, are ever present. We may also hence fee a striking proof of the fuperintendency of divine providence in the moral government of the world, in the strictest confiftency with the mo ral agency of men. CHAP. CHAP. XIV. VISION VIII. Verfes 1ft, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th. AND I looked, and lo a lamb ftood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thoufand, having his Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps : and they fung as it were a new fong before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that fong, but the hundred and forty and four thoufand which were redeemed from the earth. These are they who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins: these are they who follow the Lamb whitherfoever he go eth; eth; these were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God, and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God. This chapter, according to the general conftruction of this book, is a general introduction to the following prophetic vifions in it, relative to the final overthrow of Antichrift, to the bringing in of the Jews with the fullness of the Gentiles, and to the commencement, duration, and nature of the mil lennium. As it is an introduction, the things contained in it are expreffed in fhort and general terms; they are treated more fully in the following parts of this book. The comment on this introductory chapter fhall be general and fhort like itself, and the short hints contained in it shall be more fully explained when I fhall confider those parts of this book to which this chapter is introductory. The Lamb fignifies Chrift; and mount Sion the fettled and triumphant ftate of Chrift's church af ter the travels, toils, and perfecutions of her wilderness state. The 144,000 with his Father's name on their foreheads, are the true and fealed fervants of God, as mentioned in chap. vii. 3, 4. This number is made up of 12, the number of the pa triarchs, triarchs, multiplied into 12 the number of the a poftles, which makes 144, and this multiplied by 1oco, the years of the millennium, which makes the exact number of 144,000. This number is the hieroglyphic fixed on in chap. vii. to fignify the true fervants of God, during the whole perfecuted period of Chrift's church, until that period fhall end with the downfal of Antichrift and the commencement of the millennium. It does not mean, that the number of the fervants of God during the whole or any part of that period fhall be exactly 144,000, nor that their number fhall be uniformly the fame, nor that the fame individual perfons fhall live during the whole period. But it means, that in every part of that period, however trying it may be, there fhall be fome whofe religion is drawn from and modelled upon the fcriptures of the Old and New Teftament; who name the name of Chrift, and depart from iniquity; and who are neither ashamed nor afraid to avow themselves the fervants of God, for they have his name on their foreheads; and whom, though men may call them heretics or hypocrites, the Lord himself knoweth to be his. It fignifies, that thofe whofe religion is drawn from the bible fhall continue to adhere to Chrift in fpite of all perfecutions, until that day when the 1000 years of purity, peace, and triumph to the church of Chrift fhall commence. Hence, this hieroglyphical number fignifies at once |