506 xvi. Rev. One of its heads, being wounded, is healed again. SECT. mouth was like the mouth of a roaring and furious his feet were as the feet XVI.__lion: and the dragon, who still appeared on the of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth visionary scene, that is, the devil, gave him, of a lion; and the XIII. 2. by solemn delegation, his power, and his throne, dragon gave him his and great authority in his kingdom; so that this power, and his seat, beast seemed to be constituted his vicegerent; however he might pretend to represent a very different person. 3 and great authority. wounded to death: and world wondered after 4 And they worshipped the dragon which And I saw one of his heads wounded, as it 3 And I saw one of were, to death; that is, in such a manner, that his heads, as it were a recovery seemed impossible; to signify those his deadly wound was early efforts, which should be made, to put a healed; and all the stop to the usurpation, cruelties, and blasphemy the beast. represented by these heads,and the names written on them. And yet its mortal wound, as one would have thought it must have proved, was unaccountably healed. And the whole earth wondered at so strange an event, [and] they [followed] after the wild beast, thinking a greater argument of its extraordinary power arose from its cure, than could have taken place, had he 4 never been wounded at all. And they, that is the inhabitants of the earth, worshipped the gave power unto the dragon, who gave his authority to the wild beast: beast; and they wor and they worshipped the wild beast, even as with shipped the God-like adoration, saying, Who, that pretends unto the beast? who to Deity in heaven, or earth, [is] like unto the is able to make war beast? or who can ever presume to make war against him, since his power is so well established, without hazard of immediate or certain de5 struction? And there was given to it, that 5 And there was is, to this monster, a mouth, speaking great mouth speaking great given unto things, and blasphemies, as with a human voice; things, and blaspheto signify that it was influenced by that being, mies; and power was who assuming the form and organs of a brute, given unto him to continue forty and tw● had used the power of speech for the most mismonths. chievous purposes. And there was also given unto it power to make ward with the saints with some apparent advantage, for the term above-mentioned, of forty-two months; that is, c Never been wounded at all.] It is certain that ineffectual efforts, to recover the liberty and purity of the church, have sometimes been improved into occasions of further usurpations, and many have been intimidated by them from making any further attempts. Yet they are not entirely destitute of their good effects, as they at least deliver the souls of those who have exerted their utmost ability in mak one beast, saying, Who is like with him? him ing them; and may afterwards be productive of better fruits and consequences. d Power to make war : πόλεμον ποιήσαι.] Our translators have followed those copies, which omit the word λ, and have rendered manga continue; a sense which it must be owned, it sometimes bears. particularly, Acts xv. 53; xx. 3. but I have chosen to rely on those copies which retain the word oor. See ver. 7. e These heaven. It makes war with the saints. 507 one thousand twelve hundred and sixty prophe- SECT. xvi. Rev. 6 And he opened tic days or years. And he opened his infernal his mouth in blasphe- mouth to utter blasphemy against God, even to my against God, to blaspheme his name, blaspheme his holy and venerable name, and his XIII. 6. and his tabernacle, and tabernacle pitched among men; and not only them that dwell in did he speak malignant things against the inhabitants of the earth, but even against those that dwell in heaven. (Compare Dan. xi. 36.) 7 And it was given And it was, by Divine permission, given unto unto him to make war him to make war with the saints, and to overwith the saints, and to overcome them: and come them for a time; and so universal was the power was given him success of his pernicious undertakings, that it over all kindreds, and seemed, as if there was given to him power over tongues, and nations. names are not written world. 8 And all that dwell every tribe, and tongue, and nation. And all s upon the earth shall the inhabitants of the earth shall be so deluded worship him, whose with his artifices, or intimidated by his terrors, in the book of life of that they shall worship him, that is, all whose the Lamb, slain from names are not written in the book of life of the the foundation of the Lamb, who was slain, for some were registered in that book even from the foundation of the world and they shall, by a secret energy, be preserved in the midst of so general and ruinous a defection. If any one has an ear to hear, 9 let him attentively hear this; for it is a matter of a most important nature, and the most surprising phænomenon which can be imagined, that such an idolatrous and persecuting power should arise in the Christian church, and that 10 He that leadeth God should suffer it so far to prevail. Ne-10 into vertheless, God will not forget the injuries his people 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. e Those that dwell in heaven.] It is very injurious to the saints and angels, when they are represented as desirous of attracting to themselves that worship which ought to be appropriated to God; and nothing worse can be imagined of them, than that they should be delighted with such services as are paid them in the Romish ritual. f The inhabitants of the earth shall wor ship him.] The extravagant idolatry here mentioned, is very suitable to the temper and practice of those, who in order to avoid persecution, comply with the claims and demands of the papal power, contrary to their conscience; for it is the language of such a compliance, that the wrath of men is more to be dreaded than that of God himself. g Registered from the foundation of the world.] I am well aware of what has been said to justify the sense which these words must have, if taken in connection VOL. X. with those which immediately precede them; but, after all, it is very harsh to say, Christ was slain from the foundation of the world. He is in another place called simply, the Lamb slain, Rey. v. 12. and a kingdom is said to be prepared for good men from the foundation of the world, Mat. xxv. 34. And, laying these things together, I think it abundantly sufficient to justify the interpretation I have here given, especially when compared with another passage in this book, chap. xvii. 8. whose names were not written in the book of life, from the foundation of the world. Mr. Pierce thinks it is an allusion to the custom of registering the actions of worthy persons, as Mal. iii. 17, undoubtedly is; and, that this book of life is, as it were, the catalogue of good men that have lived in all ages. Pierce on Phil. iv. 3. But I cannot be of opinion, that this exhausts the full meaning of the expression. 3 S h Another 508 Rev. Another beast ariseth out of the earth. into captivity: he that the saints. 11 And I beheld an out of the earth: and SECT. people sustain; but, if any one lead [them] into into captivity, shall go xvi.__captivity, he shall be led into captivity himself by killeth with the sword, a superior power, which he shall not be able to must be killed with the XIII. 10. resist; and, if any one slay others with the sword sword. Here is the paof injustice and cruelty, he shall himself be slain tience and the faith of with the sword of Divine vengeance, when God comes to make inquisition for blood. In the mean time, while they are waiting for his appearance, here is a sufficient exercise for the patience and the faith of the saints: it is the greatest trial to which they were ever brought; let them therefore consider themselves as called out by God to it, and be assured that he will limit it both as to its duration and degree, in a manner answerable to the purposes of his infinite wisdom, and of his peculiar love to them. 11 And, to represent a very crafty and insidious power, which should join with the former, and other beast coming up greatly abet its sanguinary persecutions, I saw he had two horns like another beast ascending out of the earth; and a lamb, and he spake it had two horns like a lamb; but, whatever as a dragon. gentleness there might be in that circumstance 12 of its appearance, it spake like a dragon. And 12 And he exercissuch is the nature of their alliance, that it ex- eth all the power of the ercises all the power of the first beast, in its pre- and causeth the earth, sence; and it makes the earth, and those that and them which dwell dwell in it, to worship the first beast, whose deadly therein, to worship the wound was healed, whose interest, which seemed so much endangered, was greatly revived, being thus powerfully abetted and support. 13 ed. And he,in order to confirm his subtle pretences, to lord it over the consciences of men, does great miracles, so as even to make fire down from heaven on come down from heaven to earth before men; the earth in the sight strange artifices he has, to persuade them of his of men. being endowed with more than natural powers, and that the vengeance of heaven will be armed first beast before him, first beast whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come 14 against all that oppose him! And he deceiv- 14 And deceiveth eth the inhabitants of the earth by the signs then that dwell on the h Another beast.] As I look upon the former to be the papal power, I am ready, with the best critics I know, to interpret this of the religious orders of the church of Rome, (particularly that of the Jesuits,) who have many of them temporal estates and jurisdictions added to their spiritual, and thus have greatly supported the рарасу. i Out of the earth.] This beast is said to ascend from the earth, whereas the other ascended from the sea, to make the distinction which earth, by the means of those between them the more remarkable; but what other mystery may be suggested, I cannot conjecture. k Great miracles.] The artful impostures, which the regular clergy, that is, the several orders of monks, and especially the Jesuits, have used to persuade the people of the truth of their pretended miracles and revelations, seem to be finely delineated by this otherwise amazing de scription. 1 Image they should make an image to the beast And causeth all to receive his mark. 509 SECT. xvi. Rev. those miracles which which it is given him to do before the beast; comhe had power to do in the sight of the beast: manding the inhabitants of the earth to make saying to them that an image of the beast, that had the wound of the dwell on the earth, that sword, and yet lived; that is, he teaches men XIII. 14. to extol, and almost adore, that which in itself which had the wound is most contemptible and detestable. And it 15 by a sword, and did live. was given to him, by a Divine permission, to power to give life unto give spirit and breath, as it were, to the image the image of the beast, of the beast', that the image of the beast might that the image of the speak with an audible voice. And, so zealous beast should both and powerful is he in abetting this cause, that as many as would not by this its oracle, he should cause as many as worship the image of will not worship the image of the beast, to be put the beast should be to death. And he causeth all, of every rank 16 15 And he had speak, and cause that killed. free and bond, to re foreheads. 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the 16 And he causeth and condition, both small and great, rich and all, both small and poor, freemen and slaves, to receive the mark of great, rich and poor, this detestable power, on their right-hand, or ceive a mark in their their foreheads, in token of becoming its subright-land, or in their jects and property. And, so rigorously is this 17 enforced, that no one should be able to buy, or sell, but one who has some such trace of the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number, which is equivalent to the numeral letters of his name, and which I thought, in the vision, I saw impressed on the hands and foreheads of many. 18 Here is wisdom. Herein is a great effort of wisdom; let him, 18 Let him that hath un- therefore, whoever he be, who hath an enlarged derstanding count the number of the beast: and penetrating understanding, beyond what is for it is the number of common, compute the number of the beast; for a it is the number of a man", or the numeral let beast, or the number of his name. ters worshipped. Perhaps this may particular- 1 Image of the beast.] What the image of the beast is, distinct from the beast itself, I confess I know not; and therefore interpret the expressions, making an image, and giving it breath, &c. of idolizing the power of the Pope, and compelling persons to pay homage to it, and obey the edicts it published. And all the enormous fury of the inquisition, which is managed by one of the regular orders included in this interpretation, namely, the Dominican, is a remarkable verification of the following part of the prophecy, of its causing all that would not worship it to be, the man of Latium, or of Rome, put to death. m Receive the mark.] I have elsewhere observed, (Serm. to Young People, Serm. iv. that it was customary to mark soldiers and slaves with some impressions, either on their hands or foreheads, by which they might be known to belong to their respective masters or commanders; and idolaters, with the signature of the god they n The number of a man, &c.] Of all the various interpretations given to this text, which it would be endless to enumerate, and much more to canvas, I find none that pleases me so well, as that of Sir Isaac Newton; that the words λalves and whose numeral letters, taken together, 510 SECT. xvi. Reflections on the two beasts. threescore and six, ters in the name of a man, and his number is, a man; and bis zum and amounts on the whole, to six hundred and ber is six hundred Rev. sixty-six; which I leave to the intelligent reader XIII. 18. to decypher, IMPROVEMENT. Ver. WHOEVER is the beast intended, and whatever be meant by his image, his character, beyond all controversy, is very odious 6 7 and detestable; for he is represented as blaspheming the name of God, and his tabernacle, and as making war with the saints. There have arisen such impious monsters in the Christian church, and none among them have been more openly and enormously wicked and profane, than those who have made the loudest pretensions to be the vicegerents of Christ, and invested with his whole authority. Many of the saints of God have seemed to have 10 been overcome by this antichristian tyranny; many have been led into captivity; many have been slain with the sword: but those who took them captive, continuing impenitent, shall be taken, 8 and the slayers slain. O, may our names be written in the Lamb's book of life! then shall we be secure in the midst of all these formidable evils; and from every trial of our faith and patience, shall come out as gold seven times purified.-Let us not be troubled and offended, to discern these usurpations in the course of Divine Providence prevailing, and the time actually come, in many parts 17 of the world, in which men can neither buy nor sell, nor are permitted to enjoy any other natural or civil privileges, if they will not give up their names to the beast, receive his mark, and implicitly submit to his authority. The prophecy justly removes all of fence which might be taken at the event; and discerning its accomplishment, we may embolden our hopes, that the triumphs. 11 of Divine justice over these ministers of the dragon, as they are also foretold, will be fulfilled with the like punctuality. And O, may the church of God be secured from their artifices, and fortified against their terrors; and in his own due time, may he break 13, 14 the jaw-bone of the wicked! May he utterly disarm all the power and policy of those who take counsel together against the Lord and 12 his anointed; and though their confederacies may seem to mock of the fall of Babylon is to be calculated, as all has led Dr. More to fix upon number 19, relating to the church of Christ, and nmber 25, relating to antichrist;) and con cludes further, that the exact cube is not mentioned, to prevent too sudden a discovery. Compare More's Theol p, 154. Grotius referring it to Trajan is very ungrounded in every view. |