But now take the other alternative.

Let the

claims of the Church of Rome be unfounded; then there is no medium, they are nothing short of blasphemy; for they are claims to Infallibility and Universal Dominion, which are the attributes of God.

And now we again open the Apocalypse. What do we find there?

We see there a City pourtrayed-a great City— the great City, the Queen of the Earth when St. John wrote; the City on Seven Hills-the City of Rome.

At Rome, then, we are placed by St. John. We stand there by his side. This city is represented as a Woman; it is called the Harlot. It is contrasted with the Woman in the Wilderness, the future Bride in Heaven; that is, with the faithful Church, now sojourning here, and to be glorified hereafter.

The Harlot persecutes with the power of the Dragon: the Bride is persecuted by the Dragon: the Harlot is arrayed in scarlet, the Bride in white: the Harlot sinks to hell, the Bride ascends to heaven. The Bride is the faithful Church; the Harlot, contrasted with her, is a faithless Church.

The City, then, which is called a Harlot, is a faithless Church; and that City is Rome.

This Harlot City is represented as seated upon many waters, which are Peoples, and Nations, and Tongues. Kings give their power to her; and com

mit fornication with her. She vaunts that she is a Queen for ever. Thus she is displayed as claiming a double supremacy.

Now, look at Rome. She, she alone of all the Cities that are, or ever have been, asserts universal supremacy, spiritual and temporal. She wields two swords. She wears two diadems. And she has claimed this double power for more than a thousand years. "Ruler of the World"-" Universal Pastor" -these are the titles of her Pontiff. She boasts that she is the Catholic Church; that she is alone, and none beside her on the Earth: she affirms, that her light will never be dim, her Candlestick never removed. And yet she teaches strange doctrines. She has broken her plighted troth, and forgotten the love of her espousals. She has been untrue to God. She has put on the scarlet robe and gaudy jewels and bold look of a harlot, and gone after other gods. She canonizes men, and then worships them. She has endeavoured to make Apostles untrue to their Lord, and the Blessed Mother of Christ into a rival of her Divine Son. She prays to Angels, and so would make them instruments of dishonour to the Triune God, before Whose glorious Majesty they veil their faces. She deifies the Creature, and so defies the Creator.

St. John, when he calls us to see the Harlot-city, the seven-hilled City, fixes her name on her forehead-Mystery-to be seen and read by all. And

he says, Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy *.

Her title is Mystery, a secret spell, bearing a semblance of sanctity: a solemn rite, which promises bliss to those who are initiated in it: a prodigy inspiring wonder and awe into the mind of St. John: an intricate enigma, requiring for its solution the aid of the Spirit of God.

Heathen Rome persecuting the Church was no Mystery. But a Christian Church, calling herself the Mother of Christendom, and yet drunken with the blood of saints-this is indeed a Mystery. A Christian Church boasting herself the Bride, and being the Harlot; styling herself Sion, and being Babylon-this is indeed a Mystery. A Mystery indeed it is, that, when she says to all, "Come unto me," the voice from heaven should cry, "Come out of her, My People." A Mystery indeed it is, that she who boasts her sanctity, should become the habitation of devils: that she who claims to be Infallible, should be said to corrupt the earth: that a self-called Mother of Churches, should be called by the Spirit the Mother of abominations: that she who boasts to be Indefectible, should in one day be destroyed, and that Apostles should rejoice at her fallt: that she who holds, as she says, in her hands the Keys of Heaven, should be cast into the lake of fire by Him Who has the Keys of hell and the grave. All this, in truth, is a great and awful Mystery.

* Rev. i. 3. xxii. 7.

Rev. xviii. 20.

Nearly Eighteen Centuries have now passed away, since the Holy Spirit declared, by the mouth of St. John, to the Church, that this Mystery would be revealed in the City which was then the Queen of the Earth, the City on Seven Hills, the City of Rome.

The Mystery was then dark, dark as midnight. Man's eye could not pierce the gloom. The fulfilment of the prophecy seemed improbable,-almost impossible. Age after age rolled away. The mist which hung over it became less thick. The clouds began to break. Some features of the dark Mystery began to appear, dimly at first, then more clearly, like Mountains at daybreak. Then the form of the Mystery became more and more distinct. The Seven Hills, and the Woman sitting upon them, became more visible. Her voice was heard. Strange sounds of blasphemy were muttered by her. Then they became more and more loud. And the golden chalice in her hand, her scarlet attire, her pearls and

Kings and Nations

jewels, glittered in the Sun. were seen prostrate at her feet, and drinking her cup. Saints were slain by her power. And now the prophecy became clear; clear as noon-day; and we tremble with awe at the sight, while the eye reads the inscription emblazoned in large letters, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT," written by the hand of St. John, guided by the Spirit of God, on the forehead of the CHURCH of ROME.

LECTURE XIII.

REV. XV. 5-8. xvi. 1-21.

After that, I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: and the Seven Angels came out of the temple, having the Seven Plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four living creatures gave unto the Seven Angels SEVEN 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 Seven Angels were fulfilled.

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the Seven Angels, Go your ways, and pour out the VIALS of the wrath of God upon the earth.

And the First went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

And the Second Angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

And the Third Angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they