-The proclamation of the bishop of Rome to be universal bifhop, about the year fix hundred, was a notable epoch in the church. If we fuppofe that antichrift as God, then fat in the temple of God, and compute the twelve hundred fixty years from that period, they will expire about the year eighteen hundred fixty. So the inveftiture of the pope with Italy, or St. Peter's patrimony, as it was called, about the year feven hundred and fifty, was another very diftinguishable event in the hiftory of the church: and if we reckon the term from this date, it will expire about the year two thousand. But which of these, or whether either of them be the event especially in the view of the prophecy, it is prefumed, cannot be determined by mortal men. As the fubject is involved in great obfcurity, it fufficiently intimates, that it would not be useful but injurious to the church, that a more particular revelation fhould be given of it. So much as divine wisdom forefaw would be for the benefit of the church, and anfwer the great purposes of a divine revelation, is exhibited, and more we ought not to defire. Let us now confider another important part of the prophecy,

IV. The flaughter and refurrection of the witneffes.

AND when they fhall have finifbed their teftimony, the beaft that afcendeth out of the bottomless pit fhall make war upon them and overcome them and kill them, &c. &c. ver. 7. 13.-Critics obferve that the expreffion, When they fhall have finifbed their teftimony, is not fimply a defective, but an erroneous tranflation. That inftead of rendering it in paft, it ought to have been rendered in future time, While they shall perform, or when they VOL. III. No. 11.

'fhall be about to finish their tef'timony.' This makes the fubject more natural; it being more unnatural, that the beast should make war upon them and kill them after they had finished their teftimony and ceafed to torment him, than that being exasperated by their teftimony, he should make war upon them to fupprefs it, and relieve himself of the tor ment.-If we read the paffage, When they fhall be about to finish their teflimony, the fenfe will be, In the latter part of the time that the witneffes fhall testify against the ufurpation, blafphemy and ty ranny of the beast, he shall make war upon them, and overcome them and kill them, &c. Do not the expreffions which contain this important and yet obfcure prophecy intimate, that the scene drawn in it, would open and terminate before the teftimony of the witneffes fhould be completed? That it would also be a period in their prophecy peculiarly afflictive and diftreffing? Before they prophe fied in fackcloth, but now war is made upon them, they are over come, flain, and their dead bodies expofed to public reproach and fhame. May we not confider this prophecy as especially relating to the pofterity of those remon ftrants against antichriftian ufur pation, who retired from Rome and Italy in the fixth century, and fettled themselves in the valleys of Piedmont; and from whom proceeded those who were called Waldenfes, Albigenfes, and Leonifts, and who in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries had become fo numerous and pointed in their proteftations against antichriftian corruption, that they alarmed, and excited the wrath and vengeance of the papal fee; which therefore perHhh

portion between the term of their fuppreffion, and the time that they fhould be fupported in teftifying against the blafphemy and tyranny of antichrift; but as three days and a half to three years and fix months, or as three years and a half to twelve hundred fixty years. As three days and a half is the longeft time that a dead body can ordinarily be fuppofed to continue without putrefaction, it may also be used to fignify, that tho' the church fhould be reduced to a ftate the nearest to irrecoverable extinction, yet, through the vig. ilance and effectual interpofition of her Lord and head, she should not fee corruption.--Ver. 10.

And they that dwell upon the earth,' the worshippers of the beaft and his image, ‘sball rejoice, or exult, over the witneffes in their afflicted ftate, and shall

fecuted them with menaces and excommunications, deprived them of civil immunities and privileges, interdicted all focial intercourfe with them, and finally waged war upon them, raifing and fending huge armies against them, which practifed the most horrid cruelties upon them, until being overcome and their country defolated, they fled to various parts of Europe, especially to Bohemia, where many embraced their doctrine, which produced new perfecutions, wars and defolations, until, in the iffue, by the united force of the emperor and the pope, they were every where vifibly fuppreffed. Thus the witnesses were overcome and killed. This fcene opened in the thirteenth, continued thro' the fourteenth, and ended with the fifteenth century.-Ver. 8. And their dead bodies fhall lie in the freets of the great city' of Rome, or the Roman empire, which is fpiritually called Sodom,' for its voluptuoufnefs and corruption of manners, and Egypt' for its cru- days and a half, at the moment elty and oppreffion, where alfo that the worshippers of the beaft our Lord was crucified' in the fuppofed the dead bodies of the perfecution of his children and witneffes would begin to putrify people, as he will in the great city and turn to duft, the Spirit of life in the perfecation of his difciples from God entered into them,' they and followers.-Ver. 9. And they revived, and not only came to life, of the people and kindred and but flood upon their feet," poffeffed tongues and nations,' the various of fuch ftrength, that they affumcitizens of Rome and the fubjects ed an erect pofture, indicating of the empire' fhall fee their dead that they fhould now vindicate bodies three days,' prophetically their caufe, teftify against and toryears, and an half, and shall not ment the beaft and his worshipfuffer their dead bodies to be put in pers, to their furprise and confugraves,' denying them the com- fion.-Ver. 12. And they,' the mon privilege of fepulture, and witneffes, heard a great voice from expofing them to public reproach heaven faying unto them, Come up and fhame; treating the witneffes hither,' fenfibly experiencing diand their cause, in their depreffed vine interpofition, and were fecurand abject ftate, with the utmosted from their enemies by divine indignity and contempt. Perhaps and civil protection and favor, and three days and a half may be this in the view of their perfecutfpecified to fhew the great difpro- ors and to their great furprise and

make merry and be glad,' that the witneffes were dead, and they should no more be 'tormented by them.'-Ver. 11. And after three

regret. Ver. 13. And the fame hour' at the fame time that the witneffes experienced this fpecial protection, which fecured them from the malice of their enemies, there was a great earthquake,' a mighty convulfion, and the tenth part of the city fell,' in which there was a ferious revolt from the church, and in the earthquake,' or convulfion, there were feven conflicts and bloody battles, in which there were flain of men feven thou fand, and the remnant those who furvived were affrighted,' filled with confternation and terror, and gave glory to God' by fubmitting to his providence and ceafing from their cruelty and perfecution. Suppofing this prophecy of the refurrection of the witneffes to relate to the reformation, by Luther, Calvin and other reformers, in fupport of the hypothefis, the following very general obfervations are briefly fubmitted to confideration.

was a great concuffion, or fhaking in the empire and the church, great animofities, fevere contefts and bloody battles in which many were flain. Thefe iffued in the eftablishment of protestanism, when the witneffes flood upon their feet." By this a tenth part of the city fell, the church fuffered a great diminution of her extent, and the anthority, terror and revenues of the pope were greatly reduced.

2. This correfponds with the time specified in the prophecy. Perhaps a fuperficial perufal of the prophecy may have produced a belief, that this fcene completed the prophecy of the witneffes and the reign of antichrift; but will not a more critical examination give us a different view of it. Should we not reflect, that the witnesses rife in the same character in which they were flain, as witnees? Does not this imply, that

his hiftory of Charles fifth, emperor of Germany, fo forcibly occurs to mind on this occafion, that I cannot fupprefs a brief narrative of it. The pope exafperated by the declamations of Luther against him, refolved to terminate them by a violent effort. He accordingly fent an armed force to apprehend and put him to death. The elector of Saxony, being informed of this, privately dispatched a party to feize and conduc him to a strong caftle. By this feafon

1. The events of that period correfpond with the feveral parts of the prophecy. Previous to the reformation, the witneffes, the oppofers of antichriftian ufurpation, were the most reduced that they were at any period in the hiftory of the church. They were vifibly fuppreffed. This was an occafion of great public joy and congratulation to the pope and his devotees. This however was of very short continuance. Soon the witneffes, in Luther and oth-ly fecured and fecreted. His difaper reformers, appeared to teftify against the corruptions of the church, and the impiety and tyranny of the pope, with great fortitude and zeal. They were preferved by the fignal interpofition of providence and the patronage of civil power and princes. There

One very fingular event refpecting Luther, related by Dr. Robertson in

able artifice, he was rescued from the evil to which he was devoted; and for three years, if I mistake not, effectual

pearing in this fudden manner filled his friends and enemies with great confter

nation. He availed himself of this fereformation which he had commenced, cure retreat to profecute the work of by publishing many pieces to vindicate the truth, and expofe the tyranny and vices of the clergy, to the no small joy and confirmation of his friends, and the regret and confusion of his perfecutors, tho' neither of them knew where he was.-How really was this like afcend. ing to beaven in a cleud !

neffes continued to remonftrate and teftify againft it. And hath not the ftate of Chriftendom, from that period to the prefent time, been a continued demonftration of it? What perfecutions hath antichrift fince raifed to deftroy the witneffes? What artful ftratagems hath he devifed, what mighty efforts hath he made, to fubvert the proteftant caufe and recover his diminished authority and influ

titude, zeal and activity, have the followers of the Lamb been called to prevent it?

the term of their teftimony had not yet expired, that the days of their mourning were not yet ended, nor the beaft deftroyed? In the earthquake only a tenth part of the city fell; it confequently yet flood in great ftrength. The fcene alfo exifted in the prefcribed period. It should exift while the witneffes performed, or were about to finish, and yet within the time of their prophecy: and the reformation, fo adverse to the inter-ence? And to what vigilance, foreft of the beaft, and favorable to the cause of the witneffes was remote from every period from which the reign of antichrift hath been computed. If we reckon from feven hundred fifty-fix, when the bishop of Rome became a temporal prince, the lateft date, it gives us a term of much more than half the whole time. If we compute from fix hundred, when he was proclaimed univerfal bifhop, it removes the distance much further; and if the real date be earlier, which may not be improbable, confidering that God's tho'ts are high above the tho'ts of men, as the heavens are high above the earth, it will extend the diftance fo much further, and bring it fo much nearer the period, when the witneffes fhall not prophecy in fackcloth any more

May it not alfo be obferved with propriety, that the period of the reformation, appears to have been the grand crifis of the controverfy between the beaft and the witneffes, or the myfery of iniquity and the perfecuted and weeping caufe of Chrift. Antecedent to that event the dragon had perfecuted the feed of the woman with unremitting cruelty and rage. The flood-gates of infernal malice and refentment had been opened upon them. The beaft wore out the faints of the Moft High with pains and tortures; and they being forfaken and defolate fat on the ground. Zion faid, in the fpirit of defpondence, The Lord hath forfaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. But her cries and groans entered his moft gracious ear. He then awoke as a man out of fleep, and began to make bare his holy

3. This application is fupported by fubfequent facts. It was obferved in the preceding remark, that the terms imported a continuation of the conteft. The fcene itfelf fuggefts the power and fuc-arm for her falvation. He then cefs of the beaft, the fuppreffion began to turn her captivity to her of the witneffes, and the abject relief and joy, and the chagrin ftate of their caufe; with their and confufion of her foes.-Analrevival and establishment to the af- ogous to all his difpenfations, in tonishment of their foes. This fimilar cafes, he hath continued to implies that the controverfy was protect and will fupport her. As not yet decided: That antichrift he then eminently began to avenge perfifted in exercifing his ufurped his church of her adverfary, by and impious power, and the wit- what fignal interpofitions of his

providence, hath he been difcon- | ftupidity, negligence and unfaithcerted and confounded, and fhe fulnefs. Then they reflect and refcued, defended and preferved? tremble, and wonder what they And now she is comparatively ex- have been doing. The world alted, and he is humble and bro't gaze on the change, and ask, low. Do not the figns of the What is the matter now? What times, constrain us to believe, has befallen thefe zealous people? that the way is rapidly preparing Such a fcene presents a mystery for her final and complete deliver- which men cannot eafily folve. ance from him, and the period But the fcriptures will explain the faft approaching, when he fhall difficulty, and remove it on rabe fo totally deftroyed, that place tional principles: "I rememfhall be found for him no more at bered God and was troubled." all; when the witneffes fhall ex- "True, might the Pfalmift fay, change their afles for beauty, and great inconfiftence appears in my their fackcloth for the garments moral conduct. The reafon is, of joy and praife? Whether the I do not fet God conftantly bepreceding be a true expofition fore me. When He is before me, and application of the prophecy, I feel a folemnity which fenfibly and if it be, whether it be fuffi- flows thro' all my thoughts, words ciently manifeft from this illuftra- and actions. I make his holy tion of it, fhall now be submitted law my delight. It is my medi to the confideration of the can- tation all the day. But when did and judicious. It fhall only God is out of fight, then, alas ! be added, that this important, and I become infenfible of religion, affecting fcene, concludes the join with the world, and fall into contents of the little book. trouble." Such was the cafe of the Pfalmift. And as human nature is the fame, and Christian experience fimilar, in all ages, this cafe will account for the different frames in which we find ourselves. The character of God, when Meditations on Psalm lxxvii. clearly in view, will put a relig remembered God and was trou-ious folemnity on all objects; but bled. Defigned to illuftrate the queflion, "How is it, that the things of religion fhould meet with fuch diverfe moral feelings, at different times, among mankind."

(To be continued.)
PEREGRINUS.

FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN-
GELICAL MAGAZINE.

NUMBER I.

3. I

when it is not, the things even of fee the force of this statement, it religion appear indifferent. To will be neceffary to obferve, That God's moral character confits in perfect holiness: He loves right

On the moral feelings of believers.eousness and hates iniquity. He has

given a law which perfectly harmonifes with his holy nature, and which admits of no moral exercise but holinefs. This is evident from the uniform language and whole tenor of the fcriptures. To correfpond with such a rule of moral exercifes, God has form

ONG experience teaches, that pious men do not, uniformly, have the fame fenfe of religion. At one time, this important fubject appears to engage the whole man. At another, it has little vifible impreffion on their minds. They fink into ftrangeed us with the capacity for moral