it is not difficult to comprehend, decline entering: and 1 shall only observe, that though every other European monarchy fhould ftand justly chargeable with notorious antichristianism, it does not of neceffity follow, that that of Great Britain carries upon it the same fatal marks; nor, though every other writer on the fubject fhould maintain, that the English monarchy is unquestionably and of course one of the Ten Horns, is it an inevitable inference, that the evidence should strike me with equal force, or that I should entertain the opinion at all? It is, however, apprehended, that on this point the mind of the intelligent and unprejudiced reader will not long hefitate to decide.

As the events, foretold by St. John in ch. xvii. are of great importance, and terminate in a manner favourable to the best interests of mankind, he refumes the subject in ch. xix. And I faw the Beast, and the Kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that fat on the horse, (i. e. against Christ) 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 had worshipped his image: thefe were both caft alive into a lake of fire. This paffage alike respects the oppreffive governments and oppreffive hierarchies of the European world. The final overthrow of the antichriftian church, fays a learned commentator on prophecy, will be accomplished in the 'fubverfion of those civil powers, which have been its 'only and its long support'.' 'It is nothing,' fays a

*

The Beaft and the False Prophet,' i. e. fays bp. Newton (in loc.), the 'Antichriftian Powers, Civil and Ecclefiaftical.'

• Mr. Wakefield tranflates it, the Falfe Teacher.

▾ Commentaries and Essays; printed for Johnson. Signature Synergus,

P. 485.

X 3

cele

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celebrated writer, but the alliance of the kingdom of 'Chrift with the kingdoms of this world (an alliance 'which our Lord himself exprefsly difclaimed), that supports the groffeft corruptions of Chriftianity; and` 'perhaps we muft wait for the fall of the civil powers 'before this moft unnatural alliance be broken. Calamitous, no doubt, will that time be. But what convulfion in the political world ought to be a fubject of lamentation, if it be attended with so desirable an event? May the kingdom of God, and of Chrift (that which I ' conceive to be intended in the Lord's prayer) truly and fully come, though all the kingdoms of the world be removed in order to make way for it1o.'

Fire is a fymbol of deftruction; and accordingly the cafting of the Beast and the Falfe Prophet into a lake of fire, denotes, to use the words of an early apocalyptical writer upon this paffage, the perpetual ruin of all antichristian tyranny, and an utter end of all wicked dominion". In the 14th v. In the 14th v. of the xxth chapter, immediately after the description of the general resurrection and the day of judgment, the fame12 language is employed. It is faid of Death, that he was caft into a lake of fire. Here alfo the expreffion has a figurative acceptation here alfo it denotes, not torment, but deftruction13: here also it is applied, not to a real, but an ideal perfonage. The ten-horned Beast and the Falfe Prophet

10

P. 489,

Priestley's Hist. of the Corruptions of Christianity, vol. II. 11 The Irenicon Abridged, by W. Sherwin, 1674, p. 37. 12 In the original the two paffages vary not'at all. In both it is Thy Are The Tupas, which our tranflation arbitrarily renders, in one place, a lake of fire, in the other, the lake of fire.

13 This lake of fire is but a fymbolical notion, or representation of the * perpetual continuation and unchangeableness of that ftate, into which 'those matters are reduced, which are said to be thrown therein; imply< ing, that they shall no more affect mankind, as being to them utterly deftroyed.' Dambuz

were

·

་་

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were both caft alive into a lake of fire. This,' fays Dr.
Lancaster in his abridgment of Daubuz, not only fig-
'nifies, that the punishment of the Beast and of the
False Prophet will be exceeding dreadful, but also that
it will, and at the fame time the confequences of it, be
more terrible than that of their adherents. For we
'muft confider, that-the Beaft and Falfe Prophet are
⚫ bodies politic and perpetual or fucceffive; and that the
'defign here is to fhew us, that Chrift will not only
destroy at last the perfons, who at that time are in
poffeffion of what is fignified by the Beast and Falfe
Prophet, but also utterly extirpate the succeffion of the
tyranny and falfe prophecy for ever. So that the Beast
' and the Falfe Prophet are perfons in a double capacity;
that is, persons in general, enemies to Christ, and also
in poffeffion of a power, which is to be extinguished
'with them. And therefore their particular judgment
must be confidered with that double view.' Of these
two emblematic perfonages the prophet afferts, not only
that they were thrown into a lake of fire, but that they
were thrown alive. Now, fays Daubuz, alive fignifies
one having power and activity;' and therefore when
they are faid to be caft alive,' this may be defigned to
fhew, that this fudden Revolution fhall happen to them
'whilft they are vigorous and active, ftrengthening
' themselves to refift', and little expecting to be fud-
⚫denly overcome, and that all the power of this tyranny
' and false prophecy shall be so destroyed, that it shall never
'be able to act again. That is, not only that the perfons
of them that hold the power shall be deftroyed, which
' is but a tranfient punishment; but also, that their fuc-

"Perfectly does this correspond with the account of the war of Armageddon, in which the confederated antichriftian princes are to levy mighty forces, and vigorously to exert themfelves, immediately previous to their complete overthrow.

Mighty and the Nobles of this world are astonished, when they are told there will foon be a Great Change1. This celebrated German, it will perhaps be thought, was fomewhat premature, when he stated this astonishment to have taken place at the time he wrote 20. But as applied to the present æra his statement seems perfectly correct. The materials of a Great Change in the European world are already collected; and rapid is their increase. At length the period is arrived, when all the plunderers of mankind, however discriminated by titles or offices, feel alternate emotions of aftonishment and terror; and are feriously apprehenfive of being buried under the foundation of a Mighty Revolution.

19 Int. to the Apoc. ut supra, p. 326.

20 His Expofition was published in 1740.

CHAPTER XIX.

ON PROPHECY IN GENERAL, AND THE HEBREW PROPHETS IN PARTICULAR.

HITHERTO
ITHERTO I have been principally employed in

citing extracts, or suggesting thoughts, illustrative of the apocalyptic predictions. But as a confiderable number of those, which occur in the chapters immediately fucceeding, and in the subsequent part of the work, are taken either from Daniel, or from Isaiah, or from fome other prophetic writer of the Jewish difpenfa tion, I have concluded, that fome extracts, relative to the Hebrew prophets, and to prophecy in general, may

be

1

be properly introduced, and that this part of the work furnishes a convenient place for their insertion. Had fo large an affemblage of general obfervations been introduced in the beginning of the work, and added to thofe, relative to the apocalypfe, which are brought forward in the iiid and ivth chapters, I fhould have been apprehensive, left a confiderable proportion of my readers, being principally folicitous to penetrate the import of particular prophecies, would have neglected to betow upon them that degree of attention which they justly claim.

4

To know future events,' fays Dr. Sykes, and to be ' able to foretell them, is not, cannot be the effect of 'ftudy, or peculiar temperature of body; it cannot be taught in fchools, fince it depends upon an infinity of ⚫ free contingent actions, which he alone who governs all things can direct or foresee. If, therefore, events have been forefeen and foretold, at fuch distance of ' time, as excludes the knowledge of human minds, and 'the powers of their conjectures, it must be owing to 'divine influence, and to that alone'.'

There are, it may be observed, several propofitions, to prove any one of which, would be to prove the nonexistence of prophecy. But then these propofitions are so unreasonable, fo unfounded, that to give a fimple statement of them will be fufficient to convince the honeft inquirer, that they are completely incapable of proof. If Collins, in his work against prophecy,' would have acted the part of a fair and reasonable adversary, ' he should,' fays. Dr. Samuel Chandler, have proved 'prophecy an impoffible thing; either that there is no God; or that if there is, he doth not concern himself

6

about the affairs of nations and kingdoms; or that if

1

Principles and Connexion of Nat. and Rev. Rel. p. 176.