Papal Rome, as fhall be fully fhewn in the commentary on chap. xvii. from an explanation of this fymbol given by the fame unerring spirit, who dictated this book to John. In pride, luxury, idolatry, and perfecution of the church of God, Babylon resembled Papal Rome. Every unprejudiced perfon, who is acquainted with the history of both empires, muft be convinced that, in these particular features, Rome is the greater of the two. At the time to which this chapter refers; Papal Rome fhall be certainly and completely overthrown. She fhall be deftroyed, because she hath intoxicated all nations with her idolatry and fuperftition; on account of which they have often felt the effects of divine wrath.

Verfes 9th, 10th, 11th.-And the third angel followed them, faying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the fame fhall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out, without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimftone, in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment afcendeth up for ever and ever: And they have no reft day

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day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whofoever receiveth the mark of his name.

When the time of the final overthrow of Papal Rome fhall draw near, the evidences that the Papal hierarchy is Antichristian, and that the religion which is modelled upon the fimplicity and purity of the bible, is the religion of Jesus, shall be so ftrong, ftriking and universal, that an adherence then to Popish idolatry shall be punished with exquifite and endless mifery, in a future state.

The words in thefe verfes are fo plain and ftrong that they need no comment. Here, however, it may not be improper to obferve, that this is the first paffage, in this book, in which future mifery is denounced against men merely for their Popery. In every part of Europe, before the Reformation, the greatest part of the people were fo totally without the means of information, that that ignorance, which was the mother of their Popish devotion, was, certainly, as to them, a kind of neceffary ignorance. In moft Popish countries, to this day, though fome of their leaders may be informed, artful, interested, and defigning men, the great body of the people are in a state of neceffary ignorance. How God will deal with well difpofed perfons, at the day of final judgement, who, in the courfe of his providence, having been

placed

placed in these fituations, have profeffed themfelves Roman Catholics in this world, it is not our province to determine, any more than it is with refpect to those, who, in heathen countries, long have been, and ftill are placed under a fimilar neceffary ignorance. We know not the utmost extent of the merit of Chrift's blood, nor all the fecret avenues by which the Spirit of God can convey his purifying grace unto the hearts of men. But we know, that the Judge of all the earth, ever, does that which is right, and that he hath said to us, relative to fuch cafes, "Who art thou that

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judgeft another man's fervant, to his own master "he ftandeth or falleth." As nothing is faid with respect to their future doom, in this book, until the period comes, in which they cannot plead neceffary ignorance as an apology for their superstition; let us learn that it is our duty to say nothing with respect to it. The fecret things belong to the Lord our God; but the things," that are "revealed belong unto us." Let us pity and pray / for thofe deluded men. Let us, by the spiritual and gentle means which the gospel prescribes, and by these only, do what we can to convey to them the knowledge, and to make them feel the power of that kingdom of God, which is not meats and drinks, but truth, righteoufnefs, peace and joy in the holy Ghoft. Let us blefs God, that our fituation in the world is fo much more favourable for

the

the discovery of truth, and the proper exercise of the rights of confcience. And let us improve these privileges; left either a contempt of them, or a falfe confidence in them, fhould render our guilt and our doom greater than that of these deluded men, whom too many are apt, with an unchriftian temper, to doom, in a body, to eternal deftruction.

Verses 12th, 13th.-Here is the patience of the faints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, Bleffed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours; and their works do follow them.

At the beginning of the reign of the Beast, we heard the same thing faid of the patience and faith of the faints, chap. xiii. 10. What was said of their faith and patience at the commencement, is now faid of them at the end of his reign. The long period of 1243 years fhall not be able to exhaust their patience, shake their faith, nor make them abandon the service of God. At that period, it fhall fully appear that their faith, patience, and ●bedience, have been built upon a good founda

tion, when every thing relative to Chrift's kingdom hath in fact come to pass just as they believ ed and hoped.

To die in the Lord, is to die believing in Jefus as the Chrift and the Son of God, and purified by his Spirit and word. It is to die interested in Christ, in fuch a manner as to be justified and rendered eternally happy through him. "There is

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"now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jefus, who walk not after the flesh but after the fpirit."

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Those who thus die in the Lord, are pronounced bleffed. ft, Because they shall reft from their toils and labours in this world. And 2d, Because their works fhall follow them, or, more agreeably to the original, fhall follow fo closely that they may almost be said to go along with them. By this expreffion it is not only intimated that, in a future state, none of their labours of love shall be forgotten by that God whom they had ferved in the midft of a crooked and perverfe generation; but also, in this world, in a short time after their death, full justice shall be done to their characters and memory, at the commencement of the millennium. At whatever time they yield to the stroke of death, those who die in the Lord are bleffed. But the death of fuch is pronounced peculiarly bleffed at that time, in reference to the bloody and violent wars, in which Antichrist, after his last

and