the inhabitants of heaven are called upon to sing a song of triumph on the event of her destruction.

20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on

her.

The same rejoicing is announced upon the predicted fall of ancient Babylon; and her eternal desolation is represented under the same imagery*. By heaven may here be meant the true Church of Christ, militant here an earth, and triumphant in glory; including the Apostles of our Lord, who laid the foundation of the Christian church, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; the Prophets, who have prophesied of these latter days; the two witnesses, who have since been prophesying in sackcloth; and all faithful pastors, teachers, and private Christians. These will all triumph and rejoice because God will have awfully displayed his justice, and fulfilled his predictions, in taking vengeance on this antichristian power, which would fain have destroyed the Church itself and all that are built upon its foundation.

21. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. 22. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23. And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 24. And in her was found the

* Jer. li. 48, 64,

blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

When Jeremiah prophesied of the destruction of ancient Babylon, he gave the following charge to Seraiah: "When thou comest to Babylon, it shall "be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast "it into the midst of Euphrates: and thou shalt "say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise "again." Thus, as the stone was tied to a book and cast into the Euphrates, by the direction of the Prophet, in token of the fall of literal Babylon; so a mighty and glorious angel took up a stone in his hand, and with force and violence hurled it into the sea. This action is very strongly and beautifully expressed in the original Greek, as if the millstone would not fall sufficiently rapid by its own accelerated force, without an impetus to be impressed upon it by the power of the destroying angel. Thus the total and final overthrow of the Papacy is here predicted by the most affecting and striking symbol that can possibly be imagined. Thus antichristian Rome shall be overwhelmed never more to rise again, and her ruin will be total, final, and complete. This destruction will excite the most doleful lamentations among the adherents of the antichristian church, as well as cause the members of the true church of Christ to shout for joy. The marks of this desolation are recounted with triumph. The sounds of music, the bustle of craftsmen, the grinding of millstones, the light of lamps and candles, and the joyful salutations of the bridegroom and the bride, have all ceased; and they are succeeded by the awful stillness of death. Are the reasons of this destruction inquired?-Three are here assigned by the angel who is represented as executing the tremendous commission.

* See Jer. l. 61-64.

First, "her merchants were the great men of the "earth." Those who dealed in her spiritual merchandise, enriched themselves by their imposing and iniquitous traffic.-Secondly, "by her sorceries all "nations were deceived." By the bewitching allurements, the lying sophistries, and the pretended miracles of this antichristian church, all the states and kingdoms under its dominion have been imposed on. By its pernicious superstition and its destructive idolatry they have been seduced and deceived.Thirdly," in her was found the blood of prophets, "and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the "earth." This is the sin which has peculiarly aggravated her crimes, and which will tremendously enhance her condemnation and misery. She has shed the blood of the saints by myriads. The number she has slain is past computation. This consideration alone will therefore justify God, as the righteous and moral Governor of the world, in executing upon her the predicted vengeance.

From this chapter we have the most convincing evidence of the certain and irrecoverable fall of the antichristian power of Rome papal. She is the mystical Babylon, whose ruin has been pronounced by an illustrious angel, as the herald of Jehovah, and confirmed by the emblem of a vast millstone thrown with violence into the depths of the sea. How dreadful and complete will her destruction be! She who flourished in abundance, pomp, and luxury, and who sat as a queen and supposed she should see no sorrow, shall become desolate, like a horrible uninhabited wilderness, haunted by demons, and doleful birds, and savage beasts. All her pride, and riches, and luxury, shall be turned into shame, and want, and misery; all her joy into mourning, and all her pleasure into torment. Strong is the Lord who judgeth her, and it is impossible that she can withstand the force of his omnipotent arm.-Blessed be God that Britain has long been separated from this

devoted antichristian power.-May every attempt to bring her back again under its tyrannical dominion be defeated! May the boundaries of the Reformation be rapidly extended, and the purity of the Reformed churches be daily augmented!-Let the members of the true Church live in the expectation of the speedy overthrow of mystical Babylon. Let none think of praying for her continuance; for, as well might they expect that the final judgment may be averted by prayer, as the destruction of this devoted power. Let us then rather pray that individuals may come out of her, and be separate; that they may partake neither of her sins, nor of her punishments.— May every Protestant reader of these reflections live consistently with the light and privileges with which he is favoured, and be found at last a true and living member of that glorious Church which the Lord Jesus will present to his Father, "not having spot, ་ or wrinkle, or any such thing."

SECTION XVIII.

The Triumphs of the heavenly Host in the Judgments of God on the great Harlot. The Espousals of the Lamb, and the Character of his Bride. The Angel refuses the Worship of the Apostle. Jesus the Subject and Spirit of Prophecy.

Chap. xix, 1-10.

AND after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 2. For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 3. And

again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. 4. And the four-and-twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. 5. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

After the Apostle had witnessed the destruction of mystical Babylon, he heard the heavenly host singing with a loud voice the praises of God in triumphant Alleluias, and ascribing to him the deliver ance and salvation of the Church; and adoring his glorious perfections in this and all his other works of providence and redemption. The same providential dispensations which called forth the lamentation of the kings and the merchants of the earth, excite the heavenly hosts to sing with a loud voice their repeated Alleluias. The word Alleluia, or Hallelujah, is a Hebrew compound term, signifying "Praise ye Jehovah." This is a word of holy exultation, which has passed into many languages, both ancient and modern. This choral multitude in heaven attribute "salvation, and glory, and ho"nour, and power, unto the Lord our God," for having executed his judgments on that corrupt and persecuting church, which the angel denominated "Mystery, Babylon the great, the Mother of Har

lots, and Abominations of the Earth; the great "Whore, which corrupted the earth with her for"nication." While the heavenly host are chanting their songs of praise, the smoke of the city arises