LORDS." This victorious avenger of his church, upon his own and their enemies, is further represented as having an inscription of another of his distinguishing titles, like a motto, written upon his upper garment, and particularly upon that part of it where the sword is worn, and where it might be visible to all around him, implying his universal and absolute dominion throughout the earth, as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. This part of the prediction illustrates a similar prophecy that seems to correspond with it, recorded in the book of Daniel: "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like "the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, "and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought "him near before him. And there was given him "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all "people, nations, and languages, should serve him: "his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which "shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which "shall not be destroyed*."

17. And I saw an angel standing in the sun: and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18. That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his 20. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with

brimstone.

army.

* Dan. vii. 13, 14.

These verses afford us a description of the tremendous destruction, by which the enemies of God. will be finally and totally overthrown. This is the decisive conflict, "the battle of Armageddon, the great day of God Almighty, the supper of the great God," when the civil and ecclesiastical powers, so long and so wickedly administered, will come to their predicted termination. Now will Antichrist perish, and be heard of no more, except in the page of history. Terrible things in righteousness have taken place in various ages of the world; but the strong language here used seems to imply that these tremendous events will surpass every thing that has preceded them. From the analogy of prophetic language, it may be presumed, that this conflict will consist in a war, or succession of battles, though one must necessarily be the last. This final contest is proclaimed by an angel standing in the sun, whose voice would of course be heard" from "the rising to the going down thereof," and thus the predicted judgments would be conspicuous to all the world. The proclamation of this angel shews the tremendous slaughter which will be made of the enemies of God; for he summons the ravenous birds, in allusion to a day of great slaughter (when birds and beasts of prey are accustomed to frequent the field of battle to feed upon the slain), to come and gather themselves together to a supper prepared for them by the great God. Here they are invited to feed upon the carcasses of men of all ranks and degrees, who shall be found on the antichristian side. The beast, or the last head of the Roman empire, whom the Apostle has before identified with the beast himself*, and the kings of the earth, who shall be leagued with him in his audacious attempt against the majesty of Heaven, and the false prophet, or the antichristian ecclesiastical power, together

with all their armies, including probably Papists, Mahomedans, and Infidels, will be gathered together to make war against him who sitteth upon the horse, and against his army. But they will be defeated, overthrown, and utterly destroyed. The beast and the false prophet will be captured and cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. The civil and ecclesiastical powers, which for the period of twelve hundred and sixty years had opposed the Messiah and his kingdom, will now come to their destined end, and be destroyed for ever. It may be necessary here to remark, that neither political nor ecclesiastical bodies can be literally cast into a place of torment, as individuals may be; but the imagery implies that the powers referred to will go into utter perdition, and fall to rise no more. As the universal Christian church in her millennial glory is described in language applicable to individual believers; so the beast and false prophet, or those civil and ecclesiastical powers which have opposed and persecuted the church of Christ, are represented as two rebellious, impenitent, and hardened sinners, who are cast into the abyss of fire, where the smoke of their torment will ascend up for ever and ever.

21. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

It is supposed, that after this terrible overthrow, there may be a remnant in different parts of the world, like the scattered remains of a defeated army, who will still possess the spirit of Antichrist. But these will be slain with the sword that proceeds out of the mouth of him that sits upon the horse; and, according to the figurative language of the prophecy, the birds of prey will feed upon their carcasses, and be fully satiated with their flesh. Thus all the enemies of Christ will be destroyed, the glory of God

will be manifested, and a way will be opened for that most glorious state of the Redeemer's kingdom upon the earth, described in the next chapter as the millennium, or thousand years' reign of Christ with his saints; when pure religion, and peace, and happiness, shall universally prevail throughout the whole world. "Then the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, "and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and "the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And "the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones "shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat "straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall "play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child "shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They "shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy moun"tain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge "of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea*."

How glorious does the Lord Jesus appear in the character and titles which he here bears! May we ever direct our eyes to Him who is faithful and true, who administers justice, and wages war in righte ousness! Let us ever remember that both his friends and his enemies are under the notice of his penetrating eyes, which are like a flame of fire. Let us rejoice in those diadems placed upon his head, which denote the extent of his wide dominions. Let us read with awe the name given unto him, that no man knew but himself, "The Word of God;" and the inscription upon his vesture and his thigh, THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Under these characters let us pay our homage to him, though we cannot, at present, know the extent of his glory, nor the heights and depths of his immeasurable love. Interested in his salvation, the awful destruction with which he will overwhelm his enemies, will never fall upon us. He will, however, smite all his

* See Isa. xi, 6-10.

adversaries with the rod of his mouth, and " with "the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked," till he hath crushed them all in the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. Alas! what tremendous destruction will then alight upon the proudest and stoutest of his enemies! In vain will the greatest potentates of the earth oppose his dominion; in vain will they marshal their captains and mighty men; in vain will they employ the strength of horses and them that sit thereon; in vain will be the combinations of bond and free, though Satan himself may abet their rebellion, inspire them with subtlety, and arm them with rage; for they will be opposed by Him whose arm is almighty, and whose sword shall devour them.-In whatever way the enemies of Christ may hereafter be destroyed, let his disciples aim at more peaceful and gentle victories. Let us, by our prayers, our example, and our exertions, seek the conversion of sinners and the salvation of those who have hitherto refused to submit to the peaceful sceptre of Christ.-If, however, tyrants continue to persecute the Church, and false prophets to corrupt it, we may rejoice that their power and their time are both limited; and that the former will at length be crushed, and the latter put to silence in darkness. Whatever may be the present tribulations of the Church, the time is rapidly advancing when they will terininate in a glorious state of peace and purity, of joy and prosperity. Amen, Hallelujah!