cordingly, from the circumstance of this city representing conjointly the temporal Roman Empire and

Empire. Consequently, the Church of Rome, in its largest acceptation, must be the apocalyptic Babylon or great city, unless we confine it (which is an absurdity) within the limits of literal Rome. Hence the spiritual great city must mean the whole Papal Empire, or the diocesan Roman Church, presiding as the alleged mother and mistress of all other national Latin Churches comprehended within the bounds of its own western peculium, and claiming a supremacy over the East also.

II. So again: since our Lord is said to have been crucified within the great city, and since the great city undoubtedly means Rome in some sense or other; it is evident, that the secular great city cannot be the exclusive town of Rome, because our Lord was not there crucified on the contrary, it must plainly mean the Roman Empire, within the geographical limits of which his crucifixion actually occurred. Rev. xi. 8.

III. Further: the first apocalyptic wild-beast, which undoubtedly symbolises the Roman Empire, is said to have ten horns or kingdoms; and the great city is said to consist of ten different parts or streets. Rev. xi. 13. Hence it is natural to conclude, that the ten parts of the city are the same, in point of import, as the ten horns of the seven-headed wild-beast. But, if that be the case, the great city must mean, not merely the town of Rome, but the Roman Empire at large or (in strict ideality) Rome presiding over her Empire. Under this aspect, as denoting conjointly Rome and the Roman Empire, it is described as seated upon seven hills: but then we are informed also, that the seven heads of the wild-beast typify, not only seven hills, but seven forms of government; a circumstance, which plainly shews that the Empire as including the town must be intended, for the influence of the seven forms of government extended far beyond the walls of the mere town. See Pol. Synop. in Rev. xi. 8. Brightman's Apoc. Apoc. fol.

the spiritual sovereignty exercised upon its geogra phical platform, it is exhibited to us under the compound hieroglyphic of a wild-beast ridden by a harlot1.

The great city is said to comprehend ten different parts or streets, which answer to the ten horns of the first apocalyptic wild-beast, and which denote the ten kingdoms of the divided Roman Empire: for, since one tenth part of the great city is thrown down by an earthquake at the close of the second woe, such language of necessity implies a division into ten parts.

The same great city is viewed also under two different aspects, according to its wider and its narrower extent. As a literal city may, at one time, comprehend within its walls a much larger tract of land, than it does at another time; whence a district, which was formerly within it, may be subsequently without it: so the allegorical great city is variously spoken of, according as in point of geography it is variously contemplated. On this principle, the platform of the ten streets, though it constituted the whole city when viewed in reference to the ecclesiastical authority exercised from

174, 175, 258. Lowman's Paraph. in Rev. xi. 8. Fleming's Apoc. Key, p. 41. Doddridge's Paraph. in Rev. xi. 8. Jurieu's Accomp. of Script. Proph. part ii. p. 261--267. Heidagger. Myst. Babyl. Magn. tom. i. p. 219. Grot. Comment. in Apoc. xvii.

Rev. xvii. 1-7.

2 Rev. xi. 13.

its palace or centre, constituted but a part of it when viewed in reference to the wide dominions of the Roman Cesars: and, on the same principle, any province, which lies beyond the geographical limits of the ten streets, may be truly described as being either within or without the city. In this manner, accordingly, we find the province of Judèa spoken of. Our Lord is said, by the apocalyptic prophet, to have been crucified within the great city; because he was crucified in the province of Judea, at that time within the limits of the Roman Empire: yet is that identical province described also as being without the great city; because it lies without the platform of the ten streets, which constituted the proper Western Roman Empire or the Latin Patriarchate '.

The great city of the Apocalypse contains also the throne of its monarch. This is said to have been spiritually occupied by the dragon but he is represented as surrendering it to a visible sovereign, who is pronounced to be the beast under some one or other of his seven heads. By the throne we are plainly enough to understand the tyrannical domination of the reigning head; which is described as exercising power, during the times of the figurative harlot, conjunctively with the ten regal horns. Hence the effusion of wrath upon

Rev. xi. 8. xiv. 20.

2 Rev. xiii. 2.

3 Rev. xvii. 12.

the throne and the darkening of the bestial kingdom will denote either an interruption or a subversion of the Roman imperial authority1.

The great city, we are told, is seated upon the sea or upon nations in the perpetual turmoil of worldly politics and, like opulent natural cities, it is said to have abundance of merchants and shipmasters. These merchants, who enrich themselves by trading with her, are declared by the prophet to be the great men of the earth or the princes of the Roman territory 2.

(2.) As the great city of the dragon denotes the apostate Roman Empire though chiefly viewed in its ecclesiastical character; so the holy city of the Lamb is the Church of Christ: and, as this part of the poetical machinery is borrowed from the literal Jerusalem; so the furniture of the holy city is avowedly taken from that of the literal metropolis of Palestine. Hence it is described, as having a temple and an altar and a court without the temple: hence also it has a sanctuary and a daily sacrifice: hence, in the midst of it, are the throne of God and the ark of his covenant: and hence, in the temple, are two olive-trees and two candlesticks, which are said to be the two witnesses of Christ3.

By the temple of God, with its two inner courts, we are to understand the spiritual Church of the

1 Rev. xvi. 10.

2 Rev. xviii. 11, 15, 17, 18, 19, 23.

3 Rev. xi. 1-4, 19. Dan. viii. 10–12.

truly piqus; viewed as contradistinguished from those, who cleave to the visible Church with flatteries, or who have a name that they live while they are dead1: and, by the daily sacrifice offered upon the altar before the ark of the covenant, we are analogically to understand the prayers and praises of God's people, which are daily offered up unto the Lord in a reliance upon the covenanted mercies vouchsafed through the merits of his Son. The outer court, which under the Levitical Dispensation was set apart for the Gentiles, represents a new race of Pagans, Christians in name but Gentiles in practice whence the treading of it under foot signifies the introduction of paganising heresies and apostasies 3. In a similar manner, the profanation of the sanctuary, and the abolition of the daily sacrifice, and the setting up the apostasy of desolation; which are all images taken from the literal history of the Jews, relating to the sack of Jerusalem by the Romans and to the introduction of their abominable idolatry into the very precincts of the temple: these images, when employed symbolically, mean the introduction of apostasy or idolatry into the Church of Christ and the abolition or studied interruption of divine worship. Lastly, whatever may be their particular application in the Apoca

1 1 Corinth. iii. 16. vi. 19. 2 Corinth. vi. 16. 2 Hos. xiv. 2. Rev. viii. 3, 4. Psalm cxvi. 17. Rom. xii. 1.

3 Dan. viii. 10-12. Rev. xi. 1, 2.

Dan. viii. 10-12. Rev. xi. 1, 2.

Heb. iii. 6.

Amos iv. 5.