GIVE GLORY TO HIM; for the hour of his judg"ment is come; and wORSHIP HIM THAT MADE 66 HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND THE SEA, AND THE FOUNTAINS OF WATERS *." Thus feeming to foretel, that" before Satan, and his mighty con

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federacy, fhall make their laft effort to crush" and extirpate the word of God from the earth, with defign to prevent the coming of Chrift to reign upon it, that word fhall again be preached in all parts of the world; again "go forth conquering and to conquer;" that, as it had been exalted to the greatest of all temporal crowns in the fourth century, fo it may hereafter be exalted to the first of all spirtual crowns in the kingdom of Chrift; but to a much greater degree of purity, holiness, and perfection, and far above the reach of the feductions and pollutions either of Mohamedan and Papal apoftafy, or French atheifin; and even, above all of them, united in their GRAND CONFEDERACY. For it is to be" AN "EVERLASTING GOSPEL," which fhall prevail in the hearts of all those that "fear God and give glory "to him," for ever and ever.

From the tenour of the prophecies, the commencement of this bleffed event, moft hopeful and encouraging to all real Chriftians, does not feem to be at a great diftance. Were we alone to look at the prefent dark and depraved ftate of the world, we fhould be led to entertain a different opinion. But what is it which is impoffible with God, that “made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the foun"tains of water?" How long did he fuffer his holy word (fent to give a fallen and difobedient world an opportunity of recovering the undefiled and happy ftate in which he had benevolently created it) to wade through the immenfe mafs of pagan darkness

and filth, under the most difcouraging depreffion? From the time of its revelation, in the first century, he permitted it to ftruggle with, and often languith under, the most dreadful perfecutions, as it were, in perpetual fucceffion, even to the laft, the moft general, the longeft continued, and the moft bloody, under Dioclefian, in the latter end of the third century and yet, how fuddenly! how unexpectedly! how miraculously! did Chrift, in lefs than half a century, fnatch his church from this defponding state, and place it upon the throne of the greatest Power on the earth? and how foon after did he, in the courfe of his Almighty Providence, fpread his holy word, from the eastern coaft of Afia to the western fhores of Europe. Seeing, then, that his omnipotence and mercies are not leffened, and that he has been pleased to lead his church to reject and fight against Papal and Mohamedan apoftafy ever fince the reformation to this day*, a period, a few years only, short of that which he allowed it in the beginning to contend with pagan idolatry; may we not thence humbly hope, that, if we have not already, we fhall foon fee this angel "flying through the midft of hea"ven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto "them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, faying, with a loud voice, (that is, with good effect) Fear God, and give glory to him?" For have we not feen, ever fince the dawn of the reformation, Mohamedan apoftafy daily finking under the load of its own impurity, down to a lethargic ftupor and inability to defend itself, and feeking protection even from "the ANGEL OF THE WATERS,"

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It is worthy of remark, that from the time Chrift difputed with the doctors in the temple (anno 12) to the converfion of Conftantine, and the exaltation of the church, in the year 312, is three hundred years; fo from the time Luther began to preach publicly against Popery, in 1517, from which commentators date the reformation to this day, is two hundred and ninety-two years.

the

the temporal head of the church of Chrift? and farther, have we not feen Papal apostasy at length in a manner deftroyed, by the offspring of her own loins? while the bleffed word of the ever-living God has, in a remarkable manner, been rifing out of these sinks of corruption and fin, until its fundamental truths are fpread over Europe, and a great part of America? And, befides, what mean thofe exertions of pious men, affociating for the fole purpofe of fpreading the knowledge of the true God, and the Gospel of his bleffed Son, among the heathen, even to the ends of the earth, fparing neither labour nor expente? O may they not relax in their pious defign; but, encouraged by this prophctic verfe, double their diligence a hundred fold!

But to return from this introductory digreffion, to the following verfes of this chapter. The prophet, having foretold many inftances of the watchful care and tender mercies of Chrift, proceeds to the laft token of it, before his fecond coming. He here reprefents the Son of God, after having announced the decree for the utter deftruction of BABYLON THE GREAT, or the grand confederacy of the ungodly, as warning, at that laft and most critical period, his beloved church, with all the tenderness of an affectionate parent, to feparate hertelf from it: "* Come "out of her, my people," come out of her all ye, who, according to my Gospel, preached unto you, have learned to "fear God and give glory to him" (and it you have fwallowed the leaft particle of the poifonous principles of Mohamedan and papal apoftafy or atheifm, caft it away, and flee from it as ye would from certain perdition, before this vial of the wrath of God be poured out upon the ungodly), " that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ye receive "not of her plagues: for her fins have reached unto "heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities."

* Verse 4.

The

The remainder of this chapter contains an anticipated view of the extreme depravity and fins of the confederacy, and of the dreadful effects of this vial of the wrath of God, when it fhall be poured out, and the decree exccuted upon it, for rejecting the "everlasting Gofpel," when preached to it, and for its audacious prefumption in preparing to deftroy it. The prophet feems to labour in defcribing the awful scene; and perhaps the horrors of it seem too great to be fully conceived by the finite intellect of man. However, for the fake of brevity, I fhall take the liberty of referring the reader to an humble and ftudious perufal of it, prefuming that he cannot fail in finding it not a limited, but AN EVERLASTING

PERDITION.

NINETEENTH CHAPTER OF THE REVELATION.

The fecond coming of CHRIST to deftroy the ungodly Confederacy, preparatory to his taking poffeffion of his kingdom upon the Earth.

'THE decree being proclaimed, and the vial ready to be poured out on the ungodly confederacy, the prophet now reprefents the church of Chrift as praifing the GOD OF HEAVEN. "After these things," fays he, "I heard a great voice of much people "in heaven (in the church of Chrift), faying, Alle"luiah*; falvation, and glory, and honour, and (6 power, unto THE LORD OUR GOD. For true and righteous are bis judgments; for he hath judged THE GREAT WHORE, which did corrupt the earth "with her fornication (her wickedness), and hath "avenged the blood of his fervants at her hand.— "And again they faid, ALLELUIA. "fmoke rose up for ever and ever.

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* Chap. xix. I.

And her And the four

"and-twenty elders, and the four beafts, fell down "and worshipped God that fat on the throne, fay

ing, Alleluia." Here this awful and folemn fcene of joy, thanksgiving, and praise, is to begin in the church in HEAVEN, and to be acted by the fame holy elders, the heads of the church, who were before the throne of God, when "THE LAMB was found worthy "to open the book fealed with feven feals," and to reveal his FATHER's will to the prophet. For the prophet proceeds immediately after to open a like fcene of joy and praise upon this great occafion in the church, as yet militant upon earth; but not before it is authorized to take a part in it: " For," fays the prophet, " a great voice came out of the THRONE, faying, Praife our God all ye his fervants, and ye that fear HIM, fmall and great "; that is, as I humbly apprehend, whether with Chrift in heaven, or in earth. It is now, under this divine permiffion and command, that the church upon earth. joins the heavenly concert, which, when thus united, the prophet defcribes in the following words :—— "And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great mul"titude, and as the voice of many waters (nations "and tongues), and as the voice of mighty thun"derings, faying ALLELUIA; FOR THE LORD GOD << OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH. Let us be glad and "rejoice, and give honour unto HIM, for the marriage of THE LAMB is come, and his wife hath "made herself ready;" that is, the time of the union of Chrift with his church is come, "and his "wife," the two churches, the one in heaven, the other on earth, by their union, have now made themfelves ready to receive and obey him. And to her was "granted that the fhould be arrayed in linen, "clean and white; for the fine linen is the righte

* Ver. 1, 2, 3, 4. throughout.

4

+ See Rev. v. 8. and the Chapter

Ver. 5.

"oufnefs