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"fhall drink, and ye fhall be thirty; behold my fervants fhall rejoice, and ye fhall be ashamed; "behold my fervants fhall fing for joy of heart,

and ye fhall howl for vexation of fpirit." So St. John, on the fame fubject: "But the fearful, and unbelievers, and the abominable, and murderers, "and whoremongers, and idolaters, and all liars, "fhall have their part in the lake which burneth "with fire and brimstone; which is the fecond "death."

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Having given this idea of the fuperlative, felicity of the bleffed, in a future life; which certainly is as fublime and extenfive as human language can defcribe, or the human mind conceive, he next defcribes the holy city, the new Jerufalem, or the place in which they fhall refide, and be separated for ever from the wicked. And here, in order to conform his language to the limited comprehenfion of human nature, he represents the Holy Jerufalem, the place and kingdom of the bleffed, as formed of pure gold, like unto clear glafs," and adorned with all the most precious pearls and jewels known to man in his mortal state; and then tells us, that "he "faw no temple therein, for the LORD GOD AL"MIGHTY, and the LAMB, are the TEMPLE of "it; and that the city had no need of the sun, "neither of the moon, to fhine in it, for theGLORY "OF GOD did lighten it, and the LAMB was the "LIGHT thereof. And there fhall not enter into "it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever "worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the LAMB's Book of LIFE.

*Ifa. lxv. 12, 13, 14.
+ Ver. 23.

+ Ver. 8.
§ Ver. 27.

"And

"And á pure river of water of life, clear as crys "tal, proceedeth out of the THRONE OF GOD "and the LAMB. And there fhall be no curfe: "but the THRONE OF GOD, and THE LAMB, "fhall be in it; and his fervants fhall obey HIM. "And they fhall fee his face, and his name fhall "be written in their foreheads. And there hall "be no night there and they need no candle, "neither light of the fun; for the LORD GOD GIVETH THEM LIGHT; and THEY SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER." Amen.

65

*Chap. xxii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

ON

CHAP. IV.

ON THE MAN OF SIN,

THE SON OF PERDITION,

As described in 2 THESS. Chap. II.

ST. Paul, in his first epistle to the Theffalonians, when treating of the fecond coming of Chrift to judge the world, informs them, "That the day of "the Lord fo cometh as a thief in the night, and "as travail on a woman with child*;" meaning, that although no man thall know the time, the event fhall come to pafs. The Theffalonians, although no reference was made to the time, were led to believe that this awful day was near at hand. The apofile, conceiving that this error, fhould it be fuffered to spread, might be productive of much mischief, wrote his fecond epistle to correct it. This was an error inconfiftent with the rebuke given by Christ himself to the apofties, when their improper curiofity rendered them anxious to be informed on the fame subject. "It is not for you," fays he, "to know the times and the feafons, which the fa"ther hath put in his own power." To explain himfelf more fully, the apoftle treats of two great events which were to come to pafs before the day of our Lord; namely, the coming of the apoftafy, and the revelation of "the Man of Sin ;" and earneftly intreats the Theffalonians to "let no man "deceive them by any means, for that day fhall "not come, except there come a FALLING AWAY "first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the Son "of Perdition ;" and thus he undeceives the church of Theffalonica, by declaring that, before the

* Chap. v. 1, 2, 3.

Z

+ Acts i. 7.

coming

coming of our Lord, two great events fhall come to pafs in fucceffion, viz. "a falling away," or a great apoftafy first, and after that "the revelation of the Man of Sin in his time."

Having reminded them of thefe truths, of which he had informed them before, he expoftulates with them on their mistake and credulity: "Remember ye not, that when I was with you, I "told you of these things?" and yet, fearing that they might not perfectly be convinced, he repeats, and with great energy enforces the fame truths: "And now ye know what with-holdeth," (evidently referring to theapoftate power) that he, the "Man "of Sin might be revealed in his time," in his proper feafon, or between the apoftafy, and the coming of Chrift. And that they might have no doubt of the appearance of the Man of Sin, notwithstanding the apoftate Power, according to the decree of divine wifdom, was to come first, and "prevent for a "time," he affures them that the "myftery of ini"quity" (to be revealed in the Man of Sin) doth already work, only he (the apoftafy)" who now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way. Thus declaring that "the mystery of "iniquity," or the atheiftical principles of "the "Man of Sin," as it is afterwards clearly explained by the apoftle, was even then making fome fecret progrefs in the world; and would continue gradually and imperceptibly to increafe, until the influence of the apoftafy fhould be fo reduced as to make room for them in the minds of mankind; and then "that wicked should be revealed:" and after thefe two events," the day of our Lord Jefus "Chrift fhould come."

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I have been thus particular in explaining these verfes, because, upon the matureft confideration, I have been obliged to differ from the learned bishop Newton

4

Newton, and other commentators, refpe&ting the Power which the apofile affirms fhould "let and with-hold the revelation of the Man of Sin until "his time." It is their opinion that the Roman empire was that power, and that the Pope is antichrift*. I confefs, that after having carefully confidered the fenfe of every word in this chapter, I cannot find one which admits of the leaft allufion to that empire, either in its Pagan or Chriftian ftate On the contrary, we are exprefsly told by the apofile as plainly as poffible, and repeatedly too, that it is a falling away, an apoftafy," from the doftrine of Chrift, which fhall come first, and "let "and with-hold the revelation of the Man of "Sin."

Befides, the apoftle speaks of the Power which was to do this in the future tenfe, and not then exifting. Except there come, fays he (or fhall come) "a falling away firft;" and it is well known, that the Roman empire had come more than eight hundred years before the apostle wrote, and was then exifting in all its glory and therefore, without imputing great inaccuracy to the fpirit of prophecy, the interpretation contended for, cannot hold good.

As to "the apoftafy, which was to come firft," and "prevent the revelation of the Man of Sin," it is clearly foretold in fundry parts of the New Teftament. By St. Paul, in his firft epiftle to Timothy, it is called a "departure from the faith" and by St. John it is defcribed by the figures of "a ftar falling from heaven unto the earth;" and of " the "court which is without the templet." All Pro

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* Bishop Newton, vol. ii. p. 116, &c. Rev. ix, 1. xi. 2.

+ Chap. iv. 1, 2

Z 2

teftant

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