A revolution in her fortunes well expressed by her MOUNTING and RIDING the SCARLET-COLOURED BEAST, the same with the RED DRAGON; as appears from the like number of heads and horns bestowed upon the Monster under each denomination. Nay, to mark this identity the stronger, the CROWNS which were on the seven heads of the red Dragon, while he was Sovereign, and a Persecutor of the Virgin, are no longer found on the seven heads of the scarlet-coloured Beast, now deprived of Sovereignty, and become subject to the Scarlet Whore: Who having got the Beast, or degenerated Civil Power, at this advantage, rides him at her pleasure; and, like another Circe, gives him of her Golden Cup, full of the Wine of her abominations, and filthiness of FORNICATION, while she herself drinks the BLOOD of the Saints.-The Kings of the earth (says the Prophet) commit fornication with the Whore: i. e. in this impure mixture of the two Powers, civil and spiritual both become polluted; the Civil uses Religion for an engine of State, to support TYRANNY; and the Spiritual gets invested with the rights of the Magistrate, to enable her

to PERSECUTE.

But if we attend to the Prophetic Language of St. John, we shall see more clearly the beauty of this representation. His language abounds in a mixed phraseology, formed on the different natures of the two Dispensations: And expressive of ideas beonging, sometimes to the one, sometimes to the other system. Each of these sorts the Prophet employs occasionally, as each best contributes to the

force

1

force and elegance of his discourse. So here, the Cup of fornication alludes to the degeneracy of the Jewish; in which, the figurative name, for IDOLATRY, was Fornication and Adultery.-The blood of the Saints alludes to the distressed condition of the Christian; and more plainly signifies PERSECUTION for Opinion. These are the two great Reproaches of all Religion, natural and revealed: and each was the peculiar Pest, the one of Judaism, the other of Christianity. For IDOLATRY violates the very essence of the LAW, and PERSECUTION defeats all the virtue of the Gospel. These two infernal Tyrannies the Prophet represents as the Assessors of the SCARLET WHORE, now become Sovereign of the Earth.

But if we want to know the ingredients of this inchanted Cup, with which the Inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk, St. Paul will tell us. In his account of the side-board of the GREAT WHORE, he tells us, that " In the latter times some "shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to se

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ducing spirits, and Doctrines of Devils; speaking "lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared "with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and com"manding to abstain from meats, which God hath "created to be received *." In which words the Holy Spirit graphically describes,-the Worship of Saints-the fabrication of false Miracles-the invention of Purgatory, and the means contrived for escaping it-monkish and clerical Celibacy-Pagan fasts-and Jewish distinction of meats.

1 Tim. iv. 1, et seq.

The

The last excess of the Woman in purple and scarlet colour, after having intoxicated all others, is the getting drunk, herself—I saw the Woman (says the Prophet) drunken with the blood of the Saints, and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus.-In lies and hypocrisy the Whore began her reign; and in PERSECUTION she filled up the measure of her Tyranny. Nothing now remained, but the coming vengeance of Heaven, when the TEN HORNS, or the Civil Powers of Europe confederated, shall hate the Whore, and make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire*. But this being an unfulfilled Prophecy, a matter yet in the womb of Time, we make no further use of it, than just, by quoting it, to cultivate and encourage a disposition in the RULERS OF THE EARTH, to facilitate the great work which Providence hath ordained to bring to pass by their ministry.

To conclude, I presume I have now performed what I undertook, (and it is all that is necessary for the support of the Protestant cause) viz. to prove, that ANTICHRIST and the SCARLET WHORE are a SPIRITUAL Power; and therefore, no other than the POPE and CHURCH OF ROME.

One of the soberest as well as soundest Reasoners of this reasoning Age, who, free from the enthusiasm of party-zeal, carried with him to the study of Scripture all the Philosophic light and precision, which he had learnt of his Masters, LOCKE and NEWTON (who themselves employed the richest of their stores in the like sacred service) after having paid the closest *Chap. xvii. ver. 16.

attention

attention to the predictions of the Apocalypse, hati, as the result of all, been bold enough to put the truth of REVEALED RELIGION itself on the reality of that prophetic Spirit which here foretells the desolation of CHRIST'S CHURCH AND KINGDOM by Antichrist; and the restoration of both to their original PURITY and POWER. "If, (says he) IN THE DAYS of St. Paul and St. John, there was

any footstep of such a sort of power as this in the "world; or if there HAD BEEN any such power in the "world; or if there WAS THEN any appearance of

probability, that could make it enter into the heart "of man to imagine that there EVER COULD BE 66 any such kind of power in the world, much less " in the Temple or Church of God; and if there be

not Now such a power actually and conspicuously "exercised in the world; and if any picture of this 66 power, DRAWN AFTER THE EVENT, can now "describe it more plainly and exactly than it was originally described in the words of the Prophecy; "then may it, with some degree of plausibleness, "be suggested, that the Prophecies are nothing more than enthusiastic Imaginations."

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* Evidence of Natural and Revealed Religion, by Dr. S. CLARKE, Rector of St. James's, Westminster, P. 282.

DISCOURSE XXIX.

ON THE RESURRECTION.

1 COR. XV. 17.

IF CHRIST BE NOT RAISED, YOUR FAITH IS VAIN; YE ARE YET IN YOUR SINS.

THUS it is, the holy Apostle concludes, in order to complete the Proof of the Miracle of the RESURRECTION, which he had supported just before, from human testimony. "I delivered unto you (says he) first of all that which I also received, "how that Christ died-that he rose again-and "that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. "After that he was seen of above five hundred "Brethren at once: of whom the greater parť "remain unto this present; but some are fallen

asleep. After that he was seen of James; then "of all the Apostles. And last of all he was seen "of me also, as of one born out of due time*."

Would we but give reasonable attention to Holy Scripture, we should find, that it not only affords * Ver. 3-8.

us