--

more numerous in Europe. Loud and vehement as hath been the outcry of the bigotted fons of corrupt hierarchies, never were the principles of toleration better understood in the European world; nor, fince the first promulgation of Christianity, if a part of the reign of Conftantine be excepted, has ampler latitude of theological inquiry, or a more unreftricted choice of religious worship, been enjoyed. The three next verfes also (v. 8, 9, and 10) the graduate of Cambridge has explained, as relating to the war against France; and they have, he conceives, been already in a great degree accomplished. In thefe verfes it is faid of the two witneffes, that their dead bodies fhall lie in the Street of the great city. And they of the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations, fhall fee their dead bodies.-And they that dwell upon the earth fhall rejoice over them, and make merry, and fhall fend gifts one to another; because thefe two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth47. Like the early commentators referred to in the laft chapter, the author of the Outline of a Commentary concludes, that THE Street of the great city denotes France. Thus far I certainly am difpofed to agree with him. But his general interpretation of these verses appears to me to have loft all colour of plausibility, now that the combined potentates have been baffled in all the measures which they have adopted against this powerful republic. To the privileged orders, and the numerous partizans of existing abuses, an opportunity has not hitherto been afforded for expreffing their joy, and for difplaying a spirit of exultation, on account of the fuccessful termination of the war, or the triumphant en

17 In Mr.Wakefield's Translation it is :`because these two teachers were a vexation to the inhabitants of the earth.

trance

trance of the allied armies into Paris. Their prospects indeed are as dark, as their designs have been nefarious. But let the ftudent of the xith ch. of the apocalypse perufe the pamphlet by the graduate of Cambridge, and estimate for himself the weight of the arguments which he has alleged.

It

Against the authors of the French revolution being regarded as a part of the witnesses, it will probably be objected, that numbers have acted, in the course of it, with, extreme injuftice and the moft wanton cruelty. may be replied, that the hypothefis which is fupported in the present chapter requires not, that fuch perfons fhould be claffed among them. On the other hand, it cannot be denied by any impartial perfon, that, of those who commenced the French Revolution, and of those who have risen up to conduct or to defend it, a large proportion have in an extraordinary degree been diftinguished by courage and firmnefs, by difinterestedness, public spirit, and the most ardent zeal in behalf of the best interests of mankind; and it may with reafon be maintained, that they are worthy of being numbered among the witnesses, and ranked among the honourable oppofers of Civil and Ecclefiaftical tyranny. But though all the inhabitants of France certainly deserve not the title of the witnesses, they may all be employed by the Supreme Being to execute his beneficent purpofes. 'What,' fays a recently cited writer,' was Henry the eighth, who began our reformation? A ' monster! What were his motives? The gratification 'of his lufts.-Are established fyftems of fuperftition ' and tyranny to be overthrown by a few fmooth words ' of benevolence and wisdom? Happy if they could! 'Are the Dragon and the Beasts, which have so depopu'lated the earth for ages, to perifh without convulfion ?

'Read,

Read, they have fhed the blood of faints and prophets, and thou haft given them blood to drink, for they are worthy. When this period fhall arrive, there will be 'much work to do, for the execution of which the meek.

of the earth are by no means qualified 49.' The same writer, with a reference to France, fays in another place, though, as was the cafe with the Affyrians and with Cyrus, the inftruments which he uses, may not know ' him, nor mean to fulfil his will, yet they may be the rod of his anger to accomplish his councils. In this point of view, men may be called the Servants of God, though stained with numerous vices. God,' fays Mr. Lowth, calls Nebuchadnezzar his Servant, Jer. xxv. 9, • and Cyrus his anointed, Ifa. xlv. 1, because they were ordained and fet apart by God to be the executioners of his judgments upon thofe nations, whom he had marked out for deftruction 51.'

The powerful and profperous ftate, to which the witneffes are to attain, the paffages already examined, unequivocally declare. But it is in two preceding verses, that their formidable power, when they are unjustly attacked by their enemies, is moft ftrongly expressed, though indeed darkly and figuratively. And if any man will hurt them2, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies and if any man will hurt

48 Rev. xvi. 6.

49 Signs of the Times, P. 6.

50 P. 43. Of the paffages referred to above the following is the prin. ipal. O Affyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will fend him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him charge.-Howbeit he meaneth not fo, neither doth his heart think so: but it is in his heart to deftroy and cut off nations zot a few. If. x. 5, 6, 7.

6

51 On If. xiii. 3.

52 EL TIS AUTHS Jeλn adınσxı, that is, as rendered by Daubuz, 'if

any man will wrong them,' or rather, if any man design to wrang them.

them,

.

them 53, he mult in this manner be killed. Thefe have power to fhut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to fmite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. To any period, prior to their fymbolic refurrection, this account is plainly inapplicable; and accordingly Mede remarks, that it is to be referred, not to the whole of the 1260 years, but to the conclufion of it, when the Chriftian world is to be emancipated from the tyranny of the beast 54. That fire is the fymbol of deftruction, and particularly of deftruction by war, the doctors More and Lancaster obferve, and on this point appeal to Achmet and to the Hebrew prophets. Accordingly Daubuz, in explaining this paffage relative to the witnesses, fays, it fignifies that God will certainly revenge their cause by punishing and confuming their 'enemies. To the fame purpose St. John (ix. 17), in another description, which relates to the Ottomans, fays, and out of their mouths iffued fire, i. e. destruction. Now the mouth,' fays Dr. Lancaster, fignifies the 'words that proceed out of it, which, in the sacred style, are the fame as commands and actions, because they ' imply the effects of the thoughts". Daubuz alfo, in explaining v. 18, ch. ix. where fire is spoken of as proceeding from their mouths, fays the mouth may fignify any of those means, which men employ to execute their defigns. When therefore St. John affures us respecting the witneffes, in the spirit of prophecy, that fire proceedeth out of their mouths, and devoureth their enemies, his meaning appears to be, that the deftruction of their

53 This repetition implies the certainty of God's judgments upon the 'enemies of these witnesses. Daubuz.

54 P. 599.

55 Thus the word of God, or the word that proceeds out of his mouth, fig'nifies fometimes the actions of God's providence.' Lancaster.

enemies

56

enemies in war will refult from the meafures which

the witneffes fhall employ.

Thefe have power to shut the symbolic heaven that it rain not. To' the province of government their inAuence powerfully extends, But what is the meaning of their preventing the figurative rain from falling in this fymbolic heaven? The oneirocritics,' fays Daubuz on this verse, have explained the fymbol of rain 'or dew, of all manner of good things.' And does not the prophecy, according to this explication of it, perfectly accord with fact? Has not that fhower of all

manner of good things,' which formerly fell in the fymbolic heaven of the Tenth Part of the city, completely ceased? Since the people have taken the government into their own hands, has not the stream of preferments and revenues been dried up, which formerly was wont fo profufely to flow into the hands of the courtiers, the ecclefiaftics, and the principal nobility? They have alfo power over waters to turn them to blood, i. e. fays Mr. Waple, to embroil nations in war. That waters fignify nations is indeed certains; and that blood has a reference to war and flaughter is equally plain. Perhaps the witneffes who inhabit the Tenth Part of the city may be faid to do this, because they are the occafion of its being done; or it may perhaps be the neceffary result of the beft mode of defending themselves, and of perpetuating their liberties. And have power to fmite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. Now the earth, as has before been obferved, and as Mr. Waple remarks

56 And who are the enemies of the independence and liberties of France? Not NATIONS, but certain INDIVIDUALS.

57 It is plain, fays Daubuz, that this is meant of another kind of calamity, befides that of natural drought, the words being to be taken 'fymbolically.'

38 On this symbol fee note 22 in p. 55