animated address to the kingdom of Judah, and its capital city Jerusalem; in which, after describing their sinfulness and apostasy," a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupted; they have forsaken the Lord; like to Sodom, like unto Gomorrha," the prophet indignantly exclaims, (ver. 21,) How is the faithful city become an harlot?" In the same spirit, and with the same object in view, is the similar remonstrance of the prophet Jeremiah, accusing this sinful nation of forsaking their God, and "upon every high hill, and under every green tree, playing the harlot," (ch. ii. 20.); and the same words are again repeated, (ch. iii. 6.) It is impossible to read the whole of this chapter without perceiving, that in the expression of the prophet, dictated by the Holy Spirit, the two sister kingdoms and churches of Judah and Israel are convicted of apostasy, in forsaking their God; and of adultery with idols; and Israel is described as being put away by a bill of divorce, (ver. 8,) for this very cause; and yet the crime is denominated whoredom, and the offending sisters are styled harlots. By the prophet Ezekiel, this apostasy and corrupt communication with the idolatrous nations is described at length in an allegory, wherein the origin of the Jews, under the name of Jerusalem, á forlorn female, is figuratively told her birth and nakedness are described; her adoption by the great God; her happy estate of matrimony, under his protection; her sins by defection and idolatry, as a wife that committeth adultery, "that taketh strangers instead of her husband;" yet, she is addressed in these words preceding her threatened punishment, Wherefore, O harlot! hear the word of the Lord." (Ezek. xvi.; see Rev. ii. 20-24, and the notes.) After having cited these instances from the three great prophets, the scriptural application of the term harlot to apostate and adulterous cities and churches, --to churches which possessed so undeniably the high privilege of matrimonial right, to which the Roman church advances her claim,-it may be thought needless to produce more. But it will be useful to observe, that in the New Testament as well as in the Old, instances occur where adultery is expressed by the Toρvaa, as in Math. v. 32. xix. 9. It is therefore evident, that the city or church of Rome, by the analogy of prophetic Scripture, is not exempt from the term harlot, although she may plead truly that she has been a wife, even the espoused of God; for such undoubtedly were the sister cities, or churches of Jerusalem and Samaria, who are denominated harlots, guilty of fornication, after their adultery and apostasy from their Lord. So far, in answer to the objection of Bishop Bossuet; and, if there remains any difficulty upon the question, it may be removed, by enquiring what may have been the probable cause which has led the Holy Spirit to use the terms harlot and fornication in those instances; in preference to adultery and adulteress. It may be attributed, perhaps, in some measure, to this consideration, that a wife may become an adulteress by one single act of frailty, while the harlot, persisting in her shameful trade, and being employed in deceiving, seducing, and ruining many associates, answers best to the character of the profligate, corruptive church which is here personified. But, a more complete and effective reason may be assigned by reverting to the language of the Holy Scriptures, in the allegories we have been considering. When these espoused churches forsake their God to follow worldly seductions, he disowns them. They are no longer esteemed married; they are considered as 66 put away," by that great Being, who had conferred upon them the high title of spouse. In the language of Scripture, he has "given them a bill of divorce." If the Holy Spirit were to call their crime adultery, they might appear to be continued in the marriage covenant, and to be owned and honoured beyond their deserts. (Is. 1. 1; see Jer. iii. 8, 14, 20; Ezek. xvi. 8, 32, 20; and compare Deut. xxiv. 1; Mark x. 4.) We may collect from what has been said, that the prophetical history of the woman may be divided into three parts: in the first of these she perfectly resembled the heavenly woman or church described in chapter twelve. In the second, she declined gradually from this her native and proper character; and, pursuing worldly objects, corrupted herself by her communication with the Pagan nations, which she partially converted, and began to assist the beast in oppressing the true followers of the Lamb; till at length, having completed her apostasy, she appears in the meretricious character exhibited in this vision. It is the description of her in her high zenith of worldly power and wickedness. During the dark centuries, she was successfully busied in increasing her influence and dominion, by "doctrines of demons and pretended miracles;" in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries she wallowed in the blood of the saints, and was thus qualified to appear as the vision has represented her. 2. The wild beast who carries the great harlot. The means of forming a right interpretation of this symbolical appearance, will be obtained by comparing him with the beast of the thirteenth chapter. The resemblance is strong, but there are some important points of difference. A comparison of the two beasts, drawn out at length, may be seen in my former 2 work. It will be sufficient for our present purpose to observe, that in the following particulars they Both the beasts arise from the sea; have agree. the same number of heads and of horns; are full of blasphemy; and become a wonder to the inhabitants of the earth: both war against the Lamb, and are to be finally subdued and destroyed by him. The points in which they differ are, that The BEAST, of Chap. xiii. In addition to the description in which they both agree, has these peculiarities: "He is like unto a leopard,"-" his feet are those of a bear,"" his mouth as the mouth of a lion." These are the three first beasts in the prophecy of Daniel, (ch. vii. 2.); and by divine interpretation, (v. 17, 23.) represent three kings or kingdoms; namely, the Assyrian, Medo-Persian, and Grecian; the territories of which are now, and have long been in the possession of the Mahometan powers. 2. This beast is mortally wounded, and his deadly wound is healed. He becomes an object of wonder and worship to the inhabitants of the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life. 1 Part VI. sect. 3. The BEAST, of Chap. xvii. Has no such resemblance to the three first monarchies; and therefore, under this form, must be excluded generally from agency in the territories occupied by them. He is like the fourth beast only, the fourth monarchy of Daniel, the Roman empire; and to this his agency is confined; and to the ten kings, which, both in the prophecy of Daniel, and of the Apocalypse, belong to the Roman beast. 2. "He was, and is not." An object of wonder to the inhabitants of the earth, not written in the book of life, when they behold the beast that was, is not, although he is, or shall be. 3 2 Aßvoσos, in ch. xvii. which is the name given to the sea, by St. Luke, ch. viii. 31. 3 These two enigmatical passages may be designed to carry the same meaning, as I have endeavoured to show in my former publication but the expression of them being different, requires them to be contrasted. In abler hands they may yet be proved to have each a different meaning, and of much importauce to the elucidation of the character of both beasts. In the mean time, the admiration of the inhabitants of the earth, on both occasions, being expressed in nearly the same words, may give reason to expect that the cause and event are similar, if not the same. In history, from the date of the Apocalypse, for many centuries, there seems to be only one event, the empire becoming Christian under Constantine, which inflicted a mortal wound upon the secular persecuting beast. Or, to turn to the contrasted enigma of the seventeenth chapter, when can we affirm that the beast was, in any sense, out of existence, and yet in existence, unless when the powers by which 3. Ten horns belong to this beast, and they are crowned, but not referred to in particular, as kings. Also seven heads, on one of which he receives the wound apparently mortal, above mentioned. 4. There is a time or season allotted to this beast, forty-two months. 1 5. This beast is followed by a second beast, the false prophet, who works apparent (false) miracles, to make him, and his image or statue, an object of worship to the earth, and all that dwell therein, of every description. 3. This beast has also ten horns, which are said expressly to be ten kings. These perform a very active part in the drama; and by comparing them with the ten horns or kings in Daniel (vii. 7, 8, 24,) they are found to belong to the fourth or Roman empire, divided into the ten kingdoms. This beast is described as having likewise seven heads, which are said to be, first, seven mountains on which the woman is seated, the woman of Rome; and, secondly, to have another interpretation, to be seven kings in succession, and these are generally explained to be Roman. 4. No such time is in this instance allotted. And indeed this beast does not appear in the early times of the fortytwo months, nor perhaps till nearly one half of them had expired. His appearance in this form, carrying the harlot, cannot be dated sooner than when she had begun to wallow in the blood of the saints, and was riding triumphantly in plenitude of power. 2 5. This beast has a woman, a gaudy harlot, who, seated upon him, directs his course, and is actively employed in seducing the kings and nations to apostasy and idolatry. The woman is almost universally allowed to be Ro man. From this comparison it appears, that although the beasts of these two chapters may be accounted the same, namely, that secular power, which has at all times persecuted the saints, yet, as the one exhibited in the thirteenth chapter, having dominion over the east and the west,-over the territories of all the four ancient monarchies, he is limited to the season of forty-two months, or 1260 years. But as he appears in the seventeenth chapter, he is under stricter limitations. His time is considerably less, alone he existed, were annihilated by Constantine; but, to the wonder and admiration of the world, restored with terrible effect under the sanction of a corrupted religion? See the notes on ch. xiii. 1-11. 1 Or 1260 years. |