dom, the city Jerusalem the Church of Christ, and mount, Sion the place of God's chosen habitation, of his worship and blessings, from whence he governs, protects, and communes with his people. Mount Sion at Jerusalem terminates its lofty head by two hills; on one of which stood the citadel of David, and on the other the temple of Solomon. Between these two elevations there was a large open level, called Millo, I Chron. XI, 8. where the people were assembled on important occasions; and on this level probably, St. John (seeing himmelf transported in spirit to Jerusalem) beheld the Lamb and his company. After these observations there can be no doubt, but that John by this vision, was shown the rise of a new and eminent ecclesiastical establishment (ecclesia in ecclesia) within the limits of Christendom; whose peculiar characteristic features must be distinctly marked, and admit of being pointed out on the page of history. This company of the Lamb, by the number 144,000, is designated as a true Church of Jesus Christ, founded on apostolical principles, which is to propagate his Gospel, and by her succession reach the gates of new Jerusalem, squared by this number of thousands. See chap. vII, 4.

The Christian reader may recollect from the first volume of this work, and from the history of the woman, that ever since the fourth century of the Christian era, when the degeneracy of the Church became so glaringly evident, there existed a great number of witnesses, in every country of Christendom, who withdrew from the ruling Church-power, and bear a loud and open testimony against its corruptions. This pious and holy seed of the Lord, has been branded in a course of centuries by many different names, such as Pauticians, Vallenses, Albigenses, waldenses, Paterini, &c. &c. &c. and often persecuted by the ecclesiastical and civil authorities with unaccounta ble rigour and cruelty. They often fled from one country to the other, in order to preserve their Evangelic doc

trine and worship in its pristine purity; but were scarcely able to maintain their ground, and remain uninfected by the general contagion. At length they collected from France, Italy and other countries about A. D. 1173 in Bohemia, and settled at Saltz and Laun upon the banks of the Eger; where there was yet a company of these ancient witnesses remaining members of the Greek Church, though already much degenerated.* The Lord blessed this union with the happiest effects. By far the most numerous body among them, were the Waldenses, who brought all the materials and gospel blessings with them, necessary to cement the different companies, from vari ous parts, into one firm bond of brotherhood. They instructed the ignorant, revived the drooping souls, and formed an ecclesiastical establishment, in every respect congenial to the spirit and doctrine of Christianity, after the manner of the primitive Christians-truly a Church of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and redeemer of the world; as all the fragments of their writings, and the cotemporary testimonies of friends and enemies conspire to establish.

This Bohemian-Church, I conceive to be the company of the Lamb, intended in this vision; which perfectly accords with the prophetic chronology, observed in the in

*See Paul Stranky de Republ. Bohem, p. 272, and David Cranz's History of the United-Brethren.

†Their Christian character may be illustrated, even by the testimony of their enemies. Sancho Reinerus, the celebrated apostate and persecutor of the Waldenses, writes: "of all sects the poor of Lyons is the worst, 1. Because it is the most ancient. Some date its existence from the times of Sylvester, others, from the time of the a postles, 2. Because it is most general; for there is not a country in Christendom into which it has not crept. 3. Because all the rest have rendered themselves obnoxious by their blasphemies; but this has a striking form of godliness, its members live just before men, have correct conceptions of God, confess all the articles of the Christian faith, only they hate the Roman Pope."

ternal adjustment of the different prophecies in this book, as also the accounts of eminent historians, concerning the excellence of that ecclesiastical establishment. It was founded, after the rise of the beast from the sea, and just 50 years after his first state of existence, A. D. 1123; as we would expect from its place of adjustment in this consecutive train of predictions. The history of the Church furnishes no occurrence, within the prophetic period of this vision, which with propriety could be considered as an accomplishment of this prophecy, except the establishment of the United-Brethren in Bohemia and Moravia. No sooner had the Lamb of God established this company on mount Sion, than the work of the Lord prospered greatly among them. There was such a revival of experimental religion, as completely humbled the proud heart, and made every knee bow at the fect of Jesus. Excited by the love of God, they sent missionaries to England, Hungary, the Marquisate of Brandenburg, Pomerania and other countries, were they had private meetings, to strengthen and comfort their dispersed brethren. Here the Lord gave them peace before their enemies for 200 years; during which time they supplied themselves with gospel ministers from the seminary of their brethren in Italy, where they sent their youths for education. In the year 1391, however, they were discovered by the imprudence of two clergymen, and cruelly persecuted; upon which many fled into other countries, but a great number yet remained, and were much encouraged & comforted by the writings of Wickliff, until the time of John Huss and his associates. The ensanguined page of history amply testifies the cruel scenes of blood and slaughter, which the Pope and his clergy, with the council of Constance then commenced against these pious followers of the Lamb. For after the year 1415, when John Huss and Jerome of Prague praised the Lord by martyrdom at the stake, this church remained in a state of cruel op

pression, and experienced, at intervals, such heavy desolating persecutions, as menaced the dissolution of her existence. At last the Roman Catholic authorities absolutely resolved on the total extirpation of this community, and alas, perfectly succeeded in Bohemia, between the years 1612 and 1627. Those who escaped with their lives, dispersed into other countries, where some thousands of them have since that dreadful period, united with the Protestant churches, while others formed seperate congregations in Saxony, the Prussian dominions, and in other countries. The second lineage of that Christian community, which had fled to Poland during the great persecution under the emperor Ferdinand I, prospered in that country for some time, and in some measure continues a separate society to this day. A considerable number of this community also united with the famous count Zinzendorff, when he founded his religious community at Herrenhut, in Lausatia; and on that account, as also because the brethren at Herrenhut obtained episcopal ordination through that channel, and in some measure adopted their church-dicipline and rules of life, they prefer being entitled the Moravian-Brethren. In my opinion, they may with justice consider themselves a revived branch, of that once celebrated and flourishing community, whatever some historians may have alleged to the contrary; but this they should do in humility, and without disputing the just claims of other Churches. Dr. Yung, with all his pretensions to liberality and universal love, has yet had the narrowness of heart, to pronounce this society, exclusively the future bride of the Lamb, on account of its Church-government and rules of life. I also highly appreciate their present labours of love among the Heathen, as a prognostic of their future restoration to the pristine glory and virtue of their ancestors. But as yet, that society has no excellence superior to the rest of Protestant communities; since the whole machine in

all its windings, still moves on too mechanically and in a great measure, is in want of the spirit and single eye of that ancient company of the Lamb, of which they profess to be descended.

Having his Fathers name written in their foreheads.

The Vulgate reads: habentes nomen ejus, & nomen patris ejus, having his name and his Father's name written; which reading (avт8 ka¡ тo dvora post ex85α to ovoμa) is also adopted by Greisbach, Bengelius, &c. and established as the most correct by many ancient and esteemed versions. This inscription probably is an allusion to that in the mitre on the forehead of the high-priest," Holiness to the Lord," which was both a seal of God's favour, and a public acknowledgement on the part of the high-priest, of his dependence and sole devotion to the service of Jehovah. It cannot mean an external impression of these adorable names, but should be explained in congeniality to the seal chap. VII, 3. to the name of blasphemy, and to the mark of the beast, chap. XIII. Some authors have considered this inscription, as referring to baptism, election or adoption. In my opinion it cannot have respect to any single gospel grace or privilege, common to all true Christians; but must refer to a constant, sincere, and public confession of faith, and to the peculiar nature of the establishment of this company within the pales of the visible Church. And here it is worthy of remark, that in this inscription, contrary to the custom of the inspired writers in other books, and even in this Revelation, the name of the Lamb precedes the name of his Father; by which they are represented to us as a people acknowledging singular points of doctrine in this respect, and in a peculiar sense, professing themselves the confessors and established company of Jesus Christ. This actually was the case with the Bohemian Brethren in those dark ages; and the distinguishing characteristics of this prediction can be identified in no other society, which may have been establish