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prophetic period, a great nation of a peculiar character, would be born to the Church of Christ, or converted to . Christianity, which should one day rise to be the hope. and blessing of Zion, and at a future period the principal instrument in laying the foundation of Christ's kingdom on earth. This nation must all along have proven this manly character in religion, and before this, must have made brave and manly efforts in defence of the Gospel, as have been blessed with general influence and benefit to the Christian Church, by which it may be recognised, and its future glories anticipated. Now of this man-child it is said, verse 5: who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, where the word λ refers to a future period, when this should take place, and not to the then present time. Moreover, the Greek word oμaira, which our version has rendered to rule, is a word of vast comprehension. Its literal signification is to provide, feed and take care of a flock; and in allusion to a shepherd's care, it often denotes the duties of a pastor of souls, or of a prince and ruler of a nation, and then it signifies to teach, to rule, or to administer the government of a people." The following words παντα τα έθνη εν ράβδω ςιδηρα deserve particular attention, both on account of this manifest reference to Psal. 11, 9. and to other prophecies, where the same is affirmed of Christ himself; as also because they afford a more direct intimation of that great and immediate instrument for the accomplishment of God's purposes on earth, and of the nature of power or government, which he shall exercise. In order to illustrate this passage, it is necessary to take notice, that the preposition Ev, should be rendered by, so as to denote the agent, or acting cause, by which this manly son, or nation, shall accomplish the designs of the Lord, vide Luke 1v, 1.1, 77. Paßdos signifies a shepherd's rod, Micah vII, 14. Ezek. xx, 37. Lev. XXVII, 32. Psal. XXIII, 4. and in allusion to it denotes both the affice of the gospel ministry, adminis

tering the word of the Lord which is called a rod, and the sceptre as the ensign of power and government in' the world. Isa. XI, 1. Ramus, qui sit sceptrum, sive habens regnum & potestatem: Habak. III, 14. Ezek. xIx, 11. 14. VII, 10. Isa. IX, 4. XXXIII, 32. Amos 1, 5. Gen. XLIX, 10. Numb. XXIV, 17. Psal. cxxv, 3. xLv, 7. Hebrews 1, 8. Psal. cx, 2. The adjective sidngcos, iron, expresses the quality and manner of this power, or administration, and is explained by Daniel and other prophets, to signify the firmness, strength and durability of a throne, Dan. II, 40. Jer. xv, 12. or the power of the Church to propagate the Gospel, and the invincible firmness and strength of great reformers of religion, Micah iv, 13. From this illustration of the text, I consider myself authorised to say, that this symbolical woman in travail, bringing forth a manly son, predicts a considerable enlargement of the Church by the conversion of a people of a distinguished religious character, among which should arise a great and successful Reformation in the power and spirit of Jesus Christ, which should prove a truly shepherd's care to the Church of Christ; and amongst the adherents of that Reformation, a temporal kingdom should be established in the last times, which should prove its pre-eminence to all the rulers of this world, by laying the foundation for the future kingdom of Christ on earth, and thus become the shepherd of all nations. For, though the birth of this manly son is mentioned here, in the general course of this prophecy, yet his government is future, and only commences, chap. XIX, 15; and when that period arrives, this prediction will be more clear and evident. By this shepherd of nations in the latter time, this prophecy again connects itself with the line of kings in chap. x, and throws considerable light back on that subject, to develope its manner of accomplishment.

After all that has been said on this prophecy, I would now ask the accurate and impartial historian, whether he

could apply its contents to any, except the German nation, and by it to all the Protestant Churches, as connected with the shepherd's care after receiving the doctrines and worship of the Reformation? And whether the known character of that people, both in a political and religious point of view, during the glorious Reformation, and their firm and brave stand in defence of Gospel truth, do not comport with the character of this manly son in the text? No, I am even animated by the striking coincidence of facts, to affirm, that, without violating the prophetic chronology of this system of prophecies, no other nation can be intended in this place, and no other has realized that character to the Church, though not from any natural pre-eminence of that people, but such seems to have been the grace and pleasure of the Lord, to select them in order to shew forth his glory. Mosheim, Schreck and the most reputable historians affirm, that although Boniface Corbinian, Firmin, and Lebuin had made considerable exertions towards propagating the Gospel in Germany before this time; yet their labours were only partial, and attended with little success, before Charlemagne had conquered the Saxons. This conquest was effected by a war of thirty years from A. D. 772 to 802; and only after the commencement of this period, these holy exploits produced permanent and prosperous consequences among the Saxons, and other nations in Germany. This perfectly agreess with the dates of my chronology concerning the birth of the man-child, which is supposed to have been brought forth from the time, when this numerous and formidable people became incorporated into the Christian empire. Also the manner of their conversión as a nation, is very aptly represented by a woman in travail, as it was attended with danger, violent exertions, and great pain, both to the mother and child. Those of my readers, who are acquainted with the history of the Germans, from this period, down to Martin

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Luther the great Saxon reformer, and his accomplices, Zwinglius and Calvin, and of the happy effects of their labours, will not hesitate for a moment to give their assent. For no nation in Christendom, has hitherto evinced the spirit and shepherd's-rod of this man-child to the same degree, as the Germans in the Reformation. Hence we may also look with confidence among them, for the establishment of that sceptre, which shall lay the foundation for the future kingdom of Christ on earth; and which will commence by an equally glorious reformation in politics.

Verse 3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. This Dragon, the apostle himself informs us, "is no other than the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world," ch. XII, 9. What St. John here beheld was a great serpent with seven heads and ten horns ; and not the creature of the painter's imagination, with legs and wings. Dragons are the largest of the snake kind; and any old serpent, which during many years has attained an enormous size, is called a dragon, on account of its terrible appearance and mortal venom. This arch-enemy of God and man, has increased to a huge bulk, and frightful form since he left Paradise, where he appeared in the shape of a simple serpent to Adam and Eve, Gen. III, 1. II Cor. x1, 2. His present appearance, no doubt, indicates his internal qualities, and that degree of power which he has acquired over the apostate race of men. These seven heads and ten horns may signify so many spiritual powers under his command, or his total power, which he now called forth into action on this urgent occasion, to oppose the woman and devour her manly son: Or, which is still more probable to my mind, the dragon represents Satan in the symbolic garb of Paganism within the ancient limits of the Roman empire, as engaged in a most sanguinary and cruel persecution, against the woman and the man-child,

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during the time of its birth. The description of the dragon taken in this sense, may refer to the residence of Pagan Rome, its former seven forms of government, and last division since the time of Augustus, as Strabo asserts, into ten provinces, in which Satan had his visible throne on earth, and persecuted the Church of Christ with cruel rage: As also to portray the invisible agent on this occasion, the instruments of his wrath, and the nature of this opposition, as being the same with that during the first centuries of the Christian era. Satan by the instrumentality of Pagan Rome, formerly aimed at the anihilation of the Church; and here a part once belonging to its territory, ventures a second attempt, to destroy her manly son, the future shepherd of all nations. What a knowledge of futurity must Satan possess, and how great must be his penetration into the nature of passing events from their peculiar complexion, that he was able to know the importance of this Child at the time of its birth! However, he lost the government of the Roman empire by his first overthrow; and now the Church extended her banners over the ruins of Paganism in Germany. Hitherto, during these apocalyptical scenes, this arch-fiend remained behind the curtain; but now seeing his all at stake, he appears less disguised, and more frequently on the stage of action.

As the appearance of the woman in heaven did not exclude, her having been there before in person, but more particularly referred to her appearance in that apparel on a new station, by the acquisition of the German empire; so the appearance of the dragon also has a more particular reference to the new station of power, which he now began to occupy, the character he assumed, and the

*As the cause of the present organization of our body, is found in the soul; so the good and the bad resemble each other, both in the visible and invisible world. The Lamb has only one head, but seven horns and seven eyes; the dragon has seven heads and ten horns.

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