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the beaft, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom, let him that hath understanding count the number of the beaft, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. Not to specify particularly what others have faid about this number, there are two ways of calcu lating it which agree with Lewis XIV. as the person in whom the French monarchy became a perfect beast. And perhaps the text fuggefts that there fhould be two, the number of the beaft, and the number of his name. The numeral letters in the name of Lewis, as written in Latin, give 666. Thus,

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referred to ra

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But it may be asked, Why is the Latin language ther than either the Hebrew, the Greek, or French? fons. At the time this prediction was given, the Latin was the moft general language in the Roman empire, and after the empire was divided, it became the universal language in the western part, where the scene of John's vifion chiefly lay.-It is also the language used in all the fervices of that church which this beast was to support; and thus the names of the French kings have been written in their communications with the Pope, in public-infcriptions, and on coins.

Although so much stress is not, perhaps, to be laid upon the fol lowing way of calculating this number of the fecond beaft, yet it is worth taking notice of; and poffibly the Holy Spirit might point out that, by a remarkable providence, a twofold way of counting this number fhould be afforded, that thus the identity of the person and tyranny might be more clearly afcertained. The firft way of calculating afcertains the name of the man who should bring the tyranny to perfection; the following, the length of time

it fhould be in perfecting, fince the ancestors of that man began it. And on examination we find, that from the time when Hugh Capet feized the throne of France, to the time when the French, under Lewis XIV, began that career of blood, which, for many years, proved fo calamitous to Europe, and efpecially to the Proteftants, was exactly 666 years. Hugh Capet feized the throne in 987, Lewis XIV, came to the throne, on the death of his father, Lewis XIII. in 1643; came to his majority in 1652, and in the following year war was made upon Spain. Now he emerges from that bog in which his tyranny had been gendering for 666 years.

Thus, though other tyrannies may have some of the features of this beast, yet that of the Capets only poffeffed them all; and, if I am not deceived, there is every proof which can be expected, proof which amounts much nearer to a demonstration than is usual on such subjects, that the French monarchy was the second beast which came up out of the earth. And though I would guard against rash confidence, I feel a perfuafion which I cannot overcome, that this is the truth, And if it be, the consequences which are united with it are to the last degree interesting, both to the church and to mankind at large; and could my feeble voice be heard amidst the din of war, and the noise of party contentions, I would say, "Take heed-be wife-refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this counsel, or this work, be of men, it will come to nought; but, if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, left haply ye be found to fight against God," in struggling to fupport that which he has decreed to fall.-Should it prove so, however enraged your malice, or however mighty your power, "He will make your wrath to praise him, and dash you to pieces as a potter's veffel."+Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty juft and true are thy ways!-All nations fhall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifeft !

Acts v. 38.

† Pf. ii. lxxvi. 10.

SECOND

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HAVING endeavoured to prove that Lewis XIV. or the tyranny of the Capets, as perfected by that unequalled defpot, was reprefented to John in his vifion of the fecond beaft; the fecond Inquiry respects the two witneffes in Rev. xi.

This inquiry involves in it four questions. 1. Who are the witnefles? 2. Who is to flay them, and where are their dead bodies to lie unburied? 3. What length of time is intended by the three days and a half, during which their dead bodies are to lie in the street of the great city? 4. What will be the consequences attending their refurrection?

1. Who are these two witneffes? Rev. xi. 3. I will give power unto my two witneffes, and they shall prophefy a thousand two hundred and threefcore days clothed in fackcloth. The most prevailing opi-. nion is, that the faithful ministers of the gofpel, and all those who bear teftimony against the errors and ufurpations of antichrift, are intended, and that the number two is mentioned in allufion to the law of Mofes, which required two witneffes, at least, to make a teftimony valid. Bishop Lloyd fuppofes them to be the Waldenfes and Albigenfes, the early witneffes in France and its vicinity, againft the corruptions of popery. Dr. More explains it of unpolluted priefts and faithful magiftrates. But I have long thought that, by thefe witnesses, the fpirit of prophecy intended the witneffes for gofpel truth against the spiritual dominations and corrupt errors of the papal apoftacy; and all those who bear witness for civil liberty against the tyrannies and oppreffions of thofe princes and govern

whose paffions have enflaved mankind, and desolated the earth. The number of these witneffes has in general been but fmall ; yet, though they have prophefied in fackcloth, God, in his good providence, has always preferved to mankind a fucceffion of both defcriptions. Even wife and good men have not, perhaps, fufficiently confidered the worth and importance of the witnesses of the latter description, in fulfilling the great defigns of God's goodnefs towards men; and hence they have almost always interpreted this prophecy as relating to the fate of religion only; as if the ci

vil and political state of men, were held in little consideration by the Lord of the whole earth. But can any man fhew a good rea fon why the Hampdens, Sydneys, Lockes, and Hoadleys, may not be confidered as God's witneffes in their exertions in the cause of civil liberty, though it may be esteemed an inferior capacity, as well as those who have been employed in the defence of pure religion only? Both have wrought in the cause of God, and both have prophesied in fackcloth.

If we candidly confider the matter, the fourth verse seems to confirm the foregoing ideas. And although what is faid in the fifth and fixth verses is more obscure, yet, as far as I can understand them, they are not inapplicable to either of these characters. Ver. 4. Thefe are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks, ftanding before the God of the whole earth. We have long been used to affix to these two beautiful tropes, olive trees and candlesticks, the idea of faints; but this is by no means effential, for they neceffarily imply no more than excellence in that character which is fuftained, whether religious or civil. Allusion is here made to the emblems under which Jofhua and Zerubbabel were reprefented to the prophet Zechariah (chap. iv. 11-14.); one of whom was employed in reestablishing, (after the captivity, and in a time of religious and cis vil persecution) the religious, and the other the civil polity of the Jews. And what have the champions, in all ages, and in all countries, who have combated tyrants in the cause of liberty and justice, as well as the advocates for the uncorrupted truth of Jesus been, but golden candlesticks, whofe lights have illuminated this dark world, and which have at once made confpicuous, the rights of men and the enormities of oppreffors-the truth of Jefus and the impieties of antichrift? And but for the zeal of both thefe, in their different characters, being kept burning, by that oil of benevolence towards man, and love to the truth of God's word, which the olive trees represent, the earth had been involved in univerfal darkness, and the triumphs of oppreflion and error had been complete.

What follows is ftill more highly figurative: Ver. 5, 6. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. Thefe have power to fhut heavet, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy and have power over waters, to turn

them

them to blood, and to fmite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. What is here affirmed, has never been literally fulfilled, nor is it likely that it ever will. There is fome fimilarity between thefe plagues and thofe to be inflicted under the firft four vials. Rev. xvi. There, on the pouring out of the first vial, there fell a grievous fore upon the men who had the mark of the beaft, and upon them who worshipped his image; here the witneffes fmite the earth with all plagues.-There, on the pouring out of the fecond and third vials, the fea and the rivers became blood; here, the witnesses turn the waters into blood, and restrain the rain of heaven. There, on pouring out the fourth vial upon the fun, men were scorched with great heat; here, fire proceeds out of the mouths of the witnelles to devour their enemies. May not this highly figurative defcription be made more intelligible thus? The witnesses for religious truth and civil liberty, although they shall defend their cause under great oppreffions, yet such, under Providence, shall be the effect of their zeal, eloquence, and exertions, in the cause of God and man, that they shall occafion great vexations to their enemies, and kindle a fire, which, in the end, fhall confume their oppreffors, and their fyftems together. And fuch advantages shall they have, from the spirit of their attacks, and the fucceeding providence of God, that from the mode of war which will then prevail, fire will seem to iffue from their mouths, and destroy their oppofers.* Such fhall be the effects of their arguments and exertions on the minds of men, that the political heavens shall refufe to yield that rain which used to swell those rivers that fed the great fea of oppreffion. And all the rivers fhall be dry. Such fhall be the effects of their unexampled efforts in the cause of truth and

juf In this vifion which John had, we must fuppofe, that the parties in their conflicts pafied in review before him. As fire-arms were then unknown, it was not poffible for John, when he faw a vifion of one of our modern battles, to underftand the principles of what he faw, unless he was favored with particular instruction from the angel; and which, as it was not neceffary, is not probable. Suppofe, then, that on the rifing ground before him, he faw the armies of the witneffes and of their oppofers, drawn up in battle array; the witneffes, of courfe, occupying the highest ground in the scene, and poffeffing most of his attention. The confici commences. He fees the fire run from column to column along the rankis, and hears the thunder. He beholds the enemy fall, and the witnefes finally triumphant. In fuch a vifion, the fire would feem to come out of their mouths and devour their enemies.

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