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which point of view alone the ephah has 'respect to it, was in fact no more. Ever since the dawning of the reformation, in the morning star of Wickliff, the eastern empire had been rapidly sinking under the power of the Othman Turks; before the reformation it was completely fallen; and its church was swallowed up in the mosque of Mahomet. Consequently, idolatry was no longer "their eye," the prevailing character of the people there; for in whatever degree the Greek church might continue to be polluted with idolatry, it constituted only a body of dissenters from the established and dominant religion, and therefore could not be justly said to impart its colour to the community.

The angel concluded with a declaration, that when the house "shall be prepared*," the woman, the representative of idolatry, "shall rest there," that is to say, "in the land of Shinar," the territory ecclesiastically

* Our English version renders, "and it shall be established and set there upon her own base." Here it should seem, that is rightly understood, as the nominative to the verb which is in the masculine form; but it is also continued to

בית

or

, which being in the feminine gender, cannot receive the same nominative. In my rendering, I have closely followed Dr. Blaney, who remarks, "that the words and when fully written, are conjugates and are so considered by the LXX, who render επι την ετοιμασίαν αυτε.” It is also plain, that he considered the woman, not the ephah, to be the antecedent to the pronoun and the nominative

מוכנת

הניחה to the verb

subject to the see of Rome, "according to that which is prepared for her." A limitation is plainly intended by these last words; and the limitation has relation both to the territory, and to the duration of the term, which are prepared and destined for the abode and continuance of idolatrous worship. Accordingly it has happened ever since the reformation, that with whatever boldness, vehemence, and steadiness the church of Rome may have urged her arrogant pretensions to be, de jure, the only true and universal church of Christ, she has felt herself confined, de facto, to those seats, to which that event restrained her. But the limit is set, not only to the dominion of popery, but also to the encroachments, which the protestant faith might make upon it. Accordingly, as the Romish church has been unable, ever since that period, to regain her ascendancy over the countries, which once submitted to her sway; so neither have her antagonists been able materially to abridge her boundaries. Individuals indeed have been converted from her idolatrous worship, but no national conversions have taken place. The event in short, has proved the prophecy to be true and the interpretation thereof correct.

But the duration also of idolatry is limited not less than her territorial extent. A term is

prepared for her, fixed by the providence of God, which she will not be able to overpass. The church of Rome may fancy her existence to be circumscribed only by that allotted to the world itself; but she cannot outlive the period of her idolatry. It is co-existent with herself, and must give its colour and character to that large portion of Christendom, over which Rome extends her spiritual sovereignty, so long as she continues to be what she is. Her pretensions to infallibility fasten, as it were, by adamantine bolts and screws her idolatry upon her. The extent indeed of the term is not defined; but we may presume, that it will be known to be approaching towards its end, whenever the church of Rome shall be found to contract in any material degree the circuit of her dominions; and the same too if she shall be found to enlarge it to any considerable extent. For her expansion, equally with her contraction, should seem to mark the period prepared for her, according to this prophecy, either to have expired, or to be on the point of expiring; and therefore it may be, and, in case it should take place, will be, the immediate or proximate prelude to her downfal. If she should be permitted to extend her limits, God grant, that Britain at least may not be comprehended within them!

For though the subjection would be short, the disgrace would be most foul, the guilt deep beyond compare. God grant us then to be vigilant, ready, and firm; for the enemy is likely to make the mightier struggles, "knowing that he hath but a short time," and therefore "gaining resolution from despair." Lastly, God grant, that the subversion of the Romish church may ultimately be effected in the truly desirable way, by the conversion of Romanists from their idolatries and superstitions to the sole service of the one true God, and of the ONE mediator between God and man.

NOTE FROM PAGE 325.

Instead of the present reading Dry, "their eye," Archbishop Newcome reads and renders ry, "their iniquity." Dr. Blaney reads y, but renders, as if it had the plural affix," their iniquities." The authorities alleged in support of these new readings are far from being sufficient to warrant the adoption of them. All the manuscripts, except one, read the first three letters ry. Four read the word in the plural number, without any affix; and of these, one has the whole word, and another the two letters, on a rasure. Hence it is conjectured by the Archbishop, that these two manuscripts originally read in conformity with the other manuscript, which alone has Vau, instead of Iod, for the second letter. But, as Dr. Blaney has observed, with respect to the latter of the two, "the presumption can go no farther "because the plural termination is not upon the rasure. With respect to that, which has the whole word on a rasure, it is to be remarked, that the supposition of the original word having been any word beginning with Gnain, is not very probable, because there could then have been no reason for erasing the first letter. The word, that supplied the place of the rasure, is more likely to have been yw, imported by error from the eighth verse. The Archbishop then can be allowed to adduce only one manuscript in favour of his reading.

עונים than

The reading of Dr. Blaney is not supported by any one manuscript, but is collected, as to the first two letters, from the solitary manuscript which reads ory, and as to the plural termination, from the four which read .

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