pofitions against indulgences, purgatory, and the dependent doctrins. So that he may be faid litterally to have fulfilled the command from heaven, of writing, Bleffed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth: and from that time to this this truth hath been fo clearly afferted, and fo folidly established, that it is likely to prevail for ever.

A learned and ingenious friend refers these three proclamations of the three angels to later times, and supposes that they are an immediate prelude to the fall of Antichrift and the millennium. But the clue that has principally conducted me thro' both parts of the Revelation is following the series of history and the fucceffive order of events. After the description of the two beasts, fecular and ecclefiaftical, whofe power was eftablished according to my hypothesis in the eighth century, but according to most other commentators much fooner, there would be a very large chafm without the prediction of any memorable events, if these prophecies relate to the time immediately preceding the fall of Antichrift and the millennium. What a long interval would that be without any prophecy? and how thick would the events follow afterwards? for all the particulars not only of this 14th, but likewise of

the

Spanhem. Hift. Chriftian. Sæc. 16. Cap. 6. Se&t. 1. $ 4

(6) In

the 16th, 18th, and 19th chapters, must be fulfilled before the commencement of the millennium. I can hardly frame, even in imagination, any events which can answer more exactly to thefe proclamations of the three angels than the three principal efforts towards a reformation. Charlemain, Valdo, Luther, and their followers, certainly deferve as exalted characters as are here given them and it would be very strange that there should be fo many prophecies relating to the downfall of popery, and yet none concerning the Reformation. He conceives that the church cannot be represented in fuch an attitude of triumph and jubilation, as it is in the former part of this chapter, while it is afflicted and perfecuted during the reign of the beaft. But the church of this period is not drawn in fuch an attitude of triumph and jubilation as he imagins; there are fome intimations of its fuffering perfecution in this very chapter: and if it was as he imagins, yet why may not the true church be represented like the Apofiles and primitive Chriftians as forrowful yet always rejoicing, as rejoicing in tribulation, as exceeding joyful in tribulation, &c? He farther conceives, that the dead are bleffed from henceforth, becaufe they will remain a fhorter time in the feparate ftate, and be fooner raised again. But why then is not that reafon affigned

but

but quite different ones, that they may reft from their labors, and their works do follow them? These are reasons which hold equally good at all times, and cannot be reftrained and limited to any particular time and therefore I conceive that the words from henceforth relate not fo much to the bleffedness of the dead, which is always the fame, as to the writing and promulgating of this doctrin by Luther and the protestant reformers.

14 And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one fat, like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp fickle.

15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that fat on the cloud, Thruft in thy fickle, t and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.. 16 And he that fat on the cloud, thrust in his fickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a fharp fickle.

18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire;

and

and cried with a loud cry to him that had the fharp fickle, faying, Thrust in thy sharp fickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

19 And the angel thruft in his fickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and caft it into the great wineprefs of the wrath of God.

20 And the wine-prefs was troden without the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, even unto the horse-bridles, by. the space of a thousand and fix hundred furlongs.

But ftill the voices of these three warning angels not having their due influence and effect, the judgments of God will overtake the followers and adherents of the beaft, which judgments are represented under the figures of harvest and vintage, (ver. 14-20.) figures not unusual in the prophets, and copied particularly from the prophet Joel, who denounceth God's judgments against the enemies of his people in the like terms; (III. 13.) Put ye in the fickle, for the barveft

(6) In Taanith Fol. 69. Col. 1. Lightfoot's Harmony of the N. T. in locum. Vide etiam

Echa R. II. 2. Tribus annis cum dimidio obfedit Adrianus Bitterem, nec ceffarunt in ea

barveft is ripe; come, get you down, for the prefs is full, the fats overflow, for their wickedness is great. What particular events are fignified by this barveft and vintage, it appears impoffible for any man to determin, time alone can with certainty discover, for these things are yet in futurity. Only it may be obferved, that these two fignal judgments will as certainly come, as harvest and vintage fucceed in their season; and in the course of providence the one will precede the other, as in the courfe of nature the harvest is before the vintage; and the latter will greatly furpass the former, and be attended with a more terrible deftruction of God's enemies. It is faid (ver. 20.) that the blood came even unto the horse-bridles, which is a ftrong hyperbolical way of fpeaking to exprefs vaft flaughter and effufion of blood; a way of speaking not unknown to the Jews, for (6) the Jerufalem Talmud defcribing the woful flaughter, which the Roman Adrian made of the Jews at emperor the deftruction of the city of Bitter, faith that the horses waded in blood up to the noftrils. Nor are fimilar examples wanting even in the claffic authors; for (7) Silius Italicus, fpeaking of Anni

interficientes, donec mergeretur equus in fanguine ufque ad os, &c. apud Wetstein in locum,

(7) Sil. Ital. III. 705. multoque fluentia fanguine

lora.

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