the natural tendency of selfishness and its deep root in human nature are not yet clearly seen from experience or the history of mankind; and the experiment, we greatly fear, will again be made, and perhaps on a larger scale than ever, whether man cannot, by his own inherent dignity and strenuous exertions, recover himself from his present general prostration, and rise to an elevation somewhat commensurate with his natural aspirations.

CHAPTER XVII.

The desolate false church. - Universal opinion of it. Daniel, ii. Four successive empires. - God's kingdom will destroy the image under the last.

Daniel, vii. Four beasts, or successive empires. — The ten horns of the latter consumed by God's kingdom. Rev. xii. The dragon compared with the fourth kingdom and beast of Daniel.

Rev. xiii. This beast has something common with the four kingdoms and beasts.

Rev. xvii. Scene reverts to the time of St. John. Civil and ecclesiastical power of the pope. - The Cæsars' empire then existed. - The popes' governments had a disgraceful origin. — Sealing, &c. of the people of God. Hills and kings.—1260 years a short time.-Eighth power. Its destruction entire. And the ten kingdoms. - Death of the two witnesses passed over. — The ten kingdoms destroy popery. Apparent contradiction. -Key to the prophecy.

Conclusion.

Object of the work.

- Popery the greatest error. Its inconsistencies. — Private judgment allowed by prophets and apostles. — According to popery wicked men have authority over men's faith and practice. - Under the law both people and priests needed divine instruction. When miracles are withdrawn the Holy Spirit is the only infallible teacher.-Jewish sacrifices and Christian eucharist show forth our Lord's death. The first four seals still describe popery.

The apostles

conveyed gifts only and not grace. - Popery hostile to inquiry. The divine service ought to be approved of and understood. - Rome unchanged, decaying.

Dates not understood until fulfilled. — Beginning of the 1260 years when the Western kingdoms submitted to popery. - Earlier than A. D. 756. — The Turkish sultany will fall before the blast of the seventh trumpet. Neither Christendom nor the kingdoms of the world returned to God. A fearful struggle drawing nigh. — Napoleon's victories not the vials. Though already in existence. -Their prophetic date yet future. The Eastern church not mentioned. The destruction of popery signal for the conversion of the world.

Verses 1-7. "AND there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters; with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

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And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns."

The vision now supposes that the vials have been discharged, or the Man of Sin has received his last judgment, the consequences of which are immediately described. The prophet is taken again into the wilderness, for another purpose, however, than to behold the true Church still in the character of an

afflicted woman; no, she has changed places with the apostate; their circumstances are reversed; the 1260 years of solitude and calamity are gone by; he that led into captivity is gone into captivity; he that killed by the sword has himself suffered the same infliction; and the trial, neglect, and obloquy that had hitherto been the lot of the true Church, have recoiled back, and justly fallen upon her once cruel, lascivious, and prosperous enemy.

The gross delineation of the apostasy, which is brought before us in this chapter, denotes the opinion that will every where prevail concerning it after the seven vials have been poured out. It will be regarded as the mystery of iniquity, the Babylon of pride, ostentation, and extravagance; the nursery of alienation from God in the every form of spiritual idolatry, and the most abominable thing that ever visited the earth.

The long-sustained wonder of the prophet may also express the feeling of the Church