or otherwise they can have no definite meaning whatever. Thirdly, the supposition that St. John lived in that state of the Beast, which the angel told him was, and that there were to follow those states of the Beast called is not, shall arise, and yet is, is truly the greatest absurdity of interpretation possible, and must contain in itself its own entire refutation. Those who wish to examine other opinions upon this subject may consult Poole's Synopsis Criticorum, and Dr. Gill's commentary on the Revelation. The solution of the passage is as follows: The Beast is the Latin kingdom (Ἡ Λατίνη Βασι Asía;) consequently the Beast was, that is, was in existence previously to the time of St. John, for Latinus was the first king of the Latins and Numitor the last; is not now, because the Latin nation has ceased long ago to be an independent power, and is now under the dominion of the Romans; but shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, that is, the Latin kingdom, the Antichristian power, or that which ascendeth out of the abyss, or bottomless pit, is yet in futurity. But it is added, "all they that dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose names were not written in the book of life, from the foundation of the world,) when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." By the earth is here meant the subjected part of the Latin empire, that is to say, the Latin world; therefore the meaning is, that all who dwell in the Latin world shall adhere to the idolatrous and blasphemous religion of the Latin church which is supported

by the Latin empire, except those, whom God. knew from the foundation of the world, as believing in the true Sacrifice, receiving his holy word, and keeping themselves unspotted from the corruption that is in the world; therefore the names of such are represented as written in the book of life, from the foundation of the world, as those who would finally be partakers of eternal life; and their Lord hath ascended into the heavens that he might prepare their places for them. But the inhabitants of the Latin world, under the dominion of the Romish religion, shall wonder when they behold the Beast, or Latin empire, that is, as Lord Napeir remarks, "shall haue in great admiration, reuerence, and estimation, this great monarchie." They shall wonder at it, by considering it the most sacred empire of the world, that in which God peculiarly delights; but those that so wonder have not their names written in the book of life, but are among the corrupt part of mankind, for "no idolater hath inheritance in the kingdom of God." In the preceding part of the verse the Beast is considered in three states, as that which was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit; here a fourth is introduced, and yet is. * This is added to shew that though the Latins

*The authenticity of this last clause, which is supported by several good manuscripts, has been called in question. There exist three various readings of it, viz. Karèp is, "and yet is," (which is the one generally received,) xai Tapesiv," and now is," and xal Tapesal," and shall be." Bengel, Griesbach, and Wetstein, approve of the last reading, because several of the

were subjugated by the Romans; nevertheless the Romans themselves were Latins, for Romulus, the founder of their monarchy, was a Latin; consequently that denominated in St. John's days the Roman empire, was in reality the Latin kingdom, for the very language of the empire was the Latin;

best and oldest manuscripts appear in its favour, among which is the Codex Alexandrinus known to be one of the most ancient extant. Notwithstanding this great testimony for the future verb, I am satisfied that the common reading is that which was written by the apostle, from the following reasons: 1. Kal Tapɛsaì is unnecessary; for the context shews, independently of this clause, that the Beast was in futurity in the time of the apostle as may be easily gathered from the following words: "And all they that dwell on the earth SHALL WONDER, (whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,) WHEN THEY BEHOLD the beast that was," &c. consequently, the following reading of the Vulgate is considerably more concise, in omitting this clause, quum viderent bestiam quæ erat, et non est, "when they behold the beast that was, and is not." 2. It is evident from the angel's explanation, that the Beast existed in St. John's time; for in his account of the seven heads, it is said, that "five are fallen AND ONE IS, and the other is not yet come." Therefore, whether xal rapes al be the genuine reading or 'no, it is certain that καιπὲρ ἐσὶν, or καὶ παρεσὶν, is also true of the Beast in the apostle's time. But it has been shewn that καὶ πα pasal contains no meaning that may not be gathered from the context, which is not the case with καιπὲρ ἐσὶν, or καὶ παρεσὶν. It hence follows that the present verb must be the genuine reading. The Syriac and Coptic versions of the Apocalypse were evidently made from manuscripts which contained the common reading, for the Latin translation of the first is, quod erat, et non est, et appropinquavit," that was, and is not, and hath approached;" and that of the latter, quæ est, et non est, et cecidit," that is, and is not, and hath fallen."

and the Greek writers who lived in the time of the Roman empire expressly tell us, "that those formerly called Latins are now denominated Romans. The meaning of the whole passage is, therefore, as follows: the corrupt part of mankind shall have in great admiration the Latin empire yet in futurity, which has already been, but is now extinct, the Romans having conquered it; and yet is still in being, for though the Latin nation has been subjugated, yet its conquerors are themselves Latins. But it may be objected to what has been al ready said concerning the phrases was, is not, shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and yet is, that these are spoken of the Beast upon which the apostle saw the Woman, or Latin church, sit; for the angel says, 66 The beast that THOU SAWEST, was, and is not," &c. what reference, therefore, can the Latin empire which supported the Latin church, have to the Latin kingdom which subsisted before St. John's time, or to the Roman empire which might properly be so denominated. This objection has considerable weight at first sight, and cannot be answered satisfactorily till the angel's explanation of the Beast has been examined; therefore it is added,

"Here is the mind which hath wisdom." It was said before, Rev. xiii. 18. "Here is wisdom: let him that hath (vov) a mind count the number of the

* Λατίνοι, οι καὶ Ῥωμαίοι: The Latins who are also Romans. Suidas's Lex. in loc. Hesychius, in his lexicon, makes Aarivo synonymous with Ρωμαίοι.

beast." Wisdom, therefore, here means, a correct view of what is intended by the number 666; consequently, the parallel passage, "Here is the mind which hath wisdom," is a declaration that the angel's interpretation of the Beast can be understood only by those who have this wisdom, for the words of the angel have such a pointed reference to THE NAME of the Beast which is gathered from his NUMBER, that it is utterly impossible to comprehend them thoroughly, without being previously acquainted with his name, as will be fully shewn in the sequel.

"The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth." This verse has been almost universally considered to allude to the seven hills upon which Rome originally stood; * and it is well known that ancient Rome did stand upon seven hills, for the proof of which many authorities might be adduced; but we will only notice one, which is to be met with in Dionysius Halicarnassensis. This writer, when speaking of the great dimensions of Rome, says that "Tullius enclosed the seven hills

*Lord Napeir, who was of this opinion, expresses himself as follows: "This Beast, whereon the said whoorish woman or Bus bylonical citie sitteth, hath seuen heads, which the text interpreteth to be seuen mountaines: Euen so Rome, the chief city or Metropolitane seat of the Latine Empire, is set upon seuen hilles." See his 24th Proposition, wherein he endeavours to prove that "the great ten-horned beast is the whole hodie of the Latine Empire, whereof the Antichrist is a part."