of which are now future; yet the height to which this three-fold agency will then have risen, seems clearly to indicate, that its origin must have been of long standing, or from earlier date. The text does not say that their origin is subsequent to the sixth vial; although it gives notice of them at that period. Their existence, no doubt will prove to have been coeval with that of Antichrist. And no doubt some, if not all of them are accordingly now operating in the world, and in this nation. The dragon in this text is the devil.* The Beast is Antichrist. And the false prophet is Papal religion; and it may be viewed as including the whole spirit of false religion, under whatever form. What particular influence will be found to be rep resented by the frog out of the mouth of the drag. on, as distinct from the other two; or what shades of difference the two former of these modes of diabolical agency will be found to have assumed, it may be difficult now to ascertain. I have no doubt but Illuminism is one of these three unclean spirits; and that re-established Popery, including all fanaticism and fatal religious error, wherever it be found, is the last. And with respect to a third, time and events will no doubt cast light upon the subject. Let it be what it may, it will prove to have been of diabolical production. For they are spirits of devils. The devil will have peculiar power among men to instigate things favorable to disorganization and Infidelity; and by his satanic influence to prepare men to unite in his cause. He has ever been said to work in the children of disobedience, and to lead them captive at his will. But in the fulfilment of this prophecy, having come down with great wrath, because he knoweth he hath but a short time, the devil will be suffered to exercise an unusual influence among men, in exciting their corruptions, of pride, lusts, covetousness, enmity, rage, and all the malignant passions. Satan will then be able to instigate the wicked to overleap usual restraints; to break such bands asunder, and to cast such cords from them. Whether any thing more than this, in a land

so distant from the seat of the Antichristian Beast as ours, will be observable, as fulfilling the other system of diabolical influence; or whether it will not appear, that the old dragon has long been preparing some engine, which will then be brought into operation against the cause of Christ, the event must decide. The latter seems much to accord with the deep policy of that old serpent who deceives the world. His plans extend far beyond the apprehensions of the multitudes, who are involved in them; and who, with different motives, prove instruments of their fulfilment. People may be led, by trilling and seemingly harmless views, into con. nexions, which Satan may eventually manage to ac complish his malignant designs; and perhaps to subserve one of the three systems of influence under consideration.

THUS I have endeavored to make it appear, in this chapter, that the last days have arrived; and that an inceptive fulfilment of the predictions concerning Antichrist is now manifest before our eyes. Chronological remarks, and the events and signs of the times, appear to unite, and to present the present age, as the period of the rise of Antichrist.

Various other tokens of this event are suggested in the word of God; such as, Signs in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire, and pillars of smoke:Wars and rumors of wars:-Pestilence, famines, and earthquakes in divers places:-And an angel flying through the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them who dwell on the earth, to every nation, kindred, tongue and people; or a most remarkable missionary spirit in the Christian world, in the same hour with the fall of Papal Babylon. These signs of the last days, serious and judicious people believe they have seen fulfilling, or fulfilled, with amazing evidence and precision.

Concerning the reign of Antichrist, and the preyalence of Infidelity, if John could say to his Jewish brethren, in relation to the continuance of their national

polity; It is the last time; and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know it is the last time; truly we may adopt his inference with an emphasis. If the Infidelity of the impenitent Jews indicated that wrath to the uttermost was just ready to be poured upon their nation; truly the present extensive, systematic, and prevalent agency and Infidelity of the real Antichrist of the last time, does evince, with more emphatical decision, that the battle of the great day is not far distant. For the deduction of the Apostle rested on this ground, that the destruction of Antichrist, at the time of his first appearance, should be even at the doors. Zion will be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. The vintage will commence; the wine-press will be trodden. The Lord will roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake. The wicked powers of his enemies will be swept from his presence. And the meek shall inherit the earth, and delight themselves in abundance of peace.

CHAP. III.

Some other Particulars relative to the Subject under consideration.

SECTION 1.

The Trials of the Church under the reign of Antichrist.

In this section I shall remark upon some of the prophecies, which are thought to relate to the trials of the people of God under the prevalence of Antichristian tyranny. But previous to the consideration of the prophecies, relative to those days, let it be noted, that the denominating of the infidel Power of the last days Antichrist; his being also represented as the old Roman Beast revived, and as the sixth, or Imperial head, recovered from its deadly wound; these things alone portend solemn things to the Church. Why is this Power called Antichrist? Why was his existence in the last days so long, and so abundantly and solemnly predicted to the Church under this, and various other terrific appellations? Will he not verify the hostility indicated in his very name? Can the appellation of Antichrist be unmeaning? Why is he represented, in addition to this, as the last head of the old Roman Beast? And the sixth, the most persecuting head, recovered from his deadly wound? The best expositors agree, that a Beast, in the symbolic language of prophecy, means a great power hostile to the Church of Christ. Powers ever so great, not hostile to the Church, are not symbolized by Beasts. And when a great power, that has been hostile to the Church, and has been symbolized by a Beast, ceases to be hostile to the Church, that Beast is represented as dying, or being wounded to death: As in the case of the old Pagan Roman empire, when, in the revolution under Constantine, its government was changed from Pagan to Christian. And when the same Beast is represented as reviving, the indica

tion can be nothing less, than that a similar Power equally hostile to the Church, and mystically the same, has come into existence. If this trait of character be not verified by the hostility of such a Power to the Church, there can be no meaning in the representation, that the old Beast is revived.

And the representation of the sixth, the Imperial head of the old Beast being recovered from its deadly wound, and this under the immediate agency of the devil, in his rage of the last days, because he knoweth that he has but a short time, must indicate alarming hostility to the cause of Christ! This was the head, which in ancient days was the most terrible of all the heads of the Roman Beast. Under this, Christ was cru. cified. Under this, the Apostles were put to death. And under this, the greatest exertions were made, in ten bloody persecutions, to eradicate primitive Christianity from the earth. If this head then, be symbolically represented as rising out of the bottomless pit, being revived under the agency of the devil, in his last rage before the Millennium, and all this under the additional name of Antichrist, who the Christians in the days of John had heard was to come; we need not won. der, that solemn admonitions are given to the Church relative to the event. And if amazing hostility be not exerted by this Power against the Church, why is Jesus Christ abundantly represented as coming from heaven, with all his armies and equipage of a most mighty conqueror, to carry on a war against him, and to vanquish him in the battle of that great day of God Almighty? Does not all this indicate the most violent hostilities to be undertaken by the terrible Power of the last days. against the true Church of Christ?

In Rev. xvii, 14, we read, concerning the horns of the last head of the Roman Beast, These shall make war with the Lamb. Here we learn, that one real object of Antichrist is, War with the Lamb.

In Rev. xiii, 6, 7, 8, it is said of the healed head of the Roman Beast; (which is the same that is symboliz ed by a new Beast in chap. xvii;) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his