other before men; and in doing it, "they counted not their own lives dear unto them,” so that the savour of that blessed name might be spread abroad. This carried, at length, all before it. The Pagans were unable to stand before the heroic testimony of pardoned men; they were beaten, routed, and fain to quit the field. The Gospel, in the persons of its living adherents or rather Christ in his people-triumphed over Paganism, in the persons of its blinded votaries, or rather over Satan in his heathen tools.

And yet, while the defeat on the one hand and the victory on the other, were just error flying before truth-true religion triumphing over and expelling false-and, in consequence of this, the votaries of each changing places in the empire—this is represented as an expulsion of the unseen head of the defeated interest, leaving the battle-field in exclusive possession of the victorious Redeemer. "THE GREAT DRAGON WAS CAST OUT -that is the SYMBOL: "THEY (the Christians) overcame him by the blood of the Lamb"-that is the plain, the divinely authorized EXPLANATION OF THE SYMBOL.

It is impossible not to see the bearing of all this upon the explanation of the opening vision of the 20th chapter.

As we proceed in tracing the style of this symbolic book regarding Satan, we find the same empire again in possession of the dragon, in another form. The seven heads and the ten horns are there as before; but the crowns are now on the horns (chap. xiii. 1). This refers to the empire after it fell before its Gothic invaders, and was broken up, and at length consolidated into ten independent kingdoms. The engine he now wields, by means of the empire, is ecclesiastical. He has turned Christian in order to destroy Christianity. He betrays it with a kiss. He first heathenizes Christianity and the Church, and then he wages war-with all the strength of the empire, in connection with its ecclesiastical chief of the seven hills-against "the saints of the Most High" who will not submit to, and fall in with his heaven-blasphem

ing, Christ-dishonouring, soul-destroying system. It is Popery.*

But in this last and most formidable character he is destined to be "cast out," as before. The battle here also is of the same character, and won in the very same way. “These (ten horns, or kingdoms of the Papal dragon) shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them ”—in the same sense as we saw he did in the days of Paganism—“ for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." (Chap. xvii. 14.) To make this army of "called, chosen, faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ," to be the glorified saints who will come with him at his second appearing, is every way extravagant. It is manifestly the same company of faithful ones mentioned in the 14th chapter, and described as "the undefiled" party, who, amidst the almost universal unfaithfulness to Christ's truth and cause, "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." (Ver. 4.) It is a battle, just as before, between Christ's truth and the devil's lies, in the persons of their respective adherents among men. The lies are different, but the lying character of both systems, and their enmity against all that stood in their way, is the same. Christ is represented as coming out of heaven on a war-horse, as the captain of a band of celestial horsemen, and with all the insignia of his trampled rights, as the prophet, the priest, and the king of his Church, to give battle to the confederate enemies of his blessed The battle is fought and won. "The beast" sway. —antichrist—" is taken," and goes whence it came—to hell. "The remnant are slain"—the adherents of the defeated interest are crushed-and all remaining appearance in behalf of it vanishes. (Chap. xix. 11 to end.)

* Hengstenberg has tried hard to dislodge this great Protestant stronghold, but I think without success. My argument, however, is founded on the meaning of the symbols, which Hengstenberg interprets just as I do.

The capture of the beast, and the consignment of it to hell, having reference to a public body, a vast organised confederacy, must be interpreted according to the only way in which retribution can light upon such bodies. And how little individuals, as such, have to do with the whole subject, appears from the songs of triumph which here, as before, are sung over the glorious issue: "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints and apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her" (xviii.) Now, the Papal system denoted by "her" was not in existence for ages after "the apostles and prophets" had, as individuals, gone the way of all the earth. Yet they are said to be avenged on Babylon. What can this mean, save as the victory of their doctrine or principles, which the Papal system sought to destroy? In the same sense we are to interpret every similar statement in this book. So, likewise, are we to understand such sayings as these, “Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." It is just the cause of the Lord which has become triumphant over the dragon's Antichristian, as before over his Pagan, party.

Well, we have found one party of the dragon falling after another; and we naturally look to be told what party he is to. be allowed to form next. The answer of the 20th chapter is— None at all. He is removed from the earth, and chained up for a thousand years, during all which period he shall no more deceive the nations. After what we have found to be the style of this book, on the subject of Satan's "deceptions -after the key with which the preceding part of it has furnished us, for opening these perfectly similar representations -can the meaning remain doubtful? It is just this: That, during that happy period, the cause of Christ should carry it every where, and Satan be allowed no lodgement in any spot on the globe to form a public party in opposition to Christ; that in this sense, his trade will be at an end; that representatives and tools for the doing of such work, he will have none—as if men should wonder where he was, and go in

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search of him, but find him nowhere-he has been swept off the stage.

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But are we not warranted to go a step farther? This symbolical seizure and chaining of the enemy is it the effect of mere sovereign power carrying off the field a troublesome foe, out of pity to a Church unable to cope with and cast him out? Is it something done for the Church's relief, and altogether without the Church's instrumentality? Has the come to the help of the Lord Church, in all time before, against the mighty;" and has the Lord, reversing all his former methods, now come to the help of the Church against the mighty? I think not. It is Christ's doing, doubtless; "The but it is his doing, I think, in and by his Church. strong man armed long kept his palace, and his goods were but peace; now, a Stronger than he cometh upon him" in his living Church," and taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils." There is ground, I think, to believe that the "dragon is laid hold on," in the same sense precisely as "the beast was taken,” (xix. 20), and that THE CHURCH WILL DO BOTH; not only defeating Antichrist, but thereafter, for a thousand years, never permitting the devil to gain an inch of ground to plant his foot on over the wide world.* Let the reader now say whether this interpretation does not perfectly correspond with all that we have found to be the undisputed dominion and spiritual glory of the Church in the latter day. If it does, then observe what follows from it. There is in this celebrated passage no new revelation

in

"Do the tares (allowed by Mr Brown during the millennium) not require one inch of ground to grow upon?" (Dr H. Bonar, p. 46.) If there be any thing in this, Dr Bonar will have to answer it himself, as he also allows sin (which certainly is not wheat) during the millennium. But there is nothing in it. I speak of a public party espousing error and "sin and tares are not identical." I will evil. But, replies Mr Wood, not discuss that again, but refer him to Mr Bickersteth, who, with many others, admits that "during the millennium the faithful will be mingled with those who yield only a feigned obedience." These at least are tares; but they are fain to conceal their real character during that era.

made at all, but only, as the manner of the Apocalypse is known to be, a concentrated representation of all that is elsewhere said, in a way, and with a charm, quite its own. On the other hand, supposing this not to be the true sense of the vision, but that the premillennialists are right in holding that it means the total cessation of Satanic influence on the earth, then it is not only a revelation made here alone-when, if true, it might have been looked for, and could scarce fail to have dropt in numberless other places-but it is a revelation in direct opposition to the whole teaching of Scripture elsewhere.

SUPPLEMENTARY REMARKS.

In case the cry of rationalism, which has been raised against this chapter by Dr H. Bonar, Mr Wood, and others, should lead any reader to think that I have put forth something novel, rash, and dangerous, I add a few paragraphs on the subject, and the rather, as it is one of some interest in itself.

1. As to the extent to which Satan is to be restrained in the latter day, I have expressed only the view of the majority of expositors, in rejecting the notion of a total cessation of Satanic influence. Up to the middle of the seventeenth century, nearly all divines thought that this "binding of Satan" began either with the gospel itself, or with Constantine. Did such think that the influence of Satan had totally ceased upon earth, or that any such thing was the sense of this prophecy? Of course not. Then, as to subsequent expositors, who take the fulfilment of the prophecy to be future, I need do no more than name such as Durham, Vitringa, Daubuz, Lowman, President Edwards, and Faber, who, with many others, understand the prophecy as I do, not of an entire cessation of Satanic influence, but relatively to his former permitted power to corrupt, divide, persecute, and waste the kingdom of Christ.

"He is bound," says DURHAM, "that he should deceive the nations no more;' that is, kept from having such influence to delude the world, as he had done before, who first made them all