the nations. Whatever is commemorated before, partly relates to the form of the beast, partly to the occasion and manner of his rise. And why, I beseech you, should we represent to ourselves an antichristian beast, of whom for some time, no facts are related, no persecution recorded? Nay, if we follow the reading of Irenæus and the Complutensian version, by expunging "I saw," there will be no longer a place for such an interpretation. "And all the earth wondered after the beast ;" that is, with the utmost approbation and consent, they went over to the party of the beast. "And they worshipped the dragon, which gave power to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" That is, they did not simply worship the beast as a beast, but also as a vicegerent of the dragon. Therefore they did not venerate the beast alone, but the dragon himself likewise, under the mask of the beast. For to worship the beast, unless so far as idolatry discharged the functions of the dragon, in the sense in which it is here used, would not have been more impious than to obey any kind of mundane power.

The beast, in truth, denotes a kingdom. To adore the beast, then, according to the usage of the Hebrew and Oriental languages, is the same thing as to be subject to him, which the expla

nation subjoined to the word worship, not obscurely points out. They adored (says he) the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is capable of contending with him?" As if he had said, They devoted themselves willingly to the obedience of the beast, as to one who so far excelled others in power, that there was no one that would resist or make war with him. In which also, ver. 12, the earth itself, not merely its inhabitants, is said to have worshipped the beast; that is, to have yielded to his dominion. “And he caused (says he) the earth, and those that dwell therein, to worship," &c. So in the benediction of Jacob, Gen. c. xxvii. v. 29, " Let the people serve thee, and nations worship (or bow down to) thee. Be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee." For this meaning of the words τοῦ προσκυνεῖν, vide Gen. c. xxxvii. v. 7, and c. xlix. v. 8, in the benediction of Judah; so also Isa. c. xlv. v. 14. But to be subject to the beast according to his religious constitution, as it refers to the sevenheaded dragon, is blasphemous, and impious towards God. Whence, they who so adore the beast, are said to adore the dragon in adoring the beast.

"And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and there was given him power to continue forty-two months."

Hitherto of the constitution and state of the beast. It is afterwards explained in what things he exercised the power committed to him by the dragon; viz. in two,-in blasphemy towards God, and the persecution of the saints. The whole description is taken from the prophecy of Daniel, ch. vii. where he treats of the same subject, as here, that is, the Roman beast in the last state. But the circumstances which are there related to Daniel by the angel, rather succinctly, are here more diffusively laid open, as in an interjected explanation.

"There was given to him (says he) a mouth speaking great things." The mouth speaking great things is Daniel's; but here the great words are explained by "blasphemies;" under which name, it will presently be asserted, idolatrous worship was designated, as a matter of the highest affront to God.

Moreover, he says, that the beast should so blaspheme for forty-two months; that is, of years, throughout the same space of time, as the Gentiles should trample down the outer court of the temple, or the holy city. And not undeservedly, since that profanation of the Gentiles runs in a parallel line with the same impiety as this blasphemy of the beast, and both point out a subject of the power of darkness and of night, and therefore to be measured, not by

years or days, but months, according to that of the moon, which presides over the night. And, indeed, unless the Holy Spirit had intended the designation of time to be referred to the blasphemy, why has he inserted it in this place, immediately after the mention of blasphemy? The months are not to be reckoned from the beginning of his cruelty, or warfare with the saints, but of his blasphemy. As if the word Toñoa signified some certain act, or state of the power of the beast, (of which kind some suppose that to be, which is here called the power of acting or doing,) it must then altogether be referred to the act of blasphemy. But rò Toñoaι TO ποιῆσαι seems rather to be applied in the senses of lasting or remaining, as it is elsewhere used with words of time. For thus, Acts, ch. xv. v. 33, ποιήσαντες δὲ χρόνον τινὰ, “ when he had spent some time;" and ch. xx. v. 3, toinσas tε uñvas τρεις, " and there abode three months." 2 Cor. ch. xi. v. 25, νυχθήμερον ἐν τῷ βυθῷ πεποίηκα, σε α night and a day I have been in the deep." Add James, ch. iv. 13, "to-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city,” καὶ ποιήσομεν ἐκεῖ ἐνιαυτὸν Eva," and continue there a year." Drusius remarks that wy is thus used, Eccles. ch. vi. v. 13, and “facere" in Latin, Seneca, Epist. lxvii. "Quamvis paucissimos unà fecerimus dies.""Though we have passed very few days together."

7

εκει

a

In the marble tablet, 66 cum qua fecit annos ix." "Where, when he had continued nine days." In Alfenus, i. e. "Is servus fugerat et annum in fugâ fecerat.” “That slave had fled, and passed a year in flight;" that is, spent, continued, finished, transacted.

66

According to these examples, why should not Toiñoaι uñvas 42," signify lived so long, remained, continued blaspheming? The force of which expression, those who did not understand, seem to have inserted in the text the word “ πόλεμον War,” which is extant in some of the copies. Now, as I said before, that by the name of blasphemy in this place, was designated, as by way of eminence, idolatry, or spiritual fornication, may be evinced by a twofold, or even a threefold argument. First, because Babylon, the metropolis of this beast, means the mother of harlots, and with her the kings and inhabitants of the earth are said to commit whoredom. But the beast of which we treat, is nothing else than the community of those kings and inhabitants. Secondly, it must be a blasphemy of the same kind, which should suit with the state of the head, immediately preceding; nay, of all the other heads; for on all "were written the name of blasphemy," ver. 1. Add that this beast of the last state, was born and composed from the renewal of the impiety of his predecessor of