exorbitant lust of riches and ambition, worldly dominion and grandeur. Well might the Apostle represent them as practising every unrighteous

deceit.

But who must be their converts? That also the Apoftle has plainly told us; viz. "Such as are loft [lost to all sense of virtue " and goodness], who have not entertained the love of the truth, " fuch as willingly believe and embrace a lie, and take pleasure " in unrighteousness."-And among such, it is just with God to fuffer the energy of error to be exerted, to let them take their own way, and to perish in their own delufion. For must not men have caft off the love of truth, and have loft all relish for it, who can delight in their fabulous traditions and lying legends; and tamely give up the scriptures, or speak of them with contempt?

Thus have I gone through every part of this prophecy, and shewn (I hope) that no prophecy can be more exactly accomplished.

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OBJECTION. It may possibly be thought, by some, to be an objection to this interpretation, that St. Paul has taken no notice of this prophecy, in his epistle to the Romans; " though Rome was the very place where the man of fin was to appear."

ANSWER. The church of Rome was not then planted.However, St. Paul did afterwards, evidently caution that church against apostasy; and acquaint them, if they apostatised, what their end would be. [Rom. xi. 17-22.] That was as much as he thought fit to say in that epistle; as he had not planted the Christian church there, nor ever been, at that time, in person among them.

But there are four particulars, which appear to me to afford a fair and full answer to this objection. (1.) When St. Paul wrote the epifstle to the Romans, the Christians at Rome had not fallen into the mistake, concerning the speedy coming of the day of the Lord; and, therefore, there was not the fame occasion of taking notice to them, that the man of fin would appear, and a grand apoftasy happen before that day. (2.) The Apostle was cautious in defcribing the power which obstructed the revelation of the man of fin. He would not mention it, in writing to the Theffalonians; much less, surely, in writing to Rome, the very feat of empire, especially as he must have spoke out, in writing to Chriftians who had never seen him; 1; or else they could not have understood him. Whereas, in writing to the Theffalonians, he could fay, "Do not you remember that, when I was with you, I told you "these things? And you know what now obstructeth," &c. (3.) Though the apostolic epistles were written to some particular churches, and more exactly suited their case; yet they were spread among the other churches, and received, and publicly read by them, as containing matters of common concern. And of what moment was it, whether the Chriftians at Rome read this prophecy, in

the

the second epiftle to the Theffalonians, or in an epistle directed and sent, in the first place, to Rome? As the Apostle had published this prophecy, among the Christians, in the second epistle to the TheffaIonians, before it appears that there was any Christian church at Rome, he had no occafion to write it, in a letter to that imperial city, afterwards. It was enough to fend them a copy of the second epiftle to the Thessalonians. (4.) When the Apostle came in person to Rome (as he did, once or twice, after writing his epistle to the Romans), he would as freely and readily impart this prophecy to the Christians there, as he had done to the Theffalonians, and to other churches.

Let us now conclude this dissertation, with mentioning some corollaries from what has been faid.

I. The visible church may err, and fall into a dreadful apoftaly.

So it did under the Old Testament, [I Kings, eighteenth and following chapters; and particularly, Kings xix. 10. 2 Kings xvi. 1, &c.]. And the prophets frequently upbraided the people of God, for their defection and revolt from God. [See Isa. i. I, &c. Jer. i. 16, &c. and many other places of the Old Testament]. And the Christian church is so far from being exempt, that a most grievous apostasy and defection therein is foretold expressly both here and elsewhere.

II. From what has been said, it is easy to judge concerning Popery and the Reformation.

It is not the largeness of a church, nor her external pomp and splendor*, which makes her the true church; nor are they always the schifmatics, who are the fewest in number. No! suppose most of the nations of the earth should agree together in maintaining absurd doctrines, fuperftitious worship, immoral and unreasonable practices, uncharitableness, and impositions; they would be the heretics, and schismatics. And let the number who separate from them, in defence of truth, virtue, liberty, and charity, be never fo few, they would, in reality, be the true church; and, as fuch, be approved of God: whilst the other would deserve no other name, but that of a grand fchifm, or worldly faction, even though their party were as numerous, as that with the foles of their feet they could dry up rivers.

Holding the truth in love, is a mark of the true church; and such as forfake this, are apostates. Such is the schifm, faction, aud apoftafy of the present church of Rome, that fruitful mother of idolatries and of the abominations of the earth. And reformation is a most glorious thing, when founded upon its right bafis of reason and scripture, liberty and charity.

III. "How strong an argument may what has been faid afford us, " for the truth of the Christian religion!" Here was a signal event foretold, and that many ages before it came to pafs; an event, the like to which had never happened, fince

fince the creation of the world; and, most probably, there never will happen such another. It was, therefore, an event which was out of the reach of all human conjecture, or forefight. And yet experience hath shewn that the prediction was exact. Neither enthufiafts nor impostors could possibly have guessed so agreeably to fo uncommon an event. Nor can we, who have lived to fee and know fo much of the accomplishment, describe this apostasy in a more concise, juft, or lively manner, than St. Paul hath here done, in a few verses; and St. John, more largely, in the Revelations. They therefore must have been true prophets, or else they never could have delivered such remarkable predictions, which time and fact have fo amazingly verified.

Some other arguments for the truth of the Christian religion, though just and conclufive, may be of a more subtle and difficult nature. But the rife and progress of this apostasy is a fact; a plain, notorious, and well-known fact; an argument, which cannot eafily be evaded; but must strike the virtuous and attentive! - All churchhiftory, for several past centuries, is full of it. And we need only open our eyes, and we may behold too much of it. For the man of fin is even now upon his throne; exalting himself, as much as he can, above all the kings of the earth; and with such strong delusions seducing the nations, as to make many of them to believe a lie.

They may pretend, among us, that Popery is altered, and become a meek and harmless religion. They may misrepresent its tenets, and alledge that they have now thrown off that perfecuting spirit, which they have formerly discovered *. But is not transubstantiation one of her doctrinest and does not the hellish court of inquifition still subsist in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and other Popish countries? And the repeated persecutions of the Proteftants in France, Germany, and other places, are fufficient to convince us that the church of Rome, where she has power, is still the fame perfecuting church, and her religion the same bloody religion, as ever; and, though dressed up in sheep's clothing, she is no other than a ra

venous wolf.

Our ancestors felt the tremendous effects of her perfecuting power, and experienced her tender mercies to be the most dreadful cruelty, Nay, we ourselves were in imminent danger; but, by a very merciful interpofition of the divine providence, the snare was broken, and we most happily escaped. Yet all pious and benevolent persons are daily mourning over this antichriftian corruption and tyranny;

and

and ready to fay, "How long, O Lord, holy, just, and true, wilt thou not deliver thine elect, who cry unto thee, day and night?

Chriftianity is a religion reasonable and excellent in itself, promotes the pureft and most exalted virtue, was at first planted by inspiration and miracles; and here is a most remarkable prophecy, which, after so many hundred years, is exactly verified by a notorious event. What evidences would be sufficient, where all these are rejected?

IV. We ought not to be shocked at the present state of the Chriftian church, because the Apostles of our blessed Lord prophefied that fuch it would be.

Though the best things are liable to corruption; yet one would hardly have thought it poffible, that so great, so notorious a corruption could (by any pretence) have sprung out of the Christian religion. Look into the New Testament, which contains the religion of Jesus, and look into the doctrine, discipline, and worship, the whole polity and conftitution, of the church of Rome; and you may eafily perceive that light and darkness are not more oppofite. The doctrine of Chriftianity is all rational, its worship free from fuperstition and idolatry, and its laws require the greatest virtue and purity. But the doctrine of the church of Rome is abfurd, her worship over-run with superstition and idolatry. And that wicked church (which schifmatically calls herself the catholic and only true church) hath invented so many arts to make men very religious, without any virtue or true goodness, that (wherever it is established and prevails) it encourages almost all manner of wickedness and abominations.

Daniel prophefied *, that the God of heaven would erect a kingdom, which should be subject to the son of man. And we fay "that this kingdom of righteousness was actually erected by our "Lord Jesus Chrift." Now, upon looking abroad, into a great part of Chriftendom, it is natural to enquire, " Is this the kingdom which Daniel prophefied of?"-No! ! to prevent the anxiety and distress which might arife in the minds of true Christians, from such a dark and gloomy appearance, it was also prophefied that, out of this spiritual kingdom, there would arise one of the greatest apostafies and corruptions that ever appeared in the world; though true Chriftianity, as contained in the Scriptures, has all along been invariably the fame.

V. "How ought we to rejoice; that this unrighteous and tyran"nical power shall come to an end? and think ourselves obliged (from a sense of duty to God, and of benevolence to mankind) " to do every thing in our power towards bringing about so happy "an event.

Blessed be God that we are delivered from this worse than Egyptian darkness and slavery. Particularly, let us reflect with gratitude, upon our narrow and almost miraculous escape, at the ever-memorable Revolution, under the auspicious conduct of the glorious prince

of

of Orange, King WILLIAM, of immortal memory: which (by the favor of a kind and watchful Providence) laid the foundation of a later escape; when by the contrivance of a perfecuting, restless, and bigoted faction, a Popish pretender was ready to ascend the throne. Then it was, that King William's noble legacy took place, by the coming-in of the illustrious House of Hanover; a family which were among the first Protesters against Popery, and who have ever fince continued Proteftants: and (which has been, in a diftinguishing manner, the duty of that illustrious house, and attended with the greatest and most diffusive blessings) they have, upon many occafions, been strenuous affertors of the liberties of mankind, both civil and religious.

The happy effects of this they themselves saw and experienced during the rebellion, 1745, when their enemies were intimidated, by the remarkable zeal and number of their friends, when persons of all ranks and orders, and of almost all fects and parties, so zealously entered into afsociations againft a Popish, abjured pretender, and his highland banditti; and in the support of our Protestant royal family in the possession of the British crown. - Blessed be God for such a royal family; and let all the people say, Amen! May they and their defcendants continue friends to mankind throughout all coming generations; and experience the. joys and ample blessings which attend the fincere love of truth, virtue, religion, and liberty!

It is said that this corrupt and perfecuting religion gains ground in this Proteftant nation; and even in this day of light, liberty, and freedom of inquiry. But, surely, this must proceed from fome neglect among Proteftants. And what madness must possess such as would bring us back again into this spiritual Egypt, when all wife men would carefully avoid her crimes, for fear of at laft partaking in her plagues!

It is the duty of parents and tutors, in the education of children; and of minifters, in the instructions which they give to their people; diligently to train them up in the true principles of the Protestant religion. And it is the duty of all Proteftants to give up whatever abfurd doctrines, or impofing principles, they may have hitherto mixed with what is truly reasonable and Christian. Till these things be done, it must be expected that Popery will always be thrusting in its cloven. foot among us.

Thanks be to God, that we have the Scriptures so common, not only in the original, but in our own language; that we are allowed the liberty of private judginent, and bleffed with so many, and such excellent helps to understand our Bible! that such a spirit of liberty and free enquiry hath, in this last age, gone out into the land! May kind Heaven diffuse this happy spirit every where, and grant it the most lasting duration!

It is not three hundred years fince our ancestors were required to - believe the grossest abfurdities, and to practise the most flagrant fuperftition and idolatry; and that upon pain of forfeiting all that was dear to them in this world, and of being sentenced to eternal dam