THE WOMAN'S FLIGHT,

From A. D. 1509-1859.

Verse 14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place; where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

The blessed Reformation which originated in Germany, is without doubt, except the first promulgation of the Gospel among Jews and Gentiles, the most important event recorded in the history of the Christian Church. That glorious revolution, has been attended with so many divine favours to the nations of the world, that we may safely ascribe the greatest part of all their civil and religious blessings, to its influence. Luther the great Saxon reformer, Zwingle, Calvin and their coadjutors in this noble enterprise, not only began to oppose a senseless round of ceremonies and stupid prejudices, as Erasmus had done or to combat the scholastic theology of their time, and the tyrranny of the Pope, but chiefly the heretical doctrines of the Romish Church. Their principal object was, to give the true and complete answer to that momentous question: What must I do to be saved? Of this answer all Christendom then stood in urgent need; and before them none had abilities or resolution to give it. Thousands concerned for their eternal welfare, began to discover an ardent desire, that it might be known. The Reformers brought it to light, both from Scripture and the writings of the fathers; and the Waldenses and Bohemian brethern, who had privately preserved it for centuries as a precious jewel amongst themselves, approved their testimony. All these, when they beheld the day of reformation break in upon the Church, hailed its Gospel light, and found peace of soul in its benign influence. Thousands stepped forth in its defence on all sides; and

many became their fellow-labourers in the vineyard of the Lord; who were followed by multitudes, desirous to enjoy the Evangelical doctrine, and rejoice in its blessings

The spiritual nourishment, which the woman had hitherto enjoyed, in this once desolate wilderness of nations had by this time been made an insipid and unwholesome diet, by the papal inovations and corruption of the Christian doctrines and worship, and by the vices and ignorance of the clergy. The flock of Christ was every where suffering for want of nourishment, and panting for the waters of life; but there were no able and faithful shepherds, to lead them to the green pastures of the word of God, where living waters flow. For many of the clergy themselves had never read the Holy Scriptures, and but a few possessed that inestimable treasure. This being the state of the Church, the Evangelic doctrine could not fail to be welcome, and actually met with warm reception, and progress in all the countries of Europe. No sooner had Luther, commenced the glorious Reformation, A. D. 1517 in Germany, and Ulric Zwingle in Switzerland; then the dawn of Gospel truth opened on Saxony and Swiss, and, in a few years, on many cities and provinces of Germany, Bohemia, Poland, Hungary, and it even spread with rapid progress into the kingdoms of France, Spain and Italy. A. D. 1527 the whole kingdoms of Sweden and Denmark received it, and they were soon followed by the United Provinces, Great Britain, Scotland and Ireland. To all these countries the woman had fled in her first change of abode; and as she now commenced the second flight, she caused a general and glorious commotion, over her whole theatre of action.

A flight from place to place by means of wings, as the original Greek word eraμa signifies, must denote propagation of the Christian Church into foreign countries, and by the assistance of sails and wind, even across the ocean. By the figure of this expression, the se

cond flight of the woman is perfectly distinguished from the first; and in my humble opinion, indicates the following Items.

1. A peremtory separation and purging from image worship, superstition, and the Papal hierarchy.

2. A flying propagation of the Evangelic doctrines of the Reformation.

3. Emigrations into distant and foreign countries, by the help of navigation.

4. Extensive missionary establishments in foreign and distant countries, by means of navigation and wind.

5. Bible societies, for the purpose of extending the blessed influence of the word of God, and to publish it in all languages.

This prophecy cannot be explained, as denoting a second woman. The same woman, which according to the sixth verse, fled by an accelerated movement on the earth, is here again represented as flying into distant countries, by the use of wings and air. The appearance of her very start, from the place of her abode into the air implies a considerable exertion of power, by a contraction of her whole frame; and cannot signify any thing less, than a great reformation. Her first start in the ninth century, though only a movement on the ground, implied the conversion of Pagan nations to Christianity; in this her second start, she is represented as still more glorious than in the first.

The excitements to her flight, were kindled in the heart of the woman A. D. 1509; when Luther accepted the theological professorship in the university of Wittemberg as the first step to his spiritual, and truly important career. However, Luther, Zwingle, Calvin and their colleagues, are not the woman. They were the chosen instruments of the Lord, for great purposes, and only the organs of the Church on that all important occasion ; by which she expressed the influence of divine grace, operating on her heart. Since that glorious epoch of the Re

formation, this flight of the woman is clearly evident, in all the important occurrences of the Church. Every movement bore indeliable features of her most extensive designs, both in a political and religious point of view; and the Lord so ordered in his wise providence, that many of her objects could be accomplished. The maritime powers of Europe, had lately opened for themselves a door to the most distant countries of the world. The Portuguese sailed since A. D. 1490 to the kingdom of Congo, in Africa; Christopher Columbus had discovered America, A. D. 1492; and Vasco Gama, found A. D. 1497, for the first time the way to the East Indies. Thus Providence laid the foundation, of bringing the different nations of the human family to a more intimate acquaintance with each other; by means of which, Christianity as a mighty ferment, should be brought to influence the whole body of mankind, induced civilization, humane and wholesome laws, arts and sciences, and above all the Gospel of Jesus Christ which bringeth life eternal.

The propagation of Christianity among the Heathens, is an essential characteristic of the woman in her second flight. But the woman's start from the earth to so r upwards, not only indicates a more divine, heavenly and glorious reformation, than the first conversion of thes nations to Christianity; it also implies a gradual exaltation of her own body, or a continued reformation upon the same divine principles, as well as a gradual extention of her banners into distant countries, where the Gospel had not been preached before. We may therefore expect to meet with an ardent spirit for reformation, and missionary purposes, in the hearts of all who are numbered with this woman. Accordingly Luther and the principal reformers, often introduced the subject of the future extension of the Redeemer's kingdom among the Heathen, and dwelt on it with becoming enthusiasm. But the territories of those princes, who had thrown off the papal yoke,

being situated on the interior part of the continent of` Europe; the Protestant churches had no connexion with Pagan nations, before the English and Dutch embraced the reformed religion. Though the first start of the woman in her second flight, only implies labours of reformation; yet the Protestant Lutheran Church realized this meritorious missionary spirit at an early period. Ernst, prince of Saxe-gotha, surnamed the pious, distinguished himself by successful endeavours, to obtain a free exercise of the Evangelic Luthern doctrine in Russia. He also commenced a correspondence with the patriarch of Egypt, and sent A. D. 1663 John Mich. Wansleben to him and to Abyssinia, but with little effect. Justinian, baron of Wells, actually established a society for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign countries, and endowed it with a found of 12000 dollars for the support of a seminary, in which young men should be educated for foreign missionaries. He went to Holland, where he himself rcceived ordination, proceeded from thence to the West Indies, and finished his course with glory among the savages. The kingdoms of Sweden and Denmark, exerted their religious zeal soon after the Reformation, to convert the inhabitants of Finland and Lapland, and the remaining Pagans in their own dominions, to the Christian faith. They built churches, established schools among them since the year 1559, and supplied the children with books and cloathing. The Swedes furnished the inhabitants of Lapland with the first printed book in the language of that country A. D. 1619, and also with a translation of the Bible, A. D. 1738. But of all the Lutherans, the Danish nation made the greatest exertions in this salutary work. Christian IV. bought the town of Frankebar upon the coast of Coromadel, in East India; where he established A. D. 1602 a colony for commercial purposes, which soon branched out into different settlements. Frederick IV. erected A. D. 1706, the missionary society