as the idea has impressed itself upon my mind with considerable force of conviction, in a survey of the whole system, I trust, I shall be found correct and near the true point of accomplishment on the day of completion. In my opinion, the ascent of the beast from the bottomless pit, should be considered in a comparative view, with his first rise from the sea; both in point of time, and the formation of the proper element in which he lives and moves. His first rise from embryo, and his emerging out of the sea, till the commencement of his state of existence or years of power, required fifty years. This I consider to be precisely the time of his non-existence, during which this beast shall descend into the bottomless pit, and arise thence again to his last state of terrible opposition to the Lord in the approach of his kingdom. His first rise was prepared by most ancient principles clandestinely moving on through the Roman canal almost since the days of the apostles, II Thess. II, 7; and only at last fully concentrated and formed into a system of tyranny by Gregory VII, and his successors, between the years of A. D. 1073 -1123. This I presume, will again be the case in his ascent out of the bottomless pit; but his scheme and principles will be very different from those of his first establishment in Christendom; nevertheless, it will be the same beast, though in a new form. During these fifty years of his formation and emerging from the sea, Gregory VII, and his successors experienced different fortunes, which, very probably, may have a reference to the lots of the beast in his last ascent. I will distinguish them in the following manner,

1. Gregory was deposed by the emperor and many bishops, and died in exile.

were

2. He, and his successors opposed by four Antipopes, of which the first only was powerful.

1. But his party still remained powerful, aud increased by artful machinations.

2. Gregory appointed his successor, and the Gregorian succession prevailed from that time to this day.

The application of these remarks more properly belong to chap. XVII, where I shall treat this subject according to its importance. Suffice it to say here, the first rudiments of the beast from the bottomless pit are already formed into an embryo, which now daily acquires strength by secret and artful machination. His element is infidelity and a spirit of political innovation, to revolutionize the world in favour of his principles and heaven-opposing designs; which has been formed by the arrogant pride of self-inflated philosophers, and expanded into a sphere, by ambitious and deceitful demagogues in these latter times. According to this view of the subject, the first rudiments of this beast have begun to form themselves since the year 1789, and the beast, after different fates and fortunes, will enter the stage of action in full power, some time after the year 1839; when he will assume his whole satanic physiognomy, and establish his empire, in conjunction with the government of ten kings.

THE TWO-HORNED BEAST.

Verse 11. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth, and them which dwell therein,

to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

The proper explanation of this beast from the earth, depends in a great measure on the correctness of our ideas concerning the first beast from the sea, with which he stands in close and essential connexion. Those who have once adopted an erroneous exposition in the commencement of this chapter, cannot regain the path of truth till the end of chap. XVII. But it appears to me, that the dif

ference of the first beast from the fourth beast in Daniel, of which no heads are mentioned; his place assigned him by this prophetic history under the third wo; his state of relation to the second beast from the earth or the false prophet; his connexion with the city of Rome ; and his double scene of action, first after his rise from the sea, and second after his ascent from the bottomless pit, all so clearly laid down in this prophecy, should convince unprejudiced minds on mature reflection, that the first beast cannot be the Carlovingian empire, as the learned Faber has asserted and endeavoured to prove. For the Western empire was established in the commencement of the second wo; but this beast arises during the third wo, and is the principal instrument of Satan in that great calamity in the Western Church. I am even sorry so often to deviate from such eminent expositors, who no doubt have written from a sincere desire of being useful to the Church of Christ, some of whose opinions I esteem more than my own. But my conviction, and the dangerous consequences, of what I conceive to be an errour on this important point imperiously demand it. Let the learned and intelligent decide, and correct my mistakes with a manly and liberal hand.

This beast of the earth is not, as has been supposed, the papal hierarchy. Prophecy represents him as being merely the herald, chaplain, ambassador, handmaid and puppet of the first beast. He possesses a very inferior character, in comparison with the beast from the sea; his power seems to be a delegated authority, and his existence and interest immediately connected with that of the first beast. This symbol is far inferior to what the apostle would use in order to exhibit such a firm and mighty establishment, as the Papacy has proved itself for many centuries.

And I beheld another beast. The word beast also here signifies a power, and in all probability a power of the

same nature with the Roman hierarchy; which exercises a mixed authority both temporal and ecclesiastical, and governs a regnum in imperio, a kingdom within an empire; as the empire of the Pope formerly was extended over all the kingdoms of Europe. However, his character as a beast, is of no great significancy, as he is only once termed a beast in this place, and always afterwards, chap. XVI. XIX, and xx the false prophet. He appears to be so immediately connected with the first beast, that he is only able to maintain his character as a beast, during the days of power and prosperity of the beast from the sea; and when the kingdom of the first beast is reduced to a state of darkness, he commences his career as prophet, and ceases to be a beast from that time. All his excellence now consists in performing the office of false prophet, under the auspices, and in the service of the first beast; in order to disipate the darkness of his kingdom, and again raise him to the exercise of his last power. He is termed the second beast, and both this expression as well as the internal order of this prophecy require, that we should not look for his rise into a state of power, till some time after the first beast has exercised his power in full vigour. And as he exists, moves, and acts in entire subservience to the interest and support of the first beast, it is reasonable to suppose, that his establishment was not thought of, until the decline of the power of the beast from the sea, when such a mighty prop was actually wanted. Hence we may safely conclude from the nature, object and design of this beast from the earth, that he arises at a period, considerably later, and not before the latter years of the power of the first beast.

Coming up out of the earth. In the apocalypse the earth in opposition to the sea, signifies the interior part of the Roman empire at large. In this sense the word earth is used in the former part of this chapter, where it is said, the whole earth wondered after the beast, and all

that dwell upon the earth should worship him, verse 3. 8. And from this same earth, St. John now beheld this second beast arise, which again deceives those very inhabitants of the earth, who had been deluded before to wor ship the first beast. Here, within the limits of the Romish Church, this beast grew up silently and without noise, on luxuriant pasture.

He had two horns like a lamb. Horns of large or wild animals in prophetic language, often signify kingdoms; but this beast had two horns like a lamb, which belonged to his essential parts, and do not denote two separate distinct powers, but such as may exist under one head. It seems to indicate an ecclesiastical institution of a regular, organized body of men, subjected to one immediate head, and divided into two classes of members, by which the head of its government acts, and accomplishes his purposes of establishment. St. John only compares his horns to those of a lamb, and does not describe the rest of his body; however he seems to indicate by this description of his horns, and his silence concerning the rest, that there was nothing wild or terrible in his appearance. This may denote a great show of Christian humility, meekness and piety in demeanour, to facilitate the execution of wicked intentions; for the apostle immediately adds, he spake as a dragon. Though he affected a lamblike disposition, and had the outside of a devout Roman Catholic Christian in his deportment, his mouth betrayed him; he spake the language of a dragon in support of rites and customs, of a species of idolatry originally borrowed from Paganism, and commanded cruel persecutions against the servants and saints of Christ. It is moreover worthy of observation, that these two beasts are represented, as being two individuals in the last days, chap. xix, 20; These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. Verse 12. He exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him. Some expositors explain these words, as if