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The flight of the woman is twice mentioned in this chapter, but both passages clearly point to one event. Both denote an escape from the wrath of the Dragon-both refer to the obscurity and yet security of the true Church, against which, Jesus hath said, "the gates of hell shall not prevail.” "The two wings of the great eagle," which were given to assist her flight, are, by some commentators supposed to refer to the emperor Constantine, and the epithet "great" is very significant when applied to him;-for he united in his own person the whole authority of the empire, which for many years previously had been divided between two or more rulers. The figure has also been applied to Theodosius the Great: he favoured Christianity, and gave the death-blow to expiring Paganism. In his days, however, there was no flood threatening to submerge the Church.

But I doubt much whether the "wings of the great cagle" refer to any temporal power. Neither Constantine nor Theodosius materially helped the Church-certainly not to flee into the wilderness, which is the avowed object of the symbolical wings. But the same figure occurs elsewhere. In Exodus xix. 4, the Lord says, "Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto myself." So also in Deuteronomy (xxxii. 11), similar language is employed. And in Isaiah (xl. 31), the same help from God is promised to individual believers. Can we then hesitate in ascribing to the same Almighty helper, the deliverance which his faithful people experienced when constrained to flee from the flood of Arianism, and other heresies which overspread Christendom in the days of Constantine? Like as on eagle's wings they were borne aloft beyond the reach of man. As an eagle soars higher than the eye can see, so the true Church was carried where human perception could not trace it. As the eagle delights in lofty solitudes, so it was that the Waldensian Church, the Woman of the Apocalypse, was found after many days in the secluded valleys of the Alpine hills. Like the Israelites, the faithful were delivered by the mighty power, though not by the outstretched arm of God-quietly they took their departure from the

spiritual Egypt, and were also, like the Israelites in the wilderness, "nourished" with the bread which came down from heaven,"the bread of life." So that they retained their spiritual vigour unimpaired, and their holiness of life remained unimpeached, their enemies themselves being their judges.

The escape of the Woman increased the wrath of the Dragon, and he "went to make war with the remnant of her seed." Vain is every attempt to overthrow the Church; but Satan makes unceasing efforts to harass and depress her. The war which he now began to wage, has occupied our attention in former Lectures, and will be referred to again. In the meantime let us remember that every individual believer is exposed to his rage, and experiences the truth of St. Paul's declaration, "We wrestle not only with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places." But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

"God is our refuge in distress,

A present help in time of need;

Our shield, our strength, and hiding-place,

Our hope and trust, a Friend indeed.

Behold the Enemy,

O how enrag'd is he!

Much cunning and great might,

Most dreadful make his spite;

On earth his equal is not found.

Man's boasted strength is weakness here,

His reason's powers oppose in vain ;

But one to save us shall appear,

By whom the victory we gain.

And dost thou ask his name?
"Tis Jesus Christ, the same
Known Lord of Hosts to be,

There is no God but He!

And by His blood we overcome.

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LECTURE XIII.

THE BEAST FROM THE SEA.-WRETCHED CONDITION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE: ITS REVIVAL UNDER GREGORY THE GREAT. THE TwoHORNED LAMB-LIKE BEAST.-ORIGIN, POWER, AND DURATION OF THE PAPACY. THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST.-CORONATION OF CHARLEMAGNE BY POPE LEO III.-HIS EMPIRE RESEMBLED THE OLD ROMAN -BUT SUBJECT TO THE POPES.-REVELATION XIII.

"AND I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon

gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw

one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that

leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 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. 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. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads : And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast : for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”—(xiii.) This chapter has been said by many to be the most difficult in the Book of Revelation. Certainly there is no chapter concerning the meaning of which commentators have differed more widely, or given more singular, diverse, and contradictory opinions. Some, especially Roman Catholic writers, have supposed the Beast with seven heads and ten horns, to signify Pagan Rome, while the majority of Protestant authors refer it to Papal Christendom. The wounded head has been imagined by one to mean Julius Cæar, by another the Emperor Nero, a third has asserted that it means the Pope, who received a deadly wound by the sword of the Spirit from the hands of Luther, while a fourth has found the antitype of the wounded head in Napoleon Buonaparte. The numbering of the seven heads has also given rise to much unsatisfactory discussion

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