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vailed there. His ten horns typify the ten kingdoms, into which the Roman empire was divided; and the feven crowns upon his heads denote, that at this time the imperial power was in Rome, the high city, as Própertius (2) describes it, feated on seven hills, which prefides over the whole world. His tail alfo (ver. 4.) drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did caft them to the earth; that is, he fubjected the third part of the princes and potentates of the earth: and the Roman empire, as we have feen before, is reprefented as the third part of the world. He flood before the woman, which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as foon as it was born: and the Roman emperors and magiftrates kept a jealous watchful eye over the Chriftians from the beginning. As Pharaoh laid fnares for the male children of the Hebrews, and Herod for the infant Chrift, the fon of Mary; fo did the Roman dragon for the mystic Chrift, the fon of the church, that he might deftroy him even in his infancy. But notwithstanding the jealoufy and envy of the Romans, the gofpel was widely diffused and propagated, and the church brought many children unto Chrift, and in time fuch as were promoted to the empire. She brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. (ver. 5.) It was predicted, that Chrift fhould rule over the nations, (Pfal. II. 9.) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's veffel: but Chrift, who is himfelf invifible in the heavens, ruleth visibly in Chriftian magiftrates, princes, and emperors. It was therefore promifed before to Christians in general, (II. 26, 27.) He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations (And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the reffels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers) even as I received of my Father. But it should feem that Conftantine was here particularly intended, for whofe life (3)

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(2) Septem urbs alta jugis, toti quæ præfidet orbi.

(3) Eufeb. de Vita. Conftant. Lib. Cap. 20. Lactant. de Mort. Perfecut. Cap. 24. Auctor ignotus ad

Propert. Lib. 3. El. 11. ver. 57.

calcem Amm. Marcellini. p. 656. Edit. Valefii Paris. 1681.

the dragon Galerius laid many fnares, but he providentially escaped them all; and notwithstanding all oppofition, was caught up unto the throne of God, was not only fecured by the divine protection, but was advanced to the imperial throne, called the throne of God, for (Rom. XIII. 1.) there is no power but of God; the powers that be, are ordained of God. He too ruleth all nations with a rod of iron; for he had not only the Romans, who before had perfecuted the church, under his dominion, but alfo (4) fubdued the Scythians, Sarmatians, and other barbarous nations, who had never before been fubject to the Roman empire: and as the learned (5) Spanheim informs us, there are still extant medals and coins of his with these inscriptions, the fubduer of the barbarous nations, the conqueror of all nations, every where a conqueror, and the like. What is added (ver. 6.) of the woman's flying into the wilderness for a thousand two hundred and threefcore days is faid by way of prolepfis or anticipation. For the war in heaven between Michael and the dragon, and other fubfequent events, were prior in order of time to the flight of the woman into the wilderness: but before the prophet paffeth on to a new fubject, he giveth a general account of what happened to the woman afterwards, and entereth more into the particulars in their proper place.

7 And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels:

8 And prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was caft out, that old ferpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was caft out into the earth, and his angels were caft out with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice, faying in heaven, Now is come falvation, and firength, and the king

(4) Eufeb. de Vita Conftant. Lib. 4. Cap. 5, &c.

(5) Spanhemii Differt. Decima Tertia de Præftantia et Ufu Numifm.

Antiqu. p. 636. 638. Obfervat. ad
Juliani Imp. Orat. I. in laudem
Conftantii. p. 66,

dom of our God, and the power of his Chrift: for the accufer of our brethren is caft down, which accufeth them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their teftimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death,

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the fea: for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a fhort time.

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It might reafonably be prefumed, that all the powers of idolatry would be ftrenuoufly exerted againft the eftablishment of Chriftianity, and efpecially against the establishment of a Chriftian on the imperial throne: and thefe ftruggles and contentions between the Hea then and the Chriftian religions are reprefented (ver. 7.) by war in heaven between the angels of darkness and angels of light. Michael was (Dan. X. 21. XII. 1.) the tutelar angel and protector of the Jewith church. performs here the fame office of champion for the Chrif tian church. He and the good angels, who are fent forth (Hebr. I. 14.) to minifter to the heirs of falvation, were the invifible agents on one fide, as the devil and his evil angels were on the other. The vifible actors in the caufe of Chriftianity were the believing emperors and minifters of the word, the martyrs and confeffors; and in fupport of idolatry were the perfecuting emperors and heathen magiftrates together with the whole train of priefts and fophifts. This conteft lafted feveral years, and the final iffue of it was (ver. 8, 9.) that the Chriftian prevailed over the heathen religion; the Heathens were depofed from all rule and authority, and the Chriftians were advanced to dominion and empire in their stead, Our Saviour faid unto his difciples cafting devils out of the bodies of men, (Luke X, 18.) I beheld Satan, as lightning, fall from heaven. In the fame figure Satan fell from heaven, and was caft out into the earth, when hẹ was thruft out of the imperial throne, and his angels were caft out with him, not only all the heathen priefts and

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officers civil and military were cashiered, but their very gods and demons, who before were adored for their divinity, became the fubjects of contempt and execration. It is very remarkable, that Conftantine himself and the Chriftians of his time defcribe his conquefts under the fame image, as if they had understood that this prophecy had received its accomplishment in him. Conftantine himfelf, (6) in his epiftle to Eufebius and other bithops concerning the re-edifying and repairing of churches, faith, that liberty being now restored, and 'that dragon being removed from the adminiftration of public affairs, by the providence of the great God; and by my miniftry, I efteem the great power of God to have been made manifeft even to all.' Moreover (7) a picture of Conftantine was fet up over the palace gate, with the cross over his head, and under his feet the great enemy of mankind, who perfecuted the church by the means of impious tyrants, in the form of a dragon, transfixed with a dart thro' the midft of his body, and falling headlong into the depth of the fea: in allufion, it is faid exprefly, to the divine oracles in the books of the prophets, where that evil fpirit is called the dragon and the crooked ferpent. Upon this victory of the church, there is introduced (ver. 10.) a triumphant hymn of thanksgiving for the depreffion of idolatry, and exaltation of true religion: for now it was no longer in the power of the heathen perfecutors, as Satan accufed holy Job before God, to accufe the innocent Chriftians before the Roman governors, as the perpetrators of all crimes, and the caufers of all calamities. It was not by temporal means or arms that the Chriftians obtained

(6) Nuvi de Tng subepias aπodoθείσης, και το δράκοντα εκεινε απο της των κοινων διοικήσεως, το Θεο το μεγις πρόνοια, ημετερα δ ̓ ὑπηρεσία εκδιωχθεντο, ήγεμαι και πασι φανε ραν γεγενησθαι την θείαν δυναμιν, 2. T. λ. Nunc vero cum libertas rei tituta fit, et draco ille providentia quidem Dei optimi maximi, minifterio, autem noftro a reipublicæ adminiftratione fubmotus; equidem exiftimo divinam potentiam omnibus clariffimè

innotuiffe. &c. Eufeb. de Vita Conftant. Lib. 2. Cap. 46. Socratis Hift. Ecclef. Lib. 1. Cap. 9. Theodoret. Lib. 1. Cap. 15.

(7) Eufeb. de Vita Conftant. Lib. 3. Cap. 3. τον δε εχθρον και πολεμίου θηρα, τον την εκκλησίαν τε Θες δια της των αθεων πολιορκησαντα τυραννιdas,

• εν δράκοντος μορφη. hoftem illum et inimicum generis humani, qui im piorum tyrannorum operâ ecclefiam Dei oppugnaverat, fub draconis forma.

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this victory, (ver. 11.) but by fpiritual, by the merits and death of their redeemer, by their conftant profeffion of the truth, and by their patient fuffering of all kinds of tortures even unto death: and the blood of the martyrs hath been often called the feed of the church. This victory was indeed (ver. 12.) matter of joy and triumph to the bleffed angels and glorified faints in heaven, by whofe fufferings it was in great measure obtained; but ftill new woes are threatened to the inhabiters of the earth; for tho' the dragon was depofed, yet was he not deftroyed; tho' idolatry was depreffed, yet was it not wholly fuppreffed; there were still many Pagans intermixed with the Chriftians, and the devil would incite fresh troubles and difturbances on earth, because he knoweth that he hath but a fhort time, it would not be long before the Pagan religion fhould be totally abolished, and the Chriftian religion prevail in all the Roman empire.

13 And when the dragon faw that he was caft unto the earth, he perfecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child.

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

15 And the ferpent caft out of his mouth water as a flood, after the woman; that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and fwallowed up the flood, which the dragon caft out of his mouth.

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her feed, which kept the commandments of God, and have the teftimony of Jefus Chrift.

When the dragon was thus depofed from the imperial throne, and caft unto the earth, (ver. 13.) he still continued to perfecute the church with equal malice, though

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