bis personal marks, (114) does not seem to be quite so well made out. I mean, in particular, his claiming the power of miracles, and absolutely exercising it for so wicked a purpose, as to cheat the subject nations into a new species of idolatry, not only of the image, which he had by his own authority caused to be made, but also of the old beast, his brother of Rome, (115) to whom he had given strong cordials, and thereby restored him to life.

I can easily conceive with Brightman, that as the object in the prophets view is the great apostacy from true christianity, at that time prevalent in the whole empire, and which was chiefly supported by the Popes, who were established sovereigns of Rome, in consequence of Justinian's decree at this time; therefore the blasphemy, persecution, universal or catholic dominion, false miracles, and other impostures, by which these things were at first introduced, and afterwards maintained, are to be ascribed indifferently to both the beasts. They seem indeed in the prophecy to be pret

(114) Rev. xiii. 14.

(115) Rev. xiii, 4.

The

ty equally divided between them. worship is paid to the first beast. To him the blasphemy, and the war against the saints is ascribed, and for him is reserved the just retribution of captivity and the sword, and of which he is now receiving his just share. But the miracles, and that very notable one above all the rest, (by which the falsehood and impious nature and tendency of all the others he performs, may be fairly judged of, ex pede berculem,) (116) and the spirit of cousenage and imposture with which he thus plays the juglers part; all this seems to be ascribed solely to the other beast. But we perfectly well know from matter of fact that this cannot be the real design of the sacred writer, if the eastern empire be the other beast: because the same worship of images, and false miracles, and religious imposture of every description, which prevailed in the eastern church, were carried with a still higher hand in the western; and continued to the full end of the forty-two months of the beasts reign; long

(116) The foot alone shews what size the giant is.

after the other, or eastern beast had received his quietus.

In conformity with the idea that the blasphemy and miracles, and particularly the notable one, of" causing fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men," are designed to be as much the sole property of the other beast, as his two borns, his undivided power, and his rising (differently from the first beast,) out of the earth, and his power to cause the image to be made, and after it was made, to give life to it: Mr Sharp expounds the miracle of fire by the decree of Justinian in favor of the Pope, coming down "like fire" from the political heaven.

But in the issuing of an imperial decree there seems not any thing analogous to a miracle of any sort, and particularly to a miracle of fire, the grandest exhibition of the powers of a great miracle monger. For fire is the emblem of torture, as well as the instrument of it. If this had been really meant of Justinian's decree for the setting up of the papal

authority, (and not as it seems more natural to suppose, of the punitive miracle, or act of faith, so frequently displayed by the double beast, in the burning of heretics by fire called down from the heaven of the popish governments;) it would have been ascribed to the other beast by some distinguishing appropriation, as his two borns, and his origin out of the earth are. There would have been some notation of the quomodo and the quare in this case. He doeth great miracles, insomuch that he even causeth fire to descend from heaven upon the earth, in the sight of men.Indeed!-How is this performed ?-by his imperial decree. And for what purpose?that he might give life, like another Prometheus, to the image which he had caused to be made;-or, that life thereby might enter into the beast (which had the wound by a sword), that he might be revived, and live again. But nothing of either kind being intimated, we are left at liberty to apply his miracle accordingly as we should be directed by corresponding facts, and the future character and fiery zeal of the double beast; and this character of atrocious and wicked decep

tion for the support of idolatry, must be ascribed to both empires, if we would have the prophecy agree with the event.

Time is the best expositor: and time has shewn that the blasphemy, the pretence to omnipotence, the persecution of the saints, catholic supremacy, acceptance of divine worship,-lying wonders and the miracle of fire, -and the general interdict from the common benefits of human society, thundered out against all who would not receive his mark and his name; are actions not to be attributed to Justinian himself, or to the eastern empire only, but to the double beast, and to the image, the worthy representative of the whole Roman catholic empire.

Here then appears to be a little difficulty in Mr. Sharp's representation of this miracle of fire, by which St. John seems to intend peculiarly to distinguish the beast, as by a mark in the forehead, burnt in, and indelible.

Ut posset digito monstrarier hic est !

But this does not at all invalidate the bestial