appearance, and he could not be revealed till that was removed. All the Fathers considered this to mean the imperial power of Rome, which then maintained its own sovereignty, and prevented the usurpation alluded to. See Tertullian's Apology, and his treatise on the Resurrection, where he says, " until he be taken out of the way,-who? but the Roman empire, which being dispersed into ten kings, shall introduce Antichrist," ch. xxiv.

The poets and Roman writers in general having flattered the Cæsars with the eternal duration of their empire-see Virgil, Æn. 1, 1. 281, &c., and given to Rome the title of the eternal city, it would not have been safe for Paul to have spoken more openly on this subject, whatever he might say to the Thessalonians in private, in explanation of his meaning. And therefore he says, "Ye know what withholds,"

&c.

This "mystery of iniquity," or concealed wickedness, was even then in operation, and was exerting itself covertly, till he who restrained it," the Imperial Government," was taken out of the way. The expression "taken out of the way," perhaps importing the violent deaths by which many of the Roman emperors perished, and the dreadful struggles and convulsions which preceded the dissolution of the empire itself.

It is further said, that the Lord will consume; i. e. gradually destroy this lawless one, or usurping and tyrannical power, by the spirit or breath of his mouth; i. e. by the word of his gospel, and the prevalence of the doctrine of Christ, which should supersede the errors, and expose the impostures, of Antichrist.

And destroy him, or render ineffectual, by the brightness of his coming; i. e. by breaking down his authority, reducing his influence, and bringing him to a state of inactivity and impotence.

The coming of the lawless one is described to be according to the operation of Satan; i. e. invisibly and imperceptibly-yet effectually by the use of false miracles, specious pretences, counterfeit signs, and all the apparatus of imposture, or, as Paul expresses it, with every kind of unrighteous deception: meaning, that he would scruple no arts or delusions, that might support and perpetuate his own usurpation.

Those who are deceived by him, are said to be "those that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." And, therefore, God abandoned them to strong delusion, so as to give credit to a lie. And having wilfully banished the truth from their minds, they rendered themselves liable to the righteous condemnation of God, as persons who had made iniquity their choice, and who preferred error to truth, as being most favourable to the indulgence of their criminal passions.

No man of understanding can be at a loss for the right application of this portion of Scripture, that it cannot reasonably be expounded of one or two particular deceivers, who arose, appeared, and perished. But of a power of great extent and of considerable duration, whose rise was gradual, his assumption of sovereignty progressive, and whose downfall may occupy a period proportioned to his rise. But see Whitby, Macknight, and Chandler in particular, and the commentators in general.

MARRIAGE, is symbolically used to signify a state, and reason or cause of great joy and happiness. A man is not perfect till marriage, there is something till then wanting to make him complete in his circumstances, according to the divine institution, Gen. ii. 18.

Therefore marriage by the Greeks was called reλ05, perfection. And a bride, in Hebrew, is called, cere, that is, a perfect one, from cere, to perfect or

consummate.

Wife, according to the Indian Interpreter, ch. 123, is the symbol of the power and authority of her husband; and as he dreams of seeing her well or ill dressed, so he shall meet with joy or affliction.

The church of God, under the Old Testament, is sometimes spoken of as the spouse of God, in terms borrowed from the marriage covenant. She is the barren woman that did not bear, and was desolate; she is exhorted to rejoice, in Isa. liv. 1-6, on the reconciliation of her husband, and on the accession of the Gentiles to her family.

The same union is hinted at by the Apostle, in writing to the Ephesians, ch. v. 32, as subsisting between Christ and the church.

See also Isa. Ixii. 5, and 2 Cor. ii. 2, where Paul says, "For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

In the visions of John, a period is spoken of, when the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his bride hath made herself ready, Rev. xix. 7. As marriages were used to be celebrated with great joy, the marriage of the Lamb with his church is a fit emblem to shew the state of prosperity and happiness to which God will

......MARSHES......MEASURE. 303

MARRIAGE.......

raise it, after all its sufferings for the sake of truth and righteousness.

MARSHES. There is not much said of these in the Scriptures, but they appear to be considered as the emblems of barrenness. They are in their own nature unfertile and insalubrious, resembling the Dead Sea, or Sea of Sodom, that dismal example of divine justice; and in that sense may be viewed as representing those who, notwithstanding the motions of God's Spirit, and the means used for their improvement, are utterly unproductive of good.

In Ezek. xlvii. 11, it is said, "As for the marshes and pits, they shall not be healed;" i. e. they shall remain filled with salt water, &c. The allegorical sense is, that some shall reject the Gospel, and some shall receive it without obeying it.

Italy and Spain, in Europe, and many other countries throughout the world, may be viewed as in this marshy state, a state of obduracy, error, and spiritual death. See Vitringa, de Paludibus.

MEASURE. To measure and to divide are the same; and both signify to go about to take possession, after the division. Hence a lot, or division, or inheritance, are all one; because the Israelites got possession of the promised land by division, measure, and lot.

And to divide the spoil, is to get a great booty or victory, because division of the spoils is a consequence of the other. See Numb. xxiv. 17; xxxiii. 54; Josh. i. 16; xiii. 6; Isa. ix. 3; liii. 12.

To mete out is the same.

Thus Ps. lx. 5, "I will divide Sichem, and mete out the valley of Succoth,"

signifies an entire possession after a victory, which God had promised to David.

So in Isa. xviii. 2, a nation that is meted out and trodden down, is a nation overcome by its enemies, and quite subdued; so that its possessions are divided and possessed by the conquerors.

So when, in Josh. xxiv. 3, God says, "I have divided unto you by lot those nations that remain,”what is this but to say, that God had put them in possession of their lands? So in Zech. ii. 2, to measure Jerusalem, is again to take possession of it, to rebuild it; or at least to repair that, and rebuild the temple. See also Amos vii. 17.

The same notion is also in the heathen authors. Thus in Horace, immetata jugera, lands unmeasured, 1. 3, od. 24, v. 12, signify, not possessed by any propriety to them, but common; whence the fruits of such lands are called by the poet, libera, free to any one to take. See also Virgil, Geor. l. 1, v. 126, 127. MILK AND HONEY, the emblems of fertility.

Bochart, Hieroz. p. 2, 1. 4, c. 12, observes, that this phrase occurs about twenty times in the Scriptures, and that it is an image frequently used in the classics, as in Euripides, Bacch. 142, thus translated by Wodhull:

"Rills of milk, and rills of wine,

Moisten the enchanted land,

For him the bee's nectareous treasure stream,
And Syrian frankincense perfumes his shrine."

Josephus represents Galilee as wholly under culture, and everywhere fruitful; as throughout abounding in pastures, planted with all kinds of trees, and inciting, by the good quality of the land, those who