cealed in thefe dark and difmal retreats, which, though originally made for other purposes, were a place prepared by God, were defigned by him for a place of reception to his perfecuted fervants. In thefe various defolate abodes the Chriftians, though in appearance deftitute of all human fuccour, were nevertheless fed and fupported by a fpecial divine providence for the fpace of a thoufand two hundred fixty days, or three years and an half, which was the utmoft duration of any of the Roman perfecutions; some of which did not fill that period, none exceeded it. v. 7. "And there was a great battle in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: v. 8. “And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. v. 9. "And that great dragon was caft out, that old ferpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who feduceth the whole world: and he was caft unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." The dragon, or Satan, had with unrelenting malice ftimulated the whole Roman power against the Christians by fucceffive dreadful perfecutions, as we have feen; but ftill he faw all his efforts baffled. Notwithstanding the immenfe slaughter that had been made, he found he could not extirpate the woman's offspring, it was fo powerfully protected and fupported by the divine hand: and he furthermore faw with deep regret, and to his confufion, that the blood of the martyrs became the feed of new Chriftians, and increafed their number. The infernal fpirit determines therefore to try another expedient; in purfuance of which he prefumes to addrefs the Almighty, challenging him to withdraw his hand and fufpend the extraordinary helps by which he supported his people, and then it would foon appear that the Chriftians had no real zeal or fortitude, but ankind, as St. John tells us: "He fhall rule the ations with a rod of iron," Apoc. xix. 15. which ad been attributed to him even long before: "Thou alt rule them, (the nations) with a rod of iron, nd fhalt break them in pieces like a potter's veffel," falm ii 9. The Almighty Son of God breaks down mpires, diffolves ftates, ftrikes princes, deftroys eople, that prefume to contend with him. And her n was taken up to God, and to his throne; part of e woman's offspring, or a confiderable number of e Chriftians, when put to the trial in the perfecuons, generously laid down their lives for Chrift eir Lord and Mafter, and thus triumphing over e dragon, instead of falling a prey to him, are cared up to heaven to God and to his throne, where ey are affociated with him in power and judgment, cording to what we have just above feen, and acording to this other promife: "To him that shall ercome," fays Chrift, "I will give to fit with me my throne; as I also have overcome, and am fet own with my Father in his throne," Apoc. iii. 21. v. 6. "And the woman fled into the wilderness, here she had a place prepared by God, that there ev fhould feed her a thousand two hundred fixty -ys." During the cruel perfecutions, which the devil rred up against the woman, or the Chriftian Church, - his inftruments the heathen Roman emperors d magiftrates, many of the Chriftians fled for fhelr into the deferts, to inacceffible mountains, and her lurking places, as we learn from the holy faers and hiftorians of thofe times. Great multides in particular fought for refuge in the catambs, at Rome, and in many other places. Thefe bterraneous caverns, termed catacumbs, are fo odigiously extenfive, branching, out into innuerable ftreets which ftretch to a great diftance, pecially at Rome, that they may be properly led a city under ground. The Chriftians lay con cealed in these dark and difmal retreats, which, though originally made for other purposes, were a place prepared by God, were defigned by him for a place of reception to his perfecuted fervants. In thefe various defolate abodes the Chriftians, though in appearance deftitute of all human fuccour, were nevertheless fed and fupported by a fpecial divine providence for the space of a thoufand two hundred fixty days, or three years and an half, which was the utmost duration of any of the Roman perfecutions; fome of which did not fill that period, none exceeded it. v. 7. "And there was a great battle in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: v. 8. "And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. v. 9. "And that great dragon was caft out, that old ferpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who feduceth the whole world: and he was caft unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." The dragon, or Satan, had with unrelenting malice ftimulated the whole Roman power against the Christians by fucceffive dreadful perfecutions, as we have feen; but ftill he faw all his efforts baffled. Notwithstanding the immenfe flaughter that had been made, he found he could not extirpate the woman's offspring, it was fo powerfully protected and fupported by the divine hand: and he furthermore faw with deep regret, and to his confufion, that the blood of the martyrs became the feed of new Chriftians, and increafed their number. The infernal spirit determines therefore to try another expedient; in purfuance of which he prefumes to addrefs the Almighty, challenging him to withdraw his hand and fufpend the extraordinary helps by which he fupported his people, and then it would foon appear that the Chriftians had no real zeal or fortitude, but would abandon their God and the interests of reliion. Such are his malicious infinuations, to get he Chriftians wholly into his power. The fame ind of artifice the malicious fpirit had formerly ractifed against the holy man, Job. Thus Satan ccufed him before God: "Doth Job fear God in ain? Haft thou not made a fence for him, and his oufe, and all his fubftance round about, and bleffd the work of his hands, and his poffeffion hath inreafed on the earth?" Job. i. 9, 10. After thus enumerating God's bleflings upon Job, he evil spirit thus pursues: "But ftretch forth thy and a little, and touch all that he hath, and fee if e bleffeth thee not to thy face," as above, ver. J1; at is, fufpend thy favours, and withdraw all that nou haft given him, and fee then if he does not fly thy face. But to return to our own fubject: The Almighty refufing to grant Satan, his present reueft, and not being willing to fuffer him any more o approach his throne with accufations against his eople, orders the archangel, Michael, the protector f the Chriftian Church, to banish Satan utterly from he heavenly regions: upon which a fierce battle enes between St. Michael, affifted by an army of anels, and Satan with his affociates. Thefe latter are orfted, and caft down to the earth. Upon which, the fiend powerfu by an u wildom, much m perfecuti as it was atmoft v fee Satan foiled, and no more permitted to appear before the throne of God with accufations against our brethren on earth, as he was wonted to do. V. 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 death." V. 12. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you that dwell therein. The faints in heaven thus continue their exultation, for the fortitude and conftancy of their brethren, who by virtue of the blood of the Lamb, that is, by virtue of the plentiful graces purchased for them by the blood of the Lamb, had generously bore teftimony to, and laid down their lives for, that faith which Satan endeavoured to extirpate, and thus had overcome him. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, for thefe new illuftrious inhabitants, and rejoice you that dwell therein, for your new happy affociates. Thus is celebrated the double victory; that of St. Michael, and that of the Martyrs, over the devil. But on the other hand. v. 12. "Wo to the earth and to the fea, because the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a fhort time." A terrifying alarm is here proclaimed to the earth and fea, that is, to the Chriftians wherever they be, becaufe the devil, now utterly expelled from hea-. ven, is come down in great wrath, to exercife anew his fury against them. The Almighty had rejected the fiend's malicious fuggeftion of withdrawing his powerful graces and protection from his people, but by an unfearchable determination of his infinite wifdom, permits Satan to raise a fresh perfecution, much more terrible than any before. This is the perfecution of the emperor Dioclefian; in which, as it was to be the lat, the dragon poured out his utmoft venom and rage, as, knowing that he had but a fhort time left him. |