*

HORN, are easy to be understood of the papal episcopacy, as that office (of highly venerable and apostolical authority in itself,) was unworthily exercised by the popes. And the miry clay thus mingled with iron, is not less expressive of the turbulent spirit, party zeal, and unaccommodating humour of his clerical partizans: which in all his disputes, (and against all reason or right,) supported his pretensions, as he in return did the same for them. Church history teems with the brawls of lordly churchmen, and rebellious and even military prelates, yielding no homage, nor owning any depend

* It may be some confirmation of this interpretation of the MIRY CLAY in this prophecy of the later times of christianity, that we find the Psalmist prophetically alluding to the distressed state of the church under the oppressive weight of tyranny, and her deliverance from it, ander the same figure of mire and clay. Thus Psal, lxix. 2 and 14, “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing, &c.-Deliver me out of the mire, &c.—And Psal. xl. 2. "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, &c. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, &c." Ezek. chap. xlvii. 11. seems to allude to the same. Having described the increase of the gospel streams issuing from the sanctuary, and healing the waters of the sea, he says, but the miry places thereof, shall not be healed, they shall be given to salt. See Isai. lvii. 20. where he compares the doctrines of THE WICKED to mire.

ance upon their lawful sovereigns; but holding secretly and openly both, a close correspondence with Rome the chief fomenter of all mischief, to the perpetual disturbance and endangering of the public peace, as well as the stability of thrones. They were a sort of treacherous allies to their respective monarchs, and not obedient subjects, and they did not give union to their councils, nor force to their efforts, but added only additional imbecility; except when the aggrandisement of the church and popedom were to be the objects of them.

In another point of view the similitude of iron blended with debilitating clay, represents the corruption of the gospel truth with the popish errors, which are as irreconcileable with it as iron with clay. Popery holds forth a sanctuary, and thus gives encouragement to crimes, for which both temporal impunity and spiritual indulgences and pardons, are to be procured of his holiness at a fixed price. The gross and palpable absurdities, with which that abominable and systematical imposture places the most solemn truths of the gospel upon a le

vel, gives countenance to general, scepticism, and opens an easy and wide door to atheism. It has been the principal stumbling block in the way against the conversion of the Jews to christianity, which, through their prejudice, they have been too much disposed to contemplate in the disguise of the popish false Dogmas, palpable deceptions, and notorious idolatries.

Thus like iron blended with clay, the mighty fabrick of the papal hierarchy and spiritual catholic empire, contains in its original construction the causes of its present weakness, and rapid downfal. In fostering principles of atheism and of a philosophy noxious to public security and domestic peace, it has afforded a favourable nidus for the eggs of a cockatrice to hatch in, and in due time to send forth a fiery flying serpent, to sting in the most vital parts parent which gave it birth, and to be the instrument of Providence in effecting her dissolution. The gospel of Jesus Christ is as gold for value, and for durability and for its all-subduing strength, like iron. But the

the

apostacy of popery mingled with it, in so large a proportion as totally to destroy its saving efficacy, has rendered it in their hands a compound worthy of the prophetic comparison of iron mixed with miry clay; or like that by which Isaiah figured the most corrupt state of the Jewish church. "Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. Righte ousness once lodged in it, but now murderers."

SECTION XXXIV.

The kingdom of Christ announced as commencing in the days of the fourth universal monarchy or the ROMAN EMPIRE.—But not established in the fulness of its power and glory until that shall be totally removed.-False apprehensions of the MILLENNI Um as past already—Christ's reign on earth of slow progress.-Antichrist not the only obstruction to the kingdom of heaven on earth.-Both the past and present state of the christian world inconsistent with it.- Superstition and fanatical enthusi asm in different ways tend to the same end, in defeating the due influence of the gospel-False measures of holiness and spiritual pride, still obtrude themselves upon the votaries of delusion for christian humility and operative faith.

AFTER this gloomy picture of the progressive degeneracy of the image from the nobler metals to iron, and from the genuine iron which prevailed in the LEGS, to a base mix