itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and fhall be turned into fables. A Power, fimilar to that defcribed by St. Paul, is likewife predicted by St. John. Little children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that Antichrift fhall come, even now are there many Antichrifts; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would, no doubt, have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifeft that they were not all of us. Who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jefus is the Chrift? He is Antichrift that denieth the Father and the Son. And every Spirit that confeffeth not that Jefus Chrift is come in the flesh, is not of God. And this is that fpirit of Antichrift, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world. But of fuch a Power a more full defcription is given in the Revelations, under the a ́2 Tim. iii, 1—5. 7, 8, 9. 13. iv. 3, 4. John, ii, 18, 19. 22. iv. 3. fymbols fymbols of a horrible animal, which is reprefented rifing from a formy ocean, and becoming the object of astonishment to all who beheld it ; ;-and of a creature which rifing afterwards out of the earth, became equally formidable. And I ftood upon the fand of the fea, and faw a beaft rife up out of the fea, having Seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blafphemy. And the beaft which I faw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his feat, and great authority. And I faw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon, which gave power unto the beaft: and they worshipped the beast, faying, Who is like unto the beaft? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth, speaking great things and blafphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blafphemy against God, to blafpheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the faints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations, And all that dwell upon the earth fhall worShip him, whofe names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb flain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear, He that leadeth into captivity, fhall go into captivity: he that killeth with the fword, must be killed with the fword. Here is the patience and the faith of the faints. And I beheld another beaft coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercifeth all the power of the first beast before him, and caufeth the earth, and them that dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whofe deadly wound was healed, And he doeth great wonders, fo that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth, in the fight of men. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by the means of thofe miracles which he had power to do in the fight of the beaft; faying to them that dwell on the earth, That they should make an image to the beaft which had the wound by a fword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beaft fhould both Speak, and cause that as many many as would not worship the image of the. beaft, fhould be killed. And be caufeth all, both fmall and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or fell, fave he that had the mark, or the name of the beaft, or the number of his name. Here is wifdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beaft: for it is the number of a man ; and his number is fix bundred threefcore and fix. And St. John afterwards foretells its downfall, And after thefe things I faw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, faying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul Spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of f Rev, xiii. 1-18, ber her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, faying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her fins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as She rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her works: in the cup which she bath filled, fill to her double. How much he bath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, fo much torment and forrow give her: for fhe faith in her heart, I fit a queen, and am no widow, and fhall fee no forrow. Therefore fhall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for ftrong is the Lord God who judgeth ber. Another great Power is likewise predicted; the description of it is marked with many ftriking fymbols and characteristics, and its progrefs and deftructive ravages are clearly pointed out. And the fifth ange! founded, and 1 faw a far fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. Rev. xviii. 1-8. And |