peculiarity of this beast, that it is represented as bearing or supporting the Papacy; and that in the following glowing language: "And I saw," says the Apostle, "a woman sit upon a scarletcoloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration." The mystery involved in this hieroglyphic representation is then explained to signify, that this beast of Infidelity shall appear, then disappear—“ was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition." Something will then happen on the final disappearance of this head, that shall cause all who dwell on the earth to "WONDER," except those "whose names were written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is!" (ver. 8.) And it is peculiarly important that the explanation which follows (vers. 9—11) of the seven heads

should be well understood; and in studying the whole of that part of the prophetical writings which bears on the present times, that it should be constantly kept in mind. It is said, "The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition." These seven heads have a two-fold signification: they first identify the woman to be Rome-Rome being situated on seven mountains-and which is further confirmed by its being said (ver. 18), "And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." They secondly signify "seven kings," who, as the head of any animal governs the body, should successively rule the body of the wild beast-in other words, they signify the seven distinct forms of government which have existed in Rome since its foundation. Five of these forms of government are said by the Apostle to have fallen at the time he wrote: these were, first, "kings;" second, "consuls;" third, "dictators;" fourth, "decemvirs ;" and fifth, military tribunes with consular authority." It is then said, "one is," which was the sixth or imperial head, established in the year

B. C. 27., and which subsisted at the time of the vision. After the death of Theodosius the Great this headship was finally divided into the Eastern and Western branches; and though the latter fell, on the deposition of Augustulus in the year 476, for above three hundred years, and was then revived by Charlemagne, yet the dignity still continued to subsist with much vigour in the eastern part of the empire, until Constantinople was taken by the Turks in 1453. It was then finally abolished in the East, and from henceforward it continued to exist only in the West; until, in the year 1806, it expired in the person of Francis II., the present Emperor of Austria.

Of the seventh or infidel head it is said, "when he cometh, he must continue a short space. After Napoleon had deprived the Emperor of Germany of his sixth headship, he was himself constituted the seventh head, having been previously crowned King of Italy, and having made Rome the second city of his empire. He continued but "a short space," having been obliged finally to abdicate his throne and surrender his honours, in consequence of the result of the fatal battle of Waterloo, in the year 1815. But the re-appearance of this infidel head is recognised in this prophecy; and this re-appearance is said to be "the eighth, and is of the seven:" "the beast that was, and is

not, and yet is." The plain meaning of which is generally understood by writers of the present day to be, that after the present pause or silence, described above by the words "is not," some other individual shall be brought forward on the arena of the political world, professing the same infidel principles as the seventh head, and standing in the same position with regard to the ten Western kingdoms; for it is said, they shall have but 66 one mind, and give their power to the beast;" and that this individual will form the eighth head, but is to be at the same time" of the seven."

This last expression, "of the seven," has given rise to much speculation; and some modern writers incautiously gave it, in the first place, as their opinion that this eighth head would be the re-appearance of the Emperor Napoleon; and after his death had proved the fallacy of this expectation, they next considered, with much plausibility of argument, that it might possibly be his son. On both these expectations being disappointed the mouths of many were opened in bitter taunts against the students of prophecy;" their writings were by many condemned as altogether illusory; and the subject on which they had devoted their attention, confessedly important as it is, became, in connection with other causes, unpopular.

The mistake which had been made, however, with regard to Napoleon and his son, appears to me to have originated in a two-fold oversight.

1. As it regards the expression itself. It is not said that this eighth head is to be of the seventh, but "of the seven;" so that, supposing that it referred to the individual, it does not at all follow that this individual should be even connected with the Emperor Napoleon, or the seventh head; as any descendant of the Emperor of Austria, who was formerly the sixth head, would equally be "of the seven." But

2. There appears likewise to have been an oversight with regard to the meaning attached to the word "seven." It has been already explained, that the "seven heads" of the Roman beast signify the seven forms of government that have existed in the Roman empire since its foundation. When, therefore, it is here said that the eighth head is to be " of the seven," it must allude to the FORM OF GOVERNMENT, and not to the individual who is to be at the head of it; and therefore signify that this predicted eighth head which is to arise, will not be a new 66 head," but a revival of one of the former seven forms of government. For instance, should the ten Western kingdoms, in the state of. revolution in which they are here represented (both the heads and horns being uncrowned), find themselves placed in a situation of immi