17, 18.) calleth the fowls to the great slaughter of Christ’s enemies.
These enemies are the beast and the false prophet, the Antichristian
powers civil and ecclesiastical, with their armies gathered together,
their adherents and followers combined and determined to support
idolatry, and oppose all reformation. But the principals, as deserv-


1 Artaxerxes, king of kings, Ezra vii. 12. Rex regum Sapor. [Sapor, king of kin δ]
Amm. Marcell. Lib. xvii. cap. v. p. 163. Edit. Valesii, Paris. 1681. βασιλεὺς Bao
καὶ δεσπότης δεσπότων Σεσοῶσις. Rex regum, et dominus dominorum Sesoosis, a
Sesostris. [Sesoosis, king of kings, and lord of lords.] Diod. Sic, Lib. i, p. 35. Edit.
Steph. p. 51. Edit. Rhodomani.
. 3 See Jewel’s Defence of his Apology, Part v. and Barrow’s Introduction to his Treatise
of the Pope’s Supremacy. ἐ


AN ANALYSIS OF THE REVELATION. 575


ing of the greatest punishment, are taken, and cast alive into a lake
of fire burning with brimstone : and their followers are slain with the
word of Christ, the sword which proceeded out of his mouth; and all
the fowls are filled with their flesh; their substance is seized for
other persons, and for other uses. In ἃ word, the design of this
sublime and figurative description is to show the downfal of Popery, ἡ
and the triumph of Christianity: the true word of God will prevail
over superstition and idolatry; all the powers of Antichrist shall be
completely subdued; and the religion of Rome, as well as Rome
herself, be totally destroyed.
CHAPTER XxX.
1 Anp I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key
of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand.
