THE PUNISHMENT OF THE UNGODLY. Rev. xiv. 9—11. And the third an gd followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his 7?iark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out u'ithout mixture into the cup of his indignation ; and he shall he tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of
382 REVEr.ATrox, XIV. 9 — H- [1213.
their torment ascendeth itp for ever and ever ; and tliey have no rest day nor night, who worship the Least and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
MINISTERS, who wish to discharge their duty conscientiously both to God and man, are placed in a very painful dilemma : if they declare faithfully the whole counsel of God, they are considered as harsh and severe : if, on the contrary, they keep back the more offensive truths, they contract an awful respon- sibility before God, to whom they must give an ac- count of every soul that has perished through their unfaithfulness. What then are we to do ? If the forbearing to alarm the consciences of our auditors would be attended with no evil consequences to them, we might perhaps run the risk of displeasing God ourselves, rather than excite in them any unnecessary disquietude ; but when the loss of their souls, and of our own, must infallibly result from such timidity, we feel a necessity laid upon us, and can no longer forbear. Yet, why need we apologize for delivering to men the message which God has sent them? Did not an angel deliver it, when first it was announced ? and did he not deliver it with a loud voice, as feeling its importance, and determined, if possible, to arrest the attention of all the world ? Let us then be par- doned for treading in the footsteps of an angel, and for seeking, in the way that he adopted, the welfare of your souls.
In the words before us there are two things which we shall endeavour to point out :
I. Who they are against whom God here de- nounces his judgments —
All Protestant writers are agreed, that " the beast" here mentioned, and more fully treated of in the pre- ceding chapter, is the Papal Hierarchy. The Romish Church, from the time that it attained a sovereignty over other Churches, has been an idolatrous, supersti- tious, persecuting power. It has been idolatrous, in that it worships saints and images, and the consecrated wafer ; and blasphemously ascribes to its supreme
head