heaven,"--professedly in the interest of Christ, then it is that the
devil bestirs himself. Like his prototype, he dreads the growth and
power of the woman's offspring. Under pagan Rome's persecutions, "the
more God's people were afflicted, the more they multiplied and grew."
Now the adversary shapes his policy accordingly.--"Come on, let us deal
wisely with them, lest they multiply."--His avowed object is, to "devour
the child as soon as it is born,"--by persecution to prevent ministers
from laboring to convert sinners to God; and to destroy all who "as
new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word."--The woman had
still "strength to bring forth."--"She brought forth a man child, who
was to rule all nations with a rod of iron."--With united voice papists
and prelates declare, this child can be no other than Constantine the
first Christian emperor. The very fact that this interpretation comes
from such a source, may well suggest suspicion as to its correctness.
Two considerations demonstrate the error of this prelatic
interpretation, besides the fact that it is _prelatic_. Constantine had
gone the way of all the earth some hundreds of years before the birth of
this child. And again, the eternal Father never made the promise to
Constantine or any other earthly monarch, to which the apostle John here
refers. (Ps. ii. 8, 9.) This promise is obviously made to the Lord
Christ. But it is objected by those learned expositors,--much like the
Pharisees, (John vii. 52,)--"Search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth
no prophet." So reason these men. They haughtily and confidently object
thus:--"Christ is the son of the _Jewish_ church, but this child is the
son of the _Christian_ church." This argument destroys the unity of the
church of God, which is one under all changes of dispensation of his
gracious covenant. (Rom. xi. 16-24; Eph. ii. 20.) The Messiah is here
represented as in the beginning of the war with the same enemy;--the
_seed_ of the _woman_ shall bruise the serpent's head. Still may the
church of God joyfully declare,--"Unto us a _Child_ is born, unto us a