Stuarts of Britain. In vain did the victims of papal and prelatic
cruelty plead, in their just defence in the seventeenth century, the
constitution and laws of their native land! Those who have done violence
to the law of God, will always disregard human enactments which stand in
the way of their ambitious schemes. Their own laws will be treated as
ropes of sand, as Samson's withs, and the blood of saints as water. Such
is persecution.--The seventh verse, expressing the beast's victory over
the saints and the extent of his power, is explanatory of ch. xi. 7, 9;
and the time of his continuance, (v. 5,) is the same as the treading
under foot of the city; (ch. xi. 2:) so that we are assured of the
agreement in time between the events here and those of the first part of
the eleventh chapter. Also, the parties here presented are the same as
in the two preceding chapters, only they are exhibited in different
aspects by appropriate symbols.--The worshippers of the beast include
all under his dominion except those "whose names were written in the
book of life."--This book is different both from the sealed book, (ch.
5;) and also from the open book, (ch. 10.) It is the register, as it
were, of the names of all whom the Father gave to the Son, to be by him
brought to glory. (John xvii. 2; Heb. ii. 10; Rev. xx. 12, 15.) During
the whole reign of the beast, these are preserved, having been "sealed
unto the day of redemption." In the seventh chapter we had the angels
employed in holding the four winds of the earth, till these servants of
God were sealed in their foreheads, before the first alarm should be
given by the trumpets. The book of life contained their names from the
foundation,--before the foundation of the world. (Eph. i. 4.) They were
in time "sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," so that it was
impossible to deceive them, either by lying wonders or the serpent's
sophistry. (Eph. i. 13; Matt. xxiv. 24.)--The Lamb may be said to be
"slain from the foundation of the world" in the purpose of God, (2 Tim.
i. 9;) in sacrifice, (Gen. iv. 4;) in the ceremonial law and prophecy.