which the redeemed creation shall be ultimately advanced to partake in. This display, and these acts of adoration, precede the opening of the seven-sealed book; which contains, as we shall see, the history of God's dealings with his church during the whole spiritual or Christian dispensation; which is closed (vii. 9, 12) with an act of adoration by the church similar to that by the creation with which the visions open (v. 9-14). The sealed book contains the record of the purpose of God. This purpose was unrevealed till "the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. v. 5)," the Lamb slain" (6), prevailed to open the book, and loose the seals thereof. A display of God's glory is the sum of the purpose; the church is the object in which this portion of its manifestation takes place; and the powers of the world (overruled by the providence of God for this very end) are the instruments by which this manifestation is brought about. During the period included in the seals, Christ reveals, or declares, those events which the church acts or manifests; but, when this period is past, Christ becomes the manifestation, as well as the revealer: the Word of God comes forth in visible form, as King of kings; becomes the express Image of God's glory; and advances his church to a partnership in the throne, which he then ascends. The seals are opened in succession by Christ himself; indicating that the events which these seals unfold shall be brought about by the immediate instrumentality of our Lord, as the administrator of God's providence: "All power is given to me in heaven and on earth."-The trumpets are in all respects different. The revelations in them are not opened by Christ himself, but by angels; and they are wholly of a judicial and penal character, without the hope or prospect of reform (ix. 21).-The vials also are wholly of wrath: "in them is filled up the wrath of God" (xv. 1): and they also are poured out by angels, not by Christ himself; and one of the living creatures gives them the vials.

Prophecy being designed for the instruction of the church, political changes are noticed therein only as they affect the church; and the seals I consider as revealing those changes in Christendom, the station of the visible church, which should be brought about by the extraordinary interposition of God, so as to be regarded by all as proceeding immediately from God-as, the conversion of Constantine, at the beginning of the series; and the wrath of the Lamb, at the end of it (vi. 2, 16). The trumpet series represents the judgments of God on an apostate and idolatrous church; beginning with heavy judgments, which increase in severity, but produce no repentance: "They repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils," &c. (ix. 20.) These judgments are inflicted by angels; indicating that they are

brought about in the ordinary providence of God. The vial series are judgments not only on an apostate church, but on those political rulers who, having been raised for the protection of the church, have become her tyrants and oppressors. The first brings a sore on them that worshipped the image of the beast (xvi. 2): the fifth is poured on the seat of the beast (ver. 10): and so of the rest. But these vials, we shall see, come into the period of time included in the sixth seal; and as that seal is opened by Christ himself, so these vials (see x. 1) have their beginning in that extraordinary display of God's power; but the succeeding vials being only poured by angels, are brought about in the ordinary workings of Providence. The first four seals, first four trumpets, and first four vials, have this common character, that they bring down the opposing power against which they are severally directed: and the fifth and sixth in each series bring in the several scourges (the Papal, the Turkish, and the Infidel) which prepare for the seventh of each; which simultaneously burst in combined and universal judgments upon the heads of all those upon whom the six preceding ones had separately fallen. When the seventh seal is opened "there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour (viii. 1) when the seventh angel sounds (xi. 15)," the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord:" and when the seventh vial is poured (xvi. 17), "It is done." These periods agree in time with xix. 11, when "heaven is opened," and the Word of God comes forth to take to him his great power and reign; and when (14) "the armies in heaven follow him," to witness his mighty deeds. Now, it would be an inconsistency to represent him as receiving the worship of the heavenly hosts at the time when he is represented as taking vengeance on his foes; and therefore it is said, in the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven half an hour." But, then, they shall enter in triumph into the New Jerusalem, singing, up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in battle". "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory." And there shall he fix his throne: for it is written (Ezek. xliii. 7), "The place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever."

:

"Lift

The seals, trumpets, and vials, I consider as being in themselves political emblems; but, to connect them with the church, ecclesiastical signs are interspersed-as, the living creatures, in the first four seals; the souls beneath the altar, in the fifth seal; and the day of wrath, in the sixth seal. So also in the trumpet series ecclesiastical emblems are introduced, in the

altar, incense, and fire (viii. 3, 5); in the allusions to fountains of water and idolatry (viii. 10, ix. 20); and in the temple (xi. 19). And in the vial series their connection with the church is indicated by the angels coming out of the temple (xv. 6), and in priestly garments; by one of the living creatures giving them the vials; and by the "voice from the throne" (xvi. 17), which is the signal for the plagues of the seventh vial, and the filling up of the wrath of God. The proper and exclusive history of the visible church is given in emblems borrowed from the tabernacle and Jewish ritual; and it is in this series that the times are given, as being associated with the fixed feasts of the Mosaic law, the bands to the children of Israel of ecclesiastical and national polity: these emblems occur chiefly in xi. xii. xiii. And, as we have seen above, the history of the spiritual church is given in emblems taken from the seasons of the year, chiefly in xiv.

I do not mean to treat on the external form of the seven-sealed book, thinking it a question of curiosity rather than instruction; but, taking it as recorded in the Apocalypse, we find three grand divisions, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials. These appear to me three distinct series; nor can I find in the text any warrant for combining them into one series; or interchanging the persons, places, or things they severally refer to. But I consider them as three distinct series, referring to three distinct classes of objects; diverging at their commencement, and re-uniting at their termination, but continuing distinct during their whole course. This will, I think, be manifest from the following considerations. Six of the seals are opened in chap. vi.; the first beginning with thunder, the sixth with an earthquake (12), whose effects are described in language similar to that in Isai. xxxiv. 4. Now the context in Isaiah shews us that it is the "great slaughter in the land of Idumea," preceding "the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion" (8); called also (Rev. vi. 17) "the great day of his wrath." These six seals, therefore, form a complete series, running down to the time of the end; which is further confirmed by the sealing in ch. vii., which is evidently to protect them from the effects of the sixth seal, and which vii. 15-17 shews will last to the Millennium. The trumpet series follows, in ch. viii.; and we are therefore compelled to go back for its commencement: and we must begin from the time when the earth, or Roman empire, was divided into three parts by Constantine; for it is a third, or one of these divisions only, which is smitten under all the trumpets, except the fifth; which fifth, being the Saracen woe, extended its ravages beyond the limits of the other five. The place scourged under the trumpets is further defined as the arena of the four angels of the river Euphrates, with their hordes

of cavalry (x. 14). And the seventh trumpet, like the sixth seal, carries us down to the time of the end, when "the mystery of God shall be finished" (x. 7), and "the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever" (xi. 15).-For the commencement of the third (or vial) series, we must therefore also go back, though not to so early a period; for the first vial is poured upon those who have the mark of the beast and worship his image (xvi. 2), and therefore cannot be carried back to an earlier time than that mentioned in xiii. 16, which is long subsequent to Constantine; being the Papacy in its lamb-like form: and we shall presently see that this series begins with the sealing, ch. vii. and the first-fruits xiv. 1-4 being the same who have gotten the victory over the beast (xv. 2). The vial series also, like the two preceding, carry us down to the time of the end; being "the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God" (xv. 1): and these plagues are for the destruction of Babylon; another proof that we cannot commence them till after the period assigned to Babylon (xi. 2; xii. 6, 14; xiii. 5). Having thus ascertained the distinctness of the three series, and that they all carry us down to the time of the end, they must be to some extent parallel with each other, and have events which synchronize together. Let us therefore endeavour to discover some of these marks of synchronism. The first on which I would insist, are the "great earthquake" vi. 12, and "the great earthquake" xi. 13. Much of the difficulty in fixing the structure of the Apocalypse would be removed if the true correspondence of the several earthquakes was settled. The three series of events symbolized by seals, trumpets, and vials, all reach down to the " day of the Lord:" "The great day of his wrath is come," vi. 17: Thy wrath is come," xi. 18: "The cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath," xvi. 19: "In them is filled up the wrath of God," xv. 1. Of this day of wrath the most characteristic feature is "a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great" (xvi. 18): and it is also further characterized by the "great hail out of heaven" (21). That the earthquakes in xi. 19 and xvi. 18 are the same, no one can reasonably doubt; and that the earthquake of the sixth seal, though beginning at the expiration of the Papal period, reaches till the time of the end, and so falls in at length with the final earthquake, will be manifest from a little consideration. For till its commencement "the earth" has not been "hurt," since against it the servants of God are sealed (vii. 3); and therefore this sealing precedes the vials, which bring the wrath of God "upon the earth" (xvi. 1). Those who are sealed here, appear again xiv. 1, and again xv. 2; demonstrating that we must place the com

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mencement of the earthquake (vi. 12) as early as the judgment on Babylon (xiv. 7; xv. 4; xviii. 2). But the sixth seal beginning here, when the victim period (vi. 9) of the church ends, includes the whole time of trouble, till the great earthquake which fills up the wrath of God. In its commencement " every mountain and island were moved out of their places" (vi. 14): at its conclusion "every island shall fly away, and the mountains shall not be found" (xvi. 20). It runs on till the great day of wrath is come, and they "call to the mountains to hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb" (vi. 16; xvii. 14; Isa. xi. 21).

Having shewn that this last earthquake in the three series is the same, I shall now shew the place of the preceding earthquake, ix. 13. This, compared with the final one, is limited greatly in its extent; for it reaches only to the "tenth part of the city," and seven thousand names of men;" whereas in the last every island shall fly away, and the mountains shall not be found (xvi. 20), "and the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and and every freeman" shall be in terror (vi. 15). But this also is a great earthquake (xi. 13); and I place it at the commencement of the great earthquake vi. 12; understanding the "tenth part of the city" to signify the time when it had extended its effects no further than to one of the ten kingdoms of the Papacy (viz. France); whereas vi. 12 takes it up a little later, when its effects extended to the whole earth, or Western Roman Empire. That we can allow no interval between these two great earthquakes is manifest from the forty-two months (xi. 2), 1260 days (ver. 3), being of necessity to be completed before the earthquake (ver. 13); which brings it down to the expiration of the wilderness period of the church, or time of the Papal domination (xii. 14; xiii. 5); and the equally strong necessity of carrying up the earthquake of vi. 12 to the sealing period, vii. 2, xiv. 1, xv. 2: for the winds of wrath are ready to burst upon the earth, vii. 1, and are only restrained while the servants of God are being sealed. The sealing is therefore completed before the call to come out of Babylon,” xiv. 6; and before the first vial which was poured upon the earth, and produced a noisome sore. This earthquake is the precursor, type, and warning of the great final one, which shall wind up the vengeance of God upon Babylon: and in vi. 12, 17, the two are blended together; or rather, the first, beginning in ver. 12, prolongs its vibrations till it assumes all the characters of the final earthquake, and merges in the same day of wrath, when "who shall be able to stand?" (17.) This enables us to fix with precision the time and duration of the "little season" mentioned in the fifth seal, during which the souls of the martyrs "rest under the