of this prophecy. And we shall perceive as we advance in the study of the book itself, that it is written, as we before said, exclusively for the Christian Church, and belongs to it alone. Let us then realize these exceeding great privileges which belong to us Christians, and to which we are called of God, in CHRIST JESUS our LORD; that so we may be manifestly of the truth, and assure our hearts before Him. We continually pray in the services of the Church, that GOD would "grant unto us in this world knowledge of His truth, and in the world to come life everlasting." And in proportion as the truth of GOD is valued, (unto which nothing can be compared) and the knowledge thereof sought in all Holy Scripture, so will this book of the Revelation of JESUS CHRIST be appreciated: for it is the concentration of all the revelations which God has given us in His Word, and has in this, and in many other respects, a special claim upon our attention. upon our attention. And let it be remembered, that in this book, they alone are accounted blessed who read, and understand, and keep its sayings; that it is presented to us "Unsealed," and " Open ;' accompanied with the most solemn sanctions, declaring also the judgments that will come upon those who presume to add anything to, or take anything from it. It remains only to add, that in seeking its true interpretation, we have availed ourselves of what other interpreters have said, whose attention has been directed to the same subject; and as our object is doubtless one, even the discovering and unfolding of the truth, we 10. have in some cases, not only used the light they afforded, but also adopted their own words or forms of expressing the truth, when they appeared to us the best mode of setting it forth. And as in these our meditations, we have invoked "The Spirit of Truth" to guide ourselves; even so would we commend our readers to the same Holy Spirit: praying that He may enlighten their minds to understand; open their hearts to receive; and give them grace to keep, the things which are written therein. For as there is no greater 2 Thess. ii. condemnation, than "not receiving the love of the truth" when it is set before us, so there is no greater Rev. xxii. 9. honour than to be "of them which keep the sayings of this book." Finally, whatever blessing we ourselves have received in our meditations, or whatever benefit we may be the means of conveying to others, to God alone be the praise and glory, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Pentecost, 1850. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART I.-The Name of the Book. By whom the Revelation was given. The end or object for which it was written. Its fulfilment commencing from the beginning. By PART II.-ANALYSIS OF THE PROPHECY: The necessity of understanding its symbolical language. The inter- PAGK A Tabular View, or Prophetic Chart of the Apocalypse. 28 PART III. THE SYMBOLISM, AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE Book, in relation to the Epistles, Seals, Trumpets, and Vials, showing the history of Christendom in its Spiri- tual, Civil, Ecclesiastical, and Judicial Phases PART IV. PREFATORY VISIONS TO EACH OF THE FOUR FORMS OF PROPHECY; viz., to the Seven Epistles, PART V.-THE FOUR FORMS OF EVIL ON WHICH THE JUDGMENTS ARE POURED OUT AS REVEALED IN Chapters XII., XIII., and XIV. The First, or Spiritual form of evil PART VI.-THE FIRST PERIOD OF THE CHRISTIAN AGE, as PART VII.-THE SECOND PERIOD OF THE CHRISTIAN AGE, 201 223 PART VIII.—THE THIRD PERIOD OF THE CHRISTIAN AGE, as revealed in the Epistle to the Church in Pergamos, the third Seal, the third Trumpet, and the third Vial 238 PART IX. THE FOURTH PERIOD OF THE CHRISTIAN AGE, as revealed in the Epistle to the Church in Thyatira, PART X.-THE FIFTH PERIOD OF THE CHRISTIAN AGE, as 261 . 283 PART XI. THE SIXTH PERIOD OF THE CHRISTIAN AGE, as revealed in the Epistle to the Church in Philadel- phia, the sixth Seal, the sealing of the Remnant, the PART XII.-THE SEVENTH PERIOD OF THE CHRISTIAN AGE, as revealed in the Epistle to the Church in 440 |