Catholic Interpreters: to these we have fcrupuloufly adhered, and founded our interpretation on their teftimony. In other places, where former Writers took the liberty of interpreting and differed in their expofitions, we have likewife thought it lawful to use the fame liberty. We hope for indulgence, if in fome few inftances we appear to have applied the texts of the ancient Prophets to what they have not usually been applied. This freedom, we prefume, is allowable, when the fense of the texts has never been fully fettled. And here we cannot but remark that, whoever will take the pains to study the Apocalypfe, we apprehend he will perceive that it throws a new light upon feveral dark paffages of the ancient Prophets. Befides! it must be observed, that a Prophecy is not always confined to one object, but often relates both to the figure of a thing and to the thing itself, and confequently has two accomplishments, the one inadequate and in part only, the other complete and perfect. How often, for example, is the fame fcriptural text applied in an imperfect sense to David or Solomon, which is fully completed in Chrift, of whom they were figures? Thus alfo the return of the Jews from the Babylonic captivity may be deemed a figure of their return from a much longer captivity in the latter period of the world, and both may be intimated together by the Prophets. And fo of other inftances. On thefe grounds a text, that has been generally applied to the figure, we have fometimes transferred to the thing itself,

to fhew its full and ultimate completion. That part of the Apocalypfe, which gives the Prophetic history of paft ages, we have illustrated with the real history of thofe times, that the accomplishment may clearly appear. If we have not always mentioned our vouchers, it is because we thought it unneceffary in the case of such short abstracts of hiftory, especially as they are taken from the well known ecclefiaftic hiftorians of the times. In regard to the text of the Apocalypfe, we have made ufe of the commonly known English Translation made from the Latin Vulgate; at the fame time taking notice of any difference, worth obferving, between the Tranflation and the Original Greek. In fine, we here make our acknowledgments to those friends whom we have confulted, and who have affifted us in discovering and unfolding the mysterious fenfes of the Apocalypfe.

As to the time when this Prophecy was delivered to St. John, it is generally understood to have been in the year 95 or 96 of the Chriftian æra. This holy Apoftle, after being immerfed in a caldron of boiling oil at Rome, from which he came out unhurt, was banished by the Emperor Domitian into the Isle of Patmos in the Egean Sea or Archipelago, where, as we learn from himself, Apoc. i. 9. he was favoured with this most admirable and most comprehenfive of all Prophecies. "St. John was a Prophet," fays St. Jerom, "because being in the Ifle of Patmos, whether he had been "exiled for the faith by the Emperor Domitian,

"he

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" he received the Apocalypfe or a Revelation "containing an infinite number of myfteries appertaining to future times." Lib. 1. contra Jovinian. He always enjoyed a fuperior share in the affection of his Divine Mafter, and among many proofs of it he was indulged with this fingular and extraordinary favour, not granted to any of the other Apoftles. This moit inftructive book we cannot but earnestly recommend to every Christian, and we hope our recommendation will have the more weight, as it is grounded on the words of the divine book itself: Bleffed is he, that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy and keepeth those things which are written in it, Apoc. i. 3. The obfcurity, which covers the Apocalypfe, has been the occafion of its having been fo little attended to. We have therefore attempted to remove that obftacle: But if we have not totally fucceeded, we plead indulgence from the difficulty of explaining a Prophecy fo fublime, and the most mysterious! that is extant. Befides the advan

tage refulting from a general furvey of the hiftory of the Church, another motive for attending to the Apocalypfe is the particular interest every Chriftian must take in that part of the history, which relates to the present time, and to those scenes which are approaching. Much inftruction may be drawn from the present state of the Church as defcribed by our Prophetic Writer, and caution ought to be the refult for what we find is to happen hereafter. If God reveals to us myfteries, it is for our instruction:

if he difclofes to us future events, doubtlefs he does it to give us warning to prepare for them. This kind of œconomy Almighty God obferved towards mankind from the beginning, that in confequence of fuch previous admonitions, his faithful fervants fhould withdraw themselves from approaching calamities, while the wicked might impute to their own obftinacy the punishments that fell upon them. This bountiful adminiftration of providence appeared very confpicuous in favour of the Jews, who were generally forewarned by the Prophets of the great events that concerned them. The fame courfe we find the Almighty has purfued in the Chriftian age of the world. He has not indeed fent a fucceffion of Prophets as he did to the Jews. The only confiderable Prophet Christianity can claim is St. John the Apostle: but then he as far excels any one of the ancient Prophets, as his Apocalypfe contains more matter, and comprifes a larger field of hiftory. He grafps the whole period of Christianity. He defcribes the birth of Christ's Spoufe, his Church, and gradually conducts her through her whole progrefs, till the arrives at the full poffeffion of her Lord in everlasting glory and blifs. The finger of God appears plainly ftamped upon the book of the Apocalypfe, it fo far exceeds the reach of human compofition. The divine pen is vifible in every line, as each fentence is apparently written with fuch precifion and accuracy, that a word cannot be added or retrenched without derogating from the fenfe. The figures and allegories here employed

are

are truly fublime, grand, and beautiful, and closely adapted in all their parts to the subject. Some of them are borrowed from the ancient Prophets, but heightened by fuperior strokes. St. John's fubject, the hiftory of Christ's kingdom, as it furpaffes in dignity the object of all preceding Prophecies, fo he exhibits it in colours that outfhine all former prophetic defcriptions. This kingdom of Chrift, the greatest of all kingdoms, and his government of it, the most perfect of all governments, are described in a style proportionably exalted. The ancient Prophets announced the orders and instructions they received from God, and were only favoured with vifions in fome particular cafes: but the beloved Disciple of Chrift, not only receives from his Lord the verbal account he delivers, but is admitted to fee tranfacted before him every scene of the hiftory which he writes. Again, the ancient Prophets chiefly confined their accounts to the temporary tranfactions of kingdoms; but St. John, after giving the hiftory of the Chriftian Church for the whole time of her existence in this world, defcribes her future triumphant ftate in the heavenly Jerufalem, the period of which will be equal to that of Eternity. Befides the picture which he there gives of the heavenly ferufalem, is drawn with fuch exquifite art, is painted with fuch ftriking colours, and enriched with fuch ravifhing fcenes, and with fuch a collection of the choiceft, the most valuable, and the most fhining objects in nature, that the whole furpaffes greatly