the angel was permitted to explain more at large. The attitude of this angel is peculiarly striking, but whether any thing particular be meant by his having one foot on the earth, and the other on the fea, is not certain.

3. What it was that the angel cried, or proclaimed, is not faid. As the feven thunders immediately follow, it might be only fome words indicating their approach.

4. Notwithstanding the prohibition addreffed to the apostle, there have not been wanting conjectures concerning the meaning of thefe thunders. The moft ingenious, and probable, is that of Mr. Bicheno, who fup. poses that, fince the place of these thunders is between the conclufion of the fixth trumpet and the commencement of the feventh, they must relate to the wars which intervened between them, or thofe that immediately followed the conqueft of Kaminice, by which the Turkish empire was carried to its greatest extent, and those which preceded the French revolution, which he conceives to be the founding of the feventh trumpet; and he finds exactly seven great European wars in that interval, viz. one that commenced in A. D. 1700 and ended in 1721, a fecond from 1733 to 1735, a third from 1737 to 1784, a fourth from 1755 to 1763, a fifth from 1768 to 1773, the fixth from 1775 to 1789, and the feventh from A. D. 1788 to 1791.

6. This has been variously interpreted. Accord ing to fome, he fwore that there should be no more delay; and what follows makes this probable, because it announces the fpeedy approach of the great events

which were the principal objects of this feries of vifions.

7. As the event here referred to was the fame that was announced by the former prophets, it must be what is called the kingdom of heaven, and of the Mef fiah, and the final happy ftate of the world as what would foon follow the founding of the seventh trumpet,

10. Eating the book, no doubt, means reading it, and attending to its contents; and as the general and final object was great and glorious, it was at first very pleafing to the apostle, but when he confidered more attentively the calamitous events which would precede the glorious ones, he was filled with the deepest

concern.

11. Not that he was to be fent to any diftant vation, but that his prophecies would relate to them.

Ch. XI. All the vifions from this place to the account of the pouring out of the vials, feem to relate to the anti-christian corruptions of religion, and its refto. ration from them, without any refpect to the founding of the trumpets; being a more particular account of a feries of important events. And the fame events are indicated by different emblems, that by comparing them together their correfpondence with them may be better understood.

1. This refembles that vifion in Ezekiel, in which the temple and its courts were measured by an angel.

2. By the order not to measure the outer court, because it was given to the Gentiles to le trampled under foot forty two months, we are given to understand, that

the

the church of Chrift will be in a state of oppreffion for fo many years as thofe months contain days, which is 1260, a number which we shall find in two other places of this book, as well as once in Daniel, denoting no doubt, the fame period of time. In this place there is no intimation from what time thefe years are to be reckoned.

3. We have here another representation of the fame thing. The two witnesses fignify that there will always be a fufficient number, tho' not very many, to bear wit nefs to the truth amidst all the corruptions of it, but that they will have many difficulties to struggle with for the space of 1260 years. Thefe days being the fame number with the forty two months mentioned juft be. fore, muft denote the fame period of time; but here alfo is no intimation from what term they are to be reckoned.

4. This is an allufion to one of the reprefentations in the vifions of Zechariah, in which Zerubbabel and Joshua were compared to the fame emblems; by which was intimated that they would be fupported by divine providence till they had finished the work for which they were appointed, which was the building of the temple. In like mannery thefe witneffes would not be left without fupport, notwithstanding all the power of their oppreffors.

6. This language does not denote the proper power of the witneffes themfelves, but the power of God, which would be exerted not only in protecting them, but alfo in finally punishing their enemies. What is done by God by their means, or on their account, is

here,

here, as is usual in the fcriptures, faid to be done by them. Thus God fays to Jeremiah Ch. v, 14, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. He also says to him Ch. i, 10, See I have set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms to root out, and to pull down, &c. to build and to plant, that is God would authorize him to announce fuch events.

7. It is not necessary to suppose. that this killing of the witneffes will be deferred to fome particular time, at the conclufion of their teftimony, but that it will frequently happen, that particular witneffes will be put to death when they fhall have given their teftimony, in every part of this period of 1260 years. They are to be put to death by a power represented by a beast arising out of the abyss, or bottomless pit; but no fuch beast has been mentioned, but will be hereafter. All that has hitherto been faid of this abyfs, is that a great smoke or cloud, came out of it, at the founding of the fifth trumpet.

8. We have here a plain intimation where the principal feat of this perfecuting power is, viz. Rome, which, on account of its vices and idolatry is here called Sodom and Egypt, as it is elsewhere called Babylon. Thefe witneffes will be put to death in all countries fubject to this anti-christian power, the whole extent of it being called a city, and particular countries the streets of it. It was by perfons acting on the fame principles with thofe of this power, that Jefus himself, as well as thefe his witneffes, were put to death. It was alfo

within the bounds of the fame empire, viz. that of Rome.

9. Befides killing thefe witneffes, their perfecu. tors would even deny them the common rites of burial, and infult them in every method in their power.

12. From this it may be inferred that thefe witneffes will not always continue in a state of oppreffion, but that, to the terror of their perfecutors, they will even rife to great power. This fpace of three days and an half has been very variously interpreted. Some think it equivalent to three years and an half, and therefore expect that their exaltation will take place when the perfecuting power will wholly ceafe. Others think that it implies a promife that the extreme violence of particu lar perfecutions will feldom exceed that time. And it is remarkable, that this has been the cafe in many inftances. The Huffites revived after a ftate of oppref fion of a few years; the Lutherans after the victory of Charles V. in A. D. 1548, which put them wholly in his power; the Vaudois more than once after the fame fpace of time. The perfecution of the Proteftants in England by queen Mary lafted about as long, and fo did the perfecution of them on feveral occafions in France.

Laftly, Mr. Bicheno thinks, that as days may fig nify any periods of time in general, they may here denote lunations of thirty days each, fo that three and an half will be one hundred and five; and thefe may be fo many years; and exactly that space of time elapfed from the revocation of the edict of Nantes in a. D. 1685, to the commencement of the French revolution