treading the holy city under foot, and the 1260 days of the witnesses prophesying in sackloth,' are 1260 synchronical years, and terminate at the same time with the fall of the Othman empire, or the end of the sixth trumpet or second woe-trumpet. And when 'the second woe is past,' it is said, xi. 14, 'behold the third woe cometh quickly.' At the sounding of the seventh trumpet, ver. 15. 'the third woe commenceth, which is rather implied than expressed, as it will be described more fully hereafter. The third woe' brought 'on the inhabitants of the earth,' is the ruin and downfall of the Antichristian kingdom: and then, and not till then, according to the heavenly chorus, 'the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.' St. John is wrapt and hurried away as it were to a view of the happy millennium, without considering the steps preceding and conducting to it.

At the same time the four and twenty elders,' or the ministers of the church, ver. 16, 17, 18. are represented as praising and glorifying God for manifesting his power and kingdom more than he had done before; and give likewise an intimation of some succeeding events, as 'the anger of the nations,' Gog and Magog, xx. 8. and 'the wrath of God,' displayed in their destruction, xx. 9. and the judging of the dead,' or the general judgment, xx. 12. and 'the rewarding of all the good, small and great,' as well as 'the punishing of the wicked.' Here we have only a summary account of the circumstances and occurrences of the seventh trumpet, but the particulars will be dilated and enlarged upon hereafter.

And thus are we arrived at the consummation of all things, through a series of prophecies extending from the apostle's days to the end of the world. It is this series which has been our clue to conduct us in our interpretation of these prophecies; and though some of them may be dark and obscure, considered in themselves, yet they receive light and illustration from others preceding and following. All together they are as it were a chain of prophecies, whereof one link depends on, and supports another. If any parts remain yet obscure and unsatisfactory, they may perhaps be cleared up by what the apostle himself hath added by way of explanation.

PART II.

the book' the little book'

But it hapdivision the

Most of the best commentators divide the Apocalypse or Revelation into two parts, biblion, 'sealed with seven seals,' and biblaridion, as it is called several times. pens unluckily, that according to their lesser book is made to contain as much or more than the larger; whereas in truth the little book' is nothing more than a part of the sealed book,' and is added as a codicil or appendix to it. If we were to divide the Revelation, as they would have it divided, into two parts, the former ending with chap, ix. and the latter beginning with chap. x. the whole frame of the book would be disjointed, and things would be separated, which are plainly connected together and dependent upon one another. The former part, as they agree, comprehends the book sealed with seven seals, which are all opened in order; but the seventh seal consists of the seven trumpets, and of the seven trumpets the three last are distinguished by the name of the three woe-trumpets;' so that the seven trumpets, as well as the seven seals, all belong properly to the former part. Whereas if we were to follow the other division, the trumpets would be divided, the three last trumpets would be divided from each other, the sixth trumpet itself would be divided, would be

gin in the former part of the book, and end in the latter, and the seventh trumpet would remain separated from the rest, which would be a strange interruption of the series and order of the prophecies, and greatly disturb and confound the course of events. The former part, instead of closing with the seventh trumpet, would then break off in the middle of the sixth trumpet; the latter part would then commence under the sixth trumpet, and after that would follow the seventh and last trumpet, and after this the general subject of the Revelation would be resumed from the beginning of the Christian era, which instead of coming in after so many events posterior in point of time, ought certainly to be the beginning of the latter part. For we would also divide the Revelation into two parts, or rather the book so divides itself. For the former part proceeds, as we have seen, in a regular and successive series from the apostles' days to the consummation of all things. Nothing can be added, but it must fall somewhere or other within the compass of this period; it must in some measure be a resumption of the same subjects; and this latter part may most properly be considered as an enlargement and illustration of the former. Several things, which were only touched upon, and delivered in dark hints before, require to be more copiously handled, and placed in a stronger light. It was said that the beast should make war against the witnesses, and overcome them :' but who or what the beast' is we may reasonably conjecture indeed, but the apostle himself will more surely explain. The transactions of the seventh trumpet are all summed up and comprised in

a few verses, but we shall see the particulars branched out and enlarged into as many chapters. In short, this latter part is designed as a supplement to the former, to complete what was deficient, to explain what was dubious, to illustrate what was obscure and as the former described more the destinies of the Roman empire, so this latter relates more to the fates of the Christian church.

6

6

The last verse of the eleventh chapter, in my opinion, should have been made the first verse of the twelfth chapter; for it appears to be the beginning of a new subject. It is somewhat like the beginning of Isaiah's vision; vi. 1. I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne,' (the ark) high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.' It is somewhat like the beginning of St. John's prophetic visions; iv. 1, 2. 'I looked, and behold; a door was opened in heaven: and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.' This is much in the same spirit: and the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament;' that is, more open discoveries were now made, and the mystery of God was revealed to the prophet. Lightnings and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail,' are the usual concomitants and attendants of the divine presence, and especially at the giving of new laws and new revelations. So at mount Sinai, Exod. xx. 18, &c. there were thunders, and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, and the whole mount quaked greatly.' So likewise in this very book of the Apocalypse, before the opening of the seven seals, iv. 5,