also invokes his own soul, as one of this innumerable company, if she is pure.* This earth and heaven united, is the kingdom of God, the Ang apa of St. Paul, which we have rendered after the Latin Vulgate, fulness, for want of a more comprehensive expression to convey the whole idea of the original.

To this heaven of the internal and intellectual world, St. John was not transported, but withdrawn into his own mind, where he saw the temple of God opened, which also Moses had beheld on the Mount, Exod. xxv, 40. and of which the temple of Solomon was the type, Hebrews VIII, 5. This temple is not properly a place of worship in heaven, for which there is no necessity in the spiritual world It is the cabinet of the Most High. In this temple the ark of his testament became visible on this occasion, which both in the tabernacle and temple of Solomon, had been placed in the Holy of holies, and was only seen by the high-priest once a year. The ark in the temple of Solomon was a chest, which contained the tables of the law, or the covenant between the Lord and his people, It was shadowed by the two cherubim of glory, between which was the mercy-seat of the divine Majesty. But all this was only the shadow of what is intended here. This heavenly ark contains the eternal counsels of the Holy Trinity, concerning the redemption of the world, the mediation of Christ between God and man, the fundamental doctrines of Christianity and their final effects on the whole human race. That this ark was seen at the commencement of the seventh trumpet, may signify, that during its sound, its contents would be more clearly elucidated to the Church, and rapidly propagated among many Heathen nations. Thus at the death of Christ the veil of the temple was rent, to indicate the commencement of the Gospel dispen

*Assemblee brillante, vivante, &c.' T. II. Iescht. This also is the substance of the xosμos vontos of the Alexandrians.

sation: in like manner the seventh trumpet will do away all impediments to the glorious kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth. But St. John informs us, that it was only seen at this time in the temple; when once the Millennian day arrives, then it will also be opened, and its mysteries perfectly discovered to the glory of the Triune God.

And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. The holy apostle here relates the effects, which would attend these gradual discoveries and elucidations of the great plan of salvation in the world. All these terms express great commotions in the atmosphere, and on earth, which, considered as emblems, no doubt, indicate equally great changes in the moral world. These phenomena did not proceed from the temple, and must therefore bear a different signification from those chap. IV, 5. which issued from the throne of God. As emblems, they are here considered as proceeding from their own physical causes, and therefore cannot signify judgments by an extraordinary interference of Providence ; but must indicate such events in the moral world, as naturally proceed from the propagation of the Gospel among the benighted nations of the earth. The Church of Christ is not taken into the general plan of the emblem, because she is represented in the following verse by herself, under the figure of a woman. After this elucidation we will be able to determine the true meaning of the expressions in the text, without difficulty. They all refer to the opposition, which the Pagan nations in Europe, especially the Germans made, against the propagation of the Gospel. As lightnings disperse all before them, and in part consume their own cause, they may be indicative of the effects of the first assemblies which the Christian missionaries had among the Pagans, who after an audience, dispersed in tumult with aversion to what they had heard, and sometimes injured the servants of Christ. Voices may refer to the general report

of their Heathen, oracles on these occasions, communicaed like the Bathkohl, or daughter of voice, which he Jews say, was heard at the time of the second temple . from the earth, without seeing from whom it proceeded. Thunderings refer to the Pagan wars against the introduction of Christianity, which the Saxons now carried on for many years, until Charlemagne at last subdued them. These were the phenomena of the symbolic atmosphere from A. D. 782, when the seventh trumpet under the prophetic side-line of the Church, commenced. But, St. John also beheld great commotions in the symbolical earth. There was an earthquake and great hail. This earthquake may signify the tumultuous agitations and subsequent changes among the Pagan multitude during the time, and after they were subdued and had submitted to Christianity. And the great hail may denote the irruption of adjoining Pagan tribes, into these newly converted countries, which produced great mischief, chilness of affection to Christ, and barrenness in these recently established churches. The accomplishment of this prophecy is so notorious, that those acquainted with church history, will without difficulty supply themselves with the particular events referred to from memory; and as I shall mention them in the sequel they are omitted in this place.

Also Allge

*Vide Wolfii Cure philol. et crit. in N. T. 1. T. p. 64. meine Welthistorie 1x, T. p. 355. of Dr. Baumgartens edition.

CHAPTER XII.

Hitherto this prophecy exhibited hosts of enemies, who followed each other with fierce impetuosity to the stage of action. The Church of Christ beheld their rise and fall, as the Lord had foretold. But the most inveterate, tedious and trying foes, appear only now against her, during the blast of the seventh trumpet. Among these the beast from the sea, the beast from the earth, the scarlet whore, the beast from the bottomless pit, and Satan the. Old dragon rank as principals, and are supported as leaders by multitudes of inferior note. These important enemies of the Lord and his Church, are henceforth particularized, and we are presented with a distinct and detailed account of their different plans of warfare. However, the time of their power is determined by years, how long they will be able to annoy and persecute the Church. The Lord permits them for a time to exhaust all their powers of artifice and rage, during which they meet many a partial defeat; but at last he arises in his power, and their overthrow will be final, leaving them no hopes of recovery.

THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON,

Accomplished from A. D. 782-832.

Verse 1. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun; and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars :

2. And she, being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and

did cast them to the earth; and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

5. And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all na-tions with a rod of iron and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

In prophetic language, a woman is the symbol of a Church, Jer. xxx, 6–9. xxx1, 22. Micah iv, 10. v, 3. 3. Isa. XXVI, 16-18. LIV, 1-6, and St. John uses it in that sense in various parts of this prophecy, chap. 11, 21. XIX, 7. xxi, 9. xvII. Gal. iv, 26. 27. II Cor. x1, 2. This symbolical woman represents the whole visible Church of Christ on earth; and her majestic attire denotes the glorious and important state, to which she had now arrived in the world. Who could indulge such sanguine expectations during the period of the martyrs, or in the time of the irruptions of the Eastern and Northern nations into the Roman empire, that the Church, at this time, would have assumed such an august attitude, and powerful station among the nations of the earth, as we now behold her enjoy. The Christian Church, which eight centuries ago consisted of twelve apostles, is now clothed with the sun, and has the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. This is a compound