Author, is written in the fame Stile and Language with the Prophecies of Daniel, and has the fame Relation to them, which they have to one another; fo that all of them together make but one compleat Prophecy, and in like manner it confifts of two Parts, an introductory Prophecy, and an Interpretation thereof.

THE Prophecy is diftinguished into seven fucceffive Parts, by the opening of the feven Seals of the Book, which Daniel was commanded to feal up; and hence it is called the Apocalypfe or Revelation of Jefus Chrift. The time of the feven Seals is fubdivided into eight fucceffive Parts by the filence in Heaven for half an Hour, and the founding of feven Trumpets fucceffive- • ly and the feventh Trumpet founds the Battle of the great Day of God Almighty, whereby the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Chrift, and those are deftroyed that deftroyed the Earth. The Interpretation begins with the Words, And the Temple of God was open'd in Heaven, and there was seen in his Temple the Ark of his Teftament; and it continues to the End of the Prophecy. The Temple is the Scene of the Vifions, and the Vifions in the Temple relate to the Feast of the feventh Month; for the Feafts of the Jews were Typical of things to come. The Paffover related to the firft coming of Chrift, and the Feafts of the feventh Month to his fecond coming: his first coming being therefore over before this Prophecy was given, the Feafts of the feventh Month are here only alluded to.

OUR Author gives us next an Account of the three first Chapters of the Apocalypfe. On the first Day of the feventh Month, fays he, in

the

the Morning, the High-Prieft dreffed the Lamps; and in allufion hereunto, this Prophe cy begins with a Vifion of one like the Son of Man in the High-Prieft's Habit, appearing as it were in the midft of the feven Golden Candlesticks, or over against the midst of them dreffing the Lamps, which appeared like a Rod of feven Stars in his right Hand: and this dreffing was performed by the fending feven Epiftles to the Angels or Bifhops of the feven Churches in Afia, which in the primitive Times illuminated the Temple or Church-Catholick, Thefe Epiftles contain Admonitions against the approaching Apoftacy, and therefore relate to the Times when the Apoftacy began to work ftrongly, and before it prevailed. It began to work in the Apoftles Days, and was to con tinue working till the Man of Sin fhould be revealed. It began to work in the Difciples of Simon, Menander, Carpocrates, Cerinthus, and fuch fort of Men, as had imbibed the metaphyfical Philofophy of the Gentiles, and caballiftical Jews, and were thence called Gnofticks. But thefe being condemned by the Apoftles, and their immediate Difciples, put the Church in no danger during the opening of the firft four Seals. The Vifions at the opening of thefe Seals relate only to the civil Affairs of the Heathen Roman Empire. The Admonitions therefore in these feven Epiftles relate to the State of the Church in the Times of the fifth and fixth Seals. At the opening of the fifth Seal, the Church is purged from Hypocrites by a great Perfecution. At the opening of the fixth, that which letted, is taken out of the way, namely, the Heathen Roman Empire. At the opening of the feventh, the Man of Sin

is revealed. And to thefe Times the feven Epiftles relate.

As it is almoft impoffible to give an Abridgment of this Chapter, we will tranfcribe another Paffage of it, that the Reader may form Tome Notion of the Relation, which the Apocalypfe has, according to our Author, to the Book of the Law. After the Lamps were dreffed, fays Sir Ifaac Newton, John faw the Door of the Temple opened, and by the Voice as it were of a Trumpet, was called up to the eaftern Gate of the great Court, to fee the Vifions: and behold a Throne was fet, viz, the Mercy-Seat upon the Ark of the Teftament, which the Jews refpected as the "Throne of God between the Cherubims, Ex. ** xxv. 2. Pfal. xcix. 1. And he that, fat on

it was to look upon like Jaspar and Sardine

Stone, that is, of an olive Colour. And the **Sun being then in the Eaft, a Rainbow was "about the Throne, the Emblem of Glory. "And round about the Throne were four and "twenty Seats, answering to the Chambers of "the four and twenty Princes of the Priests, twelve on the fouth Side, and twelve on the "north Side of the Priefts Court. And upon

the Seat were four and twenty Elders fitting, "clothed in white Raiment, with Crowns on "their Heads; reprefenting the Princes of the "four and twenty Courfes of the Priests cloth"ed in Linnen; and out of the Throne pro"ceeded Lightnings, and Thunderings, and

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Voices, viz. the Flashes of the Fire upon the "Altar, at the Morning Sacrifice, and the thundering Voices of thofe that founded the "Trumpets, and fung at the eastern Gate of the Priefts Court: for thefe being between

" John

"John and the Throne, appeared to him as proceeding from the Throne. And there "were feven Lamps of Fire burning in the

Temple, before the Throne, which are the

feven Spirits of God, or Angels of the feven "Churches, represented in the Beginning of "this Prophecy by feven Stars, and before "the Throne was a Sea of Glafs, clear as Cry

ftal; the brazen Sea between the Porch of "the Temple and the Altar, filled with clear "Water. And in the midft of the Throne,

and round about the Throne, were four Beasts "full of Eyes before and behind; that is, one

Beaft before the Throne, and one behind it, "appearing to John as in the, midst of the "Throne, and one on either fide in the Circle "about it, to reprefent by the multitude of

their Eyes, the People ftanding in the four

fides of the People's Court. And the first "Beaft was like a Lion, and the fecond was "like a Calf, and the third had the Face of a "Man, and the fourth was like a flying Eagle. "The People of Ifrael in the Wilderness en66 camped round about the Tabernacle, and

under the East Side were three Tribes under the Standard of Judah; on the Weft were three Tribes under the Standard of Ephraim; on the South were three Tribes under the "Standard of Reuben; and on the North were "three Tribes under the Standard of Dan. "Numb. ii. And the Standard of Judah was a "Lion; that of Ephraim, an Ox; that of "Reuben, a Man; and that of Dan, an Eagle, "as the Jews affirm. Whence were framed "the Hieroglyphicks of Cherubims and Seraphims to reprefent the People of Ifrael. A "Cherubim had one Body with four Faces,

"the

"the Faces of a Lion, an Ox, a Man, and "an Eagle, looking to the four Winds of "Heaven,.without turning about, as in Ezekiel's "Vifion, Chap. i. And four Seraphims had "the fame four Faces, with four Bodies, one "Face to every Body. The four Beasts are "therefore four Seraphims ftanding in the four "Sides of the People's Court; the firft, in the "eastern Side, with the Head of a Lion; "the fecond, in the weftern Side, with the "Head of an Ox; the third, in the fouthern "Side, with the Head of a Man, the fourth, "in the northern Side, with the Head of an Eagle; and all four fignify together the "twelve Tribes of Ifrael, out of whom the "hundred forty and four Thousand were fealed, "Apoc. vii. 4. And the four Beafts had each "of them fix Wings, two to a Tribe, in all "twenty and four Wings, answering to the "twenty and four Stations of the People. "And they were full of Eyes within, or under "their Wings: And they reft not Day and Night, or at the Morning and Evening Sacrifices; faying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord "God Almighty, which was, and is, and is 66 to come. The Animals therefore are Sera phims, which appeared to Ifaiah in a Vifion, like this of the Apocalypfe. For there "alfo the Lord fat upon a Throne in the Tem"ple; and the Seraphims, each with fixWings,

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cry'd, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of "Hoft. And when thofe Animals give Glory "and Honour, and Thanks to him that fitteth "upon the Throne, who liveth for ever and "ever, the four and twenty Elders go into the Ifa. vi.

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No. XXIII. 1733.
VOL. IV.

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