APPENDIX THE FIRST.

A SHORT SKETCH OF THE PROPHECY OF THE REVELATION AS
ALREADY FULFILLED.

IN attempting to give a short sketch of the order of events, and of the meaning of the symbols, in the prophecy of the Revelation, which the reader, who is interested in this important study, may compare with other schemes that have already been laid before the public, I would be understood as only stating the opinions which one student has formed, according to the best of his knowledge and belief, after many years' attention to the subject.

In the first place, with many others, I recognize in chapter i. 19, a division of the order of events into two parts.

"The things which are,"—" and the things which shall be hereafter." I include, of course, the vision of the great high priest, and the addresses to the seven churches of Asia, under the former; and all the rest, from the opening of the fourth chapter to verse the sixth of the twentysecond under the latter; the remainder being a practical application of the whole book.

Accordingly, I conceive that the main purport of the addresses to the seven churches, is to shew the then present state of religion in these Christian societies, as seen in the eyes of him "who trieth the reins and the hearts." They are not, strictly speaking, prophecies of the future; for, although the threat of foreboded judgment, "if they repented not," and the intimation of mercy to two of the churches in particular, are fairly made out in the subsequent history of this part of the Catholic Church; yet, I am compelled to acknowledge that the attempts which have been made to shew in these addresses, a prophetic view of the different state of religion, in the subsequent ages of the Christian world, in their regular order, till the appearance of the great Redeemer, have

Second Advent, Vol. II. p. 293.

heritance in his saints ;" and, as St. Paul te
sole himself in the present short afflictio
working for him a far more exceeding
weight of glory: for he says, "I recko
ferings of this present time, are not wor
pared with the glory that shall be r
And not only this; but he sees as it w
all the creation of God, a deeply cl
be partaker in the manifested glori
of God. "For the earnest ex
creature waiteth for the manifest
God." "Because the creature
livered from the bondage of
glorious liberty of the children

vion of the whole

"O may we ever be enable view, "the things which God 1. that love him,"-" things fre with that glowing hope, whi him" "purifieth himself as of the wonderful assurance gi nature of proems or are your's, whether" "the w may be judged most or things present, or things tration, to be kept distinct main action, I mean, as to and ye are Christ's; and C of those events and judgments "Therefore, with ange Providence upon the enemies and with all the company of he taking away, especially, and thy glorious name; eveth empire, in the successive periods eferent phases of its appearance in saying, Holy, Holy, Holy the day when the Son of man and and earth are full of t O Lord st High!!!

fallen very short of producing any conviction on my own mind. These addresses, therefore, I look upon as shewing the actual present state of religion in these seven primitive societies, under their respective pastors; and this inspection of "things which are," with the indications given of the various ways in which corruptions have grown up, and spread in them severally, is sufficient as a sample, and is intended for a caution and warning for all Churches, in all ages; and especially do we learn, the great blessedness that awaits, at Christ's coming, the remnant in every church, whatever the character of the church as a society may be, who have maintained the truth, and been faithful to their Master, in seasons of trials and temptations, from whatever source they arose, in the days of their pilgrimage.

Next, with respect to the main vision-" of things that should be hereafter," I think the order of events, as more particularly developed in the history of the visible transactions of mankind, is arranged in the following manner :

Seven seals as primary divisions, include them all;

The seventh seal, however, is divided into seven trumpets,
And the seventh trumpet, again, into seven vials.

So that, as a primary division, all the seven trumpets, including the seven-fold division of the last, into its vials, are included in the seventh seal. Various visions are shewn besides, affording prophetic symbols of things in heaven and things on earth, and placing in our view the chief agents or characters, at particular junctures, in the rise or fall of empires and states: they form, indeed, a very considerable portion of the whole book; but these visions are introduced, in the nature of proems or episodes, preludes or interludes, (whatever term may be judged most suitable,) and are, except for purposes of illustration, to be kept distinct from the main action of the prophecy-the main action, I mean, as to the occurrence, in their appointed order, of those events and judgments which mark the avenging hand of Providence upon the enemies and corruptors of the visible church,-the taking away, especially, and consuming the power of the fourth empire, in the successive periods of its continuation, and under the different phases of its appearance in the world, till the end shall come, and the day when the Son of man shall be revealed."

The Revelation forms, therefore, but an enlarged history of “the fraying" of the last "of the four horns of the Gentiles, which scattered Judah,” *—of the fourth kingdom "breaking in pieces and subduing all," which was symbolized by "the legs of iron" in Nebuchadnezzar's dream,

Zechariah i. 18, &c.

terminating in feet with "toes part of iron and part of miry clay,”—of the fourth beast in Daniel's vision, "dreadful, and terrible, and strong exceedingly; whose sovereignty towards the latter end of its dominion, is also shewn by particular symbols to be in a divided state when the empire perishes, and the dominion under the whole heavens shall be given to the saints of the Most High.

Accordingly, history has, I think, explained to us,

I. That the SIX FIRST SEALS show Rome in its Pagan state, and mark the eras of its decline and fall in that character.

II. Next, its authorities become nominally Christian; but in a little while, a similar hostility discovers itself against the pure religion of Christ, the heavenly King; this brings down the judgments of God upon apostate Christendom, under the sceptre of Rome, which are symbolized by the SIX FIRST TRUMPETS of the seventh seal when it is opened. These judgments reduce the fourth empire into its last stage of divided sovereignty, as shewn in former prophecies, during which, the apostacy being completed, "that wicked," ‚""the man of sin," was to be revealed.

III. Lastly, when the seventh trumpet is sounded, and its seven component parts disclosed, by the pouring forth of seven vials, God's judgments upon the fourth empire, in this its last stage, are shewn; and they are the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God."

Men still repent not, but blaspheme. Entire destruction follows; Jehovah, Elohim himself, as Sabaoth, or Lord of Hosts, is manifested in judgment, as the avenger of Zion, and as the leader of the armies of heaven. Then "the stone cut out without hands, smites the image upon his feet which are of iron and clay, and breaks them to pieces; then the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold are broken to pieces together, and become like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carries them away, that no place is found for them: and the stone that smote the image becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole earth." "The fourth beast is slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame; then, one like the Son of man cometh in the clouds of heaven," and there is given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed."

To proceed in taking a hasty glance at those events and awful visitations, which history has taught me to apply to the symbols of the seals, the trumpets, and the vials, as far as events have disclosed.-The date of the vision of the Revelation, I agree with by far the greater part of com