« The children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim.'

The spiritual Babylon, an idolatrous and persecuting church, is thus represented, as a harlot decorated in purple and scarlet, and drunk with the blood of the saints; while the true church of Christ, the New Jerusalem, appears as a pure and chaste bride, arrayed in white and resplendent linen, expressly called, the righteousness of the saints.' Rev. Ch. 19. V. 8.

THE ALLEGORICAL PARTURITION.

In like manner the mother religion, supposed here to signify Judaism, which gave birth to Christianity, the symbolical male child, that was preordained to rule all nations, is represented by a woman, adorned with the heavenly luminaries, emblems of light and truth. Rev. Ch. 12. V. 1.

Our Saviour, speaking comfort to his disciples, shortly before his crucifixion, used this metaphor. ‹ A woman when she is in travail, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.' John, Ch. 16. V. 21.

Applying this metaphor to his disciples, was applying it to his church; and thus we have our Lord's authority for interpreting the allegorical parturition, as typifying the sufferings of the church,

FAMINE AND PESTILENCE.

Spiritual famine is not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord.' (Amos, Ch. 8. V. 11.) This dearth of spiritual food is by the prophets often contrasted with the plenty of Christ's kingdom, abounding with corn, wine, and oil,' symbols used to signify the food of religious knowledge.

As famine in the natural world is productive of pestilence, so is it also in the spiritual. Pestilence is among those diseases of the body, which are most contagious, as well as most fatal to natural life; so analogy directs us to seek for the corresponding calamity among the diseases of the mind, which are most contagious, as well as most fatal to spiritual life. These characteristics both belong to superstition and fanaticism, which moreover flow from spiritual dearth and ignorance, as naturally as pestilence follows famine.

FORNICATION AND DRUNKËNNESS,

In spiritual and prophetic language, seem to be nearly synonymous, as in the expression drunk with the cup of her fornications,' and signify idolatry; thus we find in Judges, Ch. 8. V. 33. and elsewhere,

% The children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim.'

The spiritual Babylon, an idolatrous and persecuting church, is thus represented, as a harlot decorated in purple and scarlet, and drunk with the blood of the saints; while the true church of Christ, the New Jerusalem, appears as a pure and chaste bride, arrayed in white and resplendent linen, expressly called, the righteousness of the saints.' Rev. Ch. 19. V. 8.

THE ALLEGORICAL PARTURITION.

In like manner the mother religion, supposed here to signify Judaism, which gave birth to Christianity, the symbolical male child, that was preordained to rule all nations, is represented by a woman, adorned with the heavenly luminaries, emblems of light and truth. Rev. Ch. 12. V. 1.

Our Saviour, speaking comfort to his disciples, shortly before his crucifixion, used this metaphor. A woman when she is in travail, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.' John, Ch. 16. V. 21.

Applying this metaphor to his disciples, was applying it to his church; and thus we have our Lord's authority for interpreting the allegorical parturition, as typifying the sufferings of the church,

which did not cease till Christianity was finally es tablished in the fourth century.

PROPHETIC TIME,

Is calculated by the Jewish year, which is com posed of 12 months, of 30 days each, or 360 days; being 5 days less than the solar or Julian year, aud when leap year intervenes, a difference of 6 days must be allowed for. This, in a long period, will amount to some thing considerable, as it makes no less than 18 years in the period of 1260, which is thus reduced to 1242. But a still more important point, and one upon which nearly all commentators now coincide is, that the prophetic day means a year, and thus a prophetic year will amount to 360 years. Nor is the sanction of scriptural authority wanting here, for we find in Ezekiel, Ch. 4. V. 5. and 6. as follows.

For I have laid upon thee, the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, &c.—I have appointed them each day for a year.'

It seems also worthy of remark, though the writer has no where met with this observation, that the word which in the Hebrew language signifies a day, frequently occurs in scripture, where it must mean a year, and accordingly is so translated. As in the 1st Sam. Ch. 2. V. 19.

*Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year.'

in the original signifying literally from day to day.

HORSE AND RIDER,

Taken in conjunction, these symbols are manifestly an emblem of progress; but the nature of the progress announced by them, depends upon the adventitious circumstances.

Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.-Psalm 45. V. 3 & 4.

The purport of this splendid passage cannot be mistaken, and is understood as a prophetic allusion to the same subject, as that announced by the rider on the white horse in the Apocalypse.

The white horse being used to grace the pomp of triumph, while his rider is armed with the bow, and decorated with the crown, unequivocally denotes triumphant career and success; spiritually applied, the success of the gospel of Christ.

The red horse, and his rider armed with the sword, simply announce slaughter and bloodshed ; but spiritually interpreted, these signify religious strife and discord.

The black horse, with his rider carrying a yoke, and the accompanying voice that proclaims famine, denote the progress of spiritual darkness, dearth, and bondage.

The livid-green horse, and his rider Death, followed by Hell, distinctly declare the progress of sin, which is spiritual death, or the death unto righteousness,' of which hell is the award or consequence,