of struggle that first wrought the Church into vigorous virtue.

But the prophecy to the Asiatic Churches does not demand much elucidation of this nature. It is chiefly unconnected with facts. Its purpose too closed with paganism. The age was not yet come, when Christianity was to form a great moving power of the system of nations. Its state was almost unvaried; and the events of Roman History during those centuries exercised no other influence upon the Church than the greater or less severity of a persecution that never wholly died. What was it to Christianity whether the lash was brandished by a Cæsar, or an Usurper, when the stripes were the same from all? The only references made in such a prophecy would probably be to some extension of the sphere of suffering, or to some more remarkable period of its violence. And such are made. It is declared, that the persecution shall spread to all the congregations of the empire. The hour of temptation* is predicted, "which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." It is also predicted, that there shall be a peculiar epoch of suffering. "Ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death."‡ Both had their completion.

The persecution did actually spread through all the congregations of Christianity in the Roman Empire.

There was a remarkable epoch; the attempt at the extirpation of the Christians under Diocletian and Galerius, continuing during ten years, from A. D. 303, to 313; a period pre-eminently marked by the Church Historians as the "ten years' persecution."

Thus, the beginning, the extent, and the only signal variation in the ages of pagan persecution, the increase from partial infliction to general, and from qualified severity to massacre, are marked by the prophe

* Temptation, (paouos,)rial of faith by persecution. †Apoc. iii. 10. + Apoc. ii. 10.

cy.

There is scarcely a ground for particularity of a higher degree in any prediction of the centuries between Trajan and Constantine. Yet, it is left to the reader, whether he will consider this prediction as stretching through the whole period. The only point, which it is of importance to prove, is that St. John here writes of the beginning of the trial under Trajan, and that the expression of "coming quickly" refers to that beginning.

THE

ΤΑ ΜΕΛΛΟΝΤΑ,

OR

FUTURE.

The Apocalypse is henceforth a fasciculus of predictions, explaining each other by their parallelism. The same events are frequently repeated, as in the prophecies of the Old Testament; but under different points of view. Apparently for the purpose of introducing order into those involvements and repetitions; three regular series of periods are given :-the Seals, the Trumpets, and the Vials. The first two immediately in the commencement of this portion of the prophecy; the third at a certain distance, being preceded by some chapters necessary to its elucidation. In the following table a general view of the three series is given. The seals commence with the close of the great Persecution in the fourth century, and comprehend the whole course of Providence down to the consummation of all things. The Trumpets and Vials commence with the close of the great Persecution in the thirteenth century, are contemporaneous, and typify the punishments visited on the chief persecutors of the reformed.

THE PROPHECY OF THE SEALS.

CHAPTER IV.

Verse 1. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show the things which must be hereafter.

2. And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

4. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

7. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

9. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

10. The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

INTERPRETATION.

The purpose of this chapter and the following is to authenticate the connexion of the Jewish and Christian dispensations. The Deity, the God of Israel, as he appeared to Isaiah* and Ezekiel,† is seen combined with the Christian Saviour, and the Holy Spirit, in † Chap. i.

* Chap. vi.

the developement of the Seals, a course of Providence, relative to the Christian Church.

His splendour is imaged by precious stones, a habitual emblem of all that is most magnificent and lumiThe "rainbow" is probably expressive of the Divine mercy exercised in the act of covenant and protection.

nous.

The "Beasts" (Zwa) should be translated "living beings," or, perhaps, from the frequent Scriptural contrast between animal life and the life of the soul, (Vuxn and Zon) "Immortalities." They resemble the Cherubim and Seraphim of Isaiah and Ezekiel; and under the shapes of the lion, the bull, the man, and the eagle, are emblematic of the supremacy, strength, wisdom, and rapidity of Providence. The "Glassy sea," a natural and usual image of tranquillity, signifies the perfect peace of the Church when it shall stand in the presence of God. The Four and twenty Elders," like the four and twenty priests of the courses appointed, two for each tribe, to offer up the sacrifices and supplications of the Jewish people, are the representatives of the Christian priesthood.

A great deal of learned labour has been unproductively expended on the attempt to assign the precise values of those emblems. Such exactness may be beyond us, or, more probably, is unnecessary. It is enough to look to their general purport, of showing that the old dispensation and the new are spiritually the same; that the true believer among the ancient people of God, was but the ancestor of the true believer among the disciples of the Gospel. The Cherubim, the Elders, the Sea of Glass, &c. are those of the temple.

1 Chron. xxiv.

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