Page images
PDF
EPUB

doubts solved, and all their thirst for the knowledge and love of Christ fully satisfied.

Verse 18. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these

things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are writ. ten in this book.

19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book

of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

20, He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly: Amen. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus.

21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen

I testify &c. These are still the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, to all who shall read or hear this prophecy, to all scribes who shall transscribe copies, or expositors who shall explain it ; which should therefore excite our esteem and attention. To interpolate or falsify this divine revelation, or to take away from its contents, will incur the anger of the Lord, and meet with signal punishment hereafter. It shall remain unaltered, as it was completed by St. John under the Lords superintendence, until he comes. The Church at all times has considered the importance of this charge, and complied with its interdiction; the various readings that have been discovered by the most learned and acute critics, except six or seven, are unimportant, and, no doubt, the offspring of careless transcribers. How those will come off, who dispute the divine authority of this book, or such as even revile its contents and its author, I will not determine; but one thing I am certain of, I pray the Lord, that I may never walk in counsel with such men. He who is himself animated by the same spirit, which direc ted the inspired pennian, may know this prophecy by its language, will find its historical proofs sufficient, and be confirmed beyond all doubt by the progress of its accomp

lishment; and he who has not the spirit of Christ, will have no interest in him whether he believes or doubts its inspiration.

Once more the Lord declares, Surely I come quickly, you may rest assured that you will not be deceived, and my appearance will be sudden to you all. St. John answers his Lord by adding the words, Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, and fulfil all your promises to your Church. Finally, the holy prophet concludes by the apostolic benediction, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

May the Lord prepare us and all his Church, for the fiery ordeal so near at hand. May he hasten the coming of his kingdom, and silence all his and her enemies for ever. May the earth soon be filled with his knowledge, as the waters cover the sca; and every nation, tongue and people rejoice in God their Redeemer and be saved.

[ocr errors]

Thus has the hand of Providence supported me to the conclusion of this truly difficult and arduous enterprise. It may truly be said, that of all the inspired pages none are more enveloped in darkness, and none present to the expositors difficulties more insuperable in their nature, or important in their consequences, than the enigmatically obscure, and awfully sublime Revelation of Jesus Christ to St. John the Divine. If my labours do not answer the expectation of the Christian reader, the purity of my motives will at least entitle me to his indulgence. The many points in which this exposition differs from that of other authors, are humbly submitted to the impartial, the liberal and candid scrutiny of the learned. My prophetic chronology, as prospectively exhibited on the maps annexed to the introduction of vol. I, and practically applied through the whole work, is grounded on, and naturally results from the internal order and method of this prophecy. It synchronizes and accords so well in one

epoch after another, with the history of the Church and nations, as wholly to comprise and specifically to intimate nearly all the events of importance during 1746 years! This needs only the examination of the critical historian, and if found true, conviction must result. To some it may appear presumptious, to venture an exact determination of years—but this prophecy when measured on the scale of my new system, determines them itself. Nor do I expect that this calculation will finally be found correct to the exact year, in which the whole scene of the present Economy will be brought to a close; but I presume this inacuracy will by no means exceed more than 6 or 10 years, when the day of ultimate completion shall have arrived. This uncertainty arises in some measure from the indeterminate nature of some items of my exposition; but principally from the uncertainty which still exists in the computation of the Christian era. It was not until after the 530th year after the birth of Chrit, that Christians began to adopt the calculation from his birth, now the vulgar era. It was first introduced by Dionysius exiguus, a Roman abbot. Subsequently, when science revived and the rays of genius illuminated the benighted pages of history, this computation was found devious by several years. Some rated the errour at 31, others at 8 years. Pope Pius VI, had thismatter investigated anew, and it was found that we were not 31⁄2, nor 8, but 6 years too late in our calculations; and consequently now in the year 1818, we should write 1824. This remark is made to show, that all elucidations of prophetical calculation are subjected to the danger of errour, and evince to the reader that the cause of this inacuracy is not to be ascribed to the divine Revelation, but to human frailty.

FINIS

Errata in the first vol. which the riader will please

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

The indulgent reader will please to take notice, that the printers of this volume are new beginners in this bu siness, and might make great improvement in their knowl edge of the English language. To this we attribute, that they often have divided the syllables at the margin, çontrary to rule and grammar. As to the Greek quotations, we must observe, that they could neither obtain the Greek capitals, accents, notis diacriticis nor abriviations, sufficiently to distinguish the critical remarks of the author. As to errours in spelling, we shall only take notice of such, as affect the sense of passages.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »