"and the contests for these worldly advantages were "but too often carried on with the greatest ani"mosity, under pretence of contending for the "faith"."

The six first seals having been now opened, and their contents exposed, and appearing to contain an unity within themselves; before we proceed to new matter, let us review them. They contain, according to this our interpretation, a short, rapid, and general sketch of the progress of Christianity, from its establishment to the end of time; from the first, to the final, coming of our Lord. (1.) We see this Religion setting forth in purity, with primitive piety and charity, in which array we are assured it shall prosper, both at its first outset, and at the last. But between these two periods, of commencement, and of final victory and prosperity, there are intermediate ages: and in the progress of the Church through these, the form of Christianity changes; she is no longer the same; for, (2.) a fire-coloured hue succeeds to white. Unchristian animosities and contentions, then becoming general, proceed even to mutual bloodshed and slaughter. (3.) The form changes again, and for the worse.. Under the cover of dark ignorance and superstition, the agents of the enemy fix a yoke of unauthorized observances on the necks of the disciples, and thereby make the passage easy for (4.) another and still more fatal change, when true Religion is so completely banished from that which bears the name of the Christian Church, that they, who continue to practise it in its purity, become objects of hatred and of persecution

Bishop Lowth's Visitation Sermon, 1758.

to

to the powers ruling under the Christian name. (5.) Then comes the cry of the Martyrs, bursting forth from this persecution, and continuing through a long period. (6.) But the day of Divine vengeance, although delayed, will come; when they, who have the mark of true Christian faith and purity, shall be saved triumphantly from the never-ending calamities which shall overwhelm their enemies, the enemies of Christ.

Such appears to be this general outline of the Christian history. Many important intervals remain yet to be filled up, under the seventh seal, which will be found to contain all the prophecies remaining; and, 7 by tracing the history over again, to supply many events which were only touched upon before. This method of Divine prediction, presenting, at first, a general sketch or outline, and afterwards a more complete and finished colouring of events, is not peculiar 9 to this prophetical book. It is the just observation of Sir Isaac Newton, that "the Prophecies of Daniel are "all of them related to each other;" and that "every following prophecy adds something new to the 1 "former*." We may add to this observation, that the same empires in Daniel are represented by various types and symbols. The four parts of the Image, and the four Beasts, are varied symbols of the same Empires. The Bear and the He-Goat, in different visions, represent the same original: and so do the Ram and the Leopard. We are not therefore to be surprised, when we find the same history of the Church beginning anew, and appearing under other, yet corresponding types; thus filling up the outlines which had been traced before.

the sele

APOCALYPSE, &c.

The opening of the seventh Seal, and the Commission to the Angels with the seven Trumpets.

μάτων ταῖς προ σευχαῖς τῶν ἁγίων ἐκ χειρὸς τῇ ἀ[γέλε, ἐνώπιον τῇ Θεό. 5 Καὶ εἴληφεν ὁ ἄγ · γελᾶ τὸν λιβανω τὸν, καὶ ἐγέμισεν αὐ τὸν ἐκ τῦ πυρὸς τῆ θυσιατηρία, καὶ ἔβα λεν εἰς τὴν γῆν καὶ ἐγένοντο φωναὶ καὶ

βρονιαὶ καὶ ἀςραπαι

the angel, before God. 5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast to the earth; and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquake.

ascended up before

God, out of the an5 gel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

και σεισμός.

Ver. 1. There was silence in heaven, as it were half an hour.] Upon the opening of each of the former seals, a significant action had immediately commenced. Under the four first seals, voices from heaven, from the place of representation, had invited the Prophet to "come and see." With the fifth seal, the voices of the Martyrs had been heard. The opening of the sixth seal had been directly followed by a representation of action the most tremendous, accompanied and explained by voices, during which the prophecy seemed to extend even to the great and last day of recompense. Now, upon the opening of this seventh and last seal, no voice is heard, no representation immediately ensues. An aweful silence suspends the gratification of curiosity. After a solemn pause, preparation is made for a new kind of exhibition; the seven angels come forth.

This silence in heaven has been supposed to express, or at least to allude to, that custom of the Jews, whereby they joined their silent prayers to the offering of the incense. But this silence takes place before the time of incense; before the angel takes his station at the

altar.

altar. And there is an intervening action between the fre un silence and the offering of incense, namely, the pro

cession of the seven angels; each of whom is presented with his trumpet. This silence, therefore, though it may bear a certain degree of allusion to the templeservice, and may even be supposed to continue during the service which follows, seems to be exhibited for another purpose; to denote, as it appears to me, a change, in the mode, or in the subject of the prophecy; to disunite the succeeding scene from that which had gone before; to unfold a new chain of prediction. The connexion, which had hitherto united the seals, is broken; the seventh seal stands apart; and then produces a new method of representation, and a new series of events, to which the silence in heaven, and the offering of incense, are preparatory. But if a new series of events is to be exhibited, whence are we to expect that it will take its date? Under the sixth seal, preceding this which contains the trumpets, the rapid sketch of the Christian history was brought down to the last great day of recompense. Where then are we to expect that this renewed history will begin? From the earliest times of Christianity, or, to speak more properly, from the period when our Lord left the world in person, and committed the Church to the guidance of his Apostles. From this time, the first seal takes its commencement; from this also the first Trumpet. This is the beginning, settled by the agreement of divines, of the second advent of Christ, the proper subject of the Apocalyptic Prophecies.

Ver. 2. The seven angels.] These are not the company of angels employed under the preceding seal; for they were four. And this seems to afford an additional argument, that a new kind of representation is to be