signs of the times, with the prophecies of Christ and his inspired servants. Not only the watchmen on the walls of Zion should feel concerned, to form correct ideas of the prophetic declarations; but all, who may be taken unawares, as a thief in the night. The children of God will always have their share in the sufferings, inflicted on an unbelieving world. They shall be purified and tested; but the wicked shall not understand, and shall fall, by thinking themselves secure and strong, without knowing their weakness and danger. Dan. xii. 10.

III. Our Lord reproved the Jews of his days, for not taking notice of the prophecies then receiving their completion before their eyes. "O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" Matth. xvi. 3. He charges his disciples, John xvi. 14. "These things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them." "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." Mark xiii. 22.

IV. The beloved apostles of Christ, believed it a duty incumbent on them, to give solemn warning to the churches of perilous times and great temptation; wherefore they often speak of the latter times. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, “that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." 1 Tim. iv. 1. and 2 Tim. iii. 1. “This know also, that in the latter days, perilous times shall come." And 2 Pet. ii. and Jude 17. these apostles speak in the same manner concerning the last times, as being dangerous, and give forewarning of heretical doctrines, which should then be brought in by false prophets. 2 Pet. iii. 1-4. "This is the second epistle I now write to you, that you may be mindful of the words, which were spoken before, by the holy prophets that there shall come in the last days scoffers, saying, where is the promise of his coming?" And

2 Thess. ii. 5. "Remember ye not, that I told you these things, when I was yet with you." And St. John says, 1 Epist. ii. 18. "Ye have heard, that Antichrist shall come," chap. iv. 2. "Ye have heard, that the spirit of Antichrist shall come." From these testimonies we may safely conclude, that the apostles gave solemn warning to the Christians of their days generally, of perilous times, both in public discourses and private converse; exhorting every one, carefully to discern and compare the signs of the times with the prophecies, and to observe their duty. Though we ought always, to consider it our first obligation, to seek the kingdom of God, and his righteousness-to be reconciled through the blood of the everlasting covenant; yet, if the apostles believed it necessary for the Christians of their days, to consider this word of prophecy, how much more will it be our duty, who live in those very times in the last and most perilous part, of which they have spoken.

V. Of all the books of the New Testament, the Revelation is alone expressly prophetic, and prefaced with this animating admonition: "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things, which are written therein; for the time is at hand." Repeatedly we are called upon throughout this whole prophecy; "he that hath an ear, let him hear-let him, that readeth understand-blessed is he, that keepeth the say-. ings of the prophecy of this book-seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book." Here then it is made our solemn duty and interest, to attend to the words of the prophecy, and their accomplishment in the signs of the times, more particularly to the Revelation.

The Revelation of St. John has in all ages of the Christian æra, been the wonder and mystery of the world. Its language and style, constructed on the symbolic principles of the ancient hieroglyphics, replete with sublime and figurative terms, will always fill the mind with amazement. The deep interest of all in these predictions, concerning the

prosperous and calamitous events of the church, and of those kingdoms and empires connected with her, attracts the attention of the thoughtful in an imperious manner to the sense, which these lofty images are intended to convey. Great minds are naturally inclined to inquire into objects of importance, however intricate or profound they may be; and here they were presented with a world of matter, which will employ all their powers in its investigation.

This subject however, has always proved to be an arduous undertaking. It is certainly of all scriptural prophecies the most intricate, and the most difficult to explain. We have many works extant, in every language of christen dom, on this important revelation of Jesus Christ to his church. And though I feel a sincere respect for the learned labours of those profound scholars, both professional divines and laymen; yet I humbly conceive, only a few of those authors, have written from an entire conviction of the truth and certainty of their own explanations, and to the satisfaction of judicious readers. It was not for want of abilities, natural or acquired, that those great and good men remained in the morning dawn of light. The signs of the times had not yet appeared, which have since thrown more light on some of the principal prophecies, by which others of inferior magnitude are regulated, as to the time and manner of their completion.

The Lord has caused a cloud of obscurity to rest on this book, in order to hide his eternal counsels from the scrutinous eye of vain curiosity. Its profound contents are surely a river of living water, flowing from the throne of God; where a lamb may drink and be satisfied, and where the stature of an elephant would be insufficient to pass over. As all souls are his, Ezek. xviii. 4. He has also in this memorial of his love provided nourishment, comfort and advice for all; whatever their different states and ages in grace may require. John ii. 12-13. The Epistles to the seven churches in Asia minor, are easy to be understood, and

have been of general utility to many souls. How often have they roused the lukewarm, confirmed the pious, and strengthened the weak! Even Martyrs have called them to remembrance, as matter of great comfort in their dying agonies, under the axe, the cross, and the stake.

This degree of obscurity, which attends the major part of the Revelation, proceeds in some measure, from the nature and circumstances of prophecy; and partly from the highly figurative language, in which the prophecies are conveyed. In some parts of this book, it may also proceed from the spiritual sense of the letter, referring to objects in the invisible world, above the sphere of our comprehension.

The language is hieroglyphic and emblematical. By using this expression, I do not mean to conduct my readers to the secret language of the Egyptian priests, who governed both church and state, and kept their records, in delineated characters, drawn from the figures of animals, or other objects in nature to express their ideas, which none except themselves understood. They retained this mode of writing from a high reverence for Hermes Trismegistus, who, they say, was the inventor of it; and whose disciples they acknowledged themselves to be. In the same manner as the Roman Catholics retain the Latin language; the Nestorians and Monophisites; the Syriac ; the modern Egyptians; the Coptic; the Abyssinians ; the Ethiopic, as the languages of worship and religion; because they had become sacred among them, by being in use for many centuries.

No, the symbolic is not exclusively the style of the Egyptians. It never claimed Egypt for its fountain head; since the Egyptian hieroglyphics in general, bear litle resemblance to those of other nations, and therefore ought not to be explained solely from that source. It is the style of all Asia; the most ancient literature; and we may say, the language of nature. Every thing in antiquity was symbo

lic and allegorical; and this style delights the imagination, pleases and improves the mind of even the weakest capacities, more than any other. A lion, is the hieroglyphic of strength and fortitude; a steer of agriculture; a horse, of liberty and speed; a sceptre, of royalty; an eye, of the Deity; a serpent, in a circle with variegated spots, of the universe. So the symbol of two hands united, signifies peace, darts, denote war; and the lines which joined these figures, express short words and phrases.

Besides this simple mode of hieroglyphics, the Asiatics also had a mixed sort of emblematical representation of enlarged and extensive import; by which they implied whole countries, kingdoms, empires, and the character of nations, religions and governments. They would draw a compound figure, from the outlines of different animals or other objects in nature, to express historical facts, or convey information of doctrines and morals. Thus the principal characters of church and state, are called by the names of the heavenly luminaries; empires, kingdoms and republics, are signified by mountains, hills and islands; all mankind, by the ocean; and commotions of nations, by the waves of a tempestuous sea, or by the eclipses and extinctions of celestial bodies. Of all the prophets, St. John makes the most frequent use of this language in his Revelation.

But besides this emblematical style in a general view, the natural signification of many words in this prophecy alludes to customs, tenets, and manners of times and places of remote antiquity; which are now either obliterated by time, or rarely understood, except by men versed in that kind of literature. By far the greater part of the figures, and images of the Revelation, are borrowed from the sacred writings of the prophets; particularly of those, who have written during the captivity of the Jews, and since their return to the holy land. At the waters of Babylon, the Israelites had access to the religious and philosophical tcnets of Chaldean wisdom; where Daniel held the first sta

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