fuits of private intereft, who never spend a moment of thought about eternity, nor fcarce ever address their God and Creator in a fhort prayer? And is not this the general course of life of the present generation of mankind? Certainly then, due care should be taken, to prevent as many of the new rifing race as poffible from being infected by this peftiferous corruption, and to prepare them to be enrolled in the lift of the few elect of the approaching time. When a tide of irreligion and infidelity has broken in, and is feen to fwell every day, what wonder if the period approach, when God will bring all to the teft, and try them as metal in a fiery furnace, in order to difcriminate between the good and the bad, and to separate the found from the unfound grain? The few that will remain firm and ftaunch under all temptations and perfecution, will shine with great luftre in thofe days, when the bulk of mankind wil fuffer themselves to be feduced fo far, as to go over to Antichrift, adore him as a God, and renounce their Creator, their religion, and their own conviction. Notwithstanding the great power of Antichrift, and his faculty of performing furprising wonders, the fmall body of the faithful will bear away the palm of victory, by their conftancy in maintaining the cause of God at the expence of their lives, and by their fortitude in not yielding to promises, threats, or torments. And thus the fruit of their perfeverance will be, to fee their victory completed, and the cause of religion fully vindicated, by the juft judgments of God upon the impious, when he will exterminate in the most public and terrible manner that fatanic man, Antichrift, with his affociates, and will extirpate idolatry from the earth, and restore peace to his Church.

To these reflections we fhall add one remark, that of the fix Vials of the wrath of God hitherto confidered, three, namely, the firft, third, and fixth,

are

are poured out for the punishment of idolaters, and the other three, viz. the fecond, fourth and fifth, for the punishment of heretics.

VII.

The feventh Age is the laft and longeft of all. It is the age of eternity. We fee it ushered in by the tremendous fcene of the general judgment of mankind; of whom a part are admitted into the ·Heavenly Jerufalem or everlasting blifs, and the other or greater part are doomed to fuffer inexpreffible torments for all eternity in the lake of fire and brimftone. Whoever will take the pains to meditate a little on the great disparity of these two ftates, will certainly be moved, if he has not loft all fenfibility, to use his utmost endeavours to gain the one and prevent his falling into the other. Both the happiness of the faved and the torments of the damned far furpass indeed our conceptions; but if they be even confidered only in a general view, who would not fhudder at the thought of being condemned to an eternal prison, to devouring flames that will never be extinguished? Which of you can dwell with devouring fire? which of you shall dwell with everlafting burnings? Ifai. xxxiii. 14. And on the other hand if we reflect on the poffeffion of God, the fource of all delight, joy, and felicity; with which we fhall be filled according to the whole capacity of our being, and this without ever the leaft interruption or allay, are we not tranfported with the most vehement defire of attaining fuch a happy flate? They shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of thy pleafure, Pfalm xxxv. 9. To this all-happy ftate let us then by our good works make our election fecure. Let us fpare no pains for it during the short period of our existence here. The recompenfe will infinitely exceed our labour, and the time of our labour bears no proportion to eternity. CONCLUSION

302

CONCLUSION.

Thus have we feen the whole hiftory of the Church of Chrift, traced from her birth through her various difficulties and trials, through her perfecutious from idolaters and convulfions by herefies; under all which the fhone bright like the fun by the vigour of her faith and fortitude: nor was it in the power of hell and earth, though combined together, to crush her or hinder her growth. We have had a view of the admirable economy, according to which Chrift rules this his Church, we have feen the special care with which he protects her, and with what feverity he punishes those who dare injure her. By thefe means he, makes her triumph over all her enemies, even in this world: and her victory will be finally crowned with that tranfcendent and ineffable glory to which she will be raised at that period when time fhall be no more.

Hence it appears that, if to the history of the Apocalypfe we add the books of the Old Teftament, there rifes a general hiftory of the Church or people of God through the whole period of the existence of mankind. The book of Genefis gives us the creation of the firft man; and his hiftory with that of the Patriarchs and the Ifraelites is related in that and the fubfequent books of the Old Scripture, with fome fhort intervals of interruption, down to the birth of Chriftianity. Then begins the Apocalyptical account of the Chriftians, fucceffors to the Jews; which carries on their history to the end of time and even to their migration into the heavenly Jerufalem, where it places them in the unchangeable state of never-ending blifs.

Nothing further now remains but to request, that this present hiftory may be received by the readers in that view for which it is intended, namely, for their inftruction. They are now become fenfible, we presume, of the utility of ftudying the Apocalypfe. And what indeed can

be

be more exprefs on that head than the declaration of Chrift himself, which we beg leave here to repeat: Bleed is he, that readeth and heareth the words of this Prophecy: and keepeth those things which are written in it, Apoc. i. 3. And again: Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the Prophecy of this book, Apoc. xxii. 7. That this advice may be attended to is our fincere with, and here we close the present work with the bleffing delivered in the last verse of this admirable prophecy: The grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift be with you all. Amen.

In the preceding explanation the different parts of the Apocalypfe having been related in a tranfpofed order, we here fubjoin the whole text by itself. And at the end of each verfe the page is marked where that Verfe is explained; except with regard to the fecond and third chapters, which not appertaining to the general hiftory of the Church, have not been explained.

THE

APOCALYPSE OF ST. JOHN

THE

APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST.

CHAP. I.

THE Revelation of JESUS CHRIST, which God

gave unto him, to make known to his fervants the things which must shortly come to pafs and fignified, sending by his Angel, to his fervant John, See p. I.

2 Who hath given teftimony to the word of God, and the teftimony of JESUS CHRIST, what things foever he hath feen. P. 1.

3 Bleffed is he, that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy and keepeth those things which are written in it. For the time i at hand.

P. 3

4 John to the feven Churches which are in Afia. Grace be unto you and peace from him that is, and that was, and that is to come, and from the feven fpirits which are before the throne, P.

4.