commiffioned by the fame God, who had infpired the ancient prophets, to fhow the things which must fhortly be done,' which would very foon begin in part to be fulfilled, and in process of time would be completed.. Be-.. hold, I come quickly,' faith he; for we may obferve that the angel fpeaketh fometimes in his own perfon, and fometimes in the person and character of Chrift, whofe embas-. fador and representative he was. Chrift is faid to come upon any notable and illuftrious manifeftation of his, providence; and all these are but so many steps to prepare the way for his laft coming to judgment. A bleffing too is pronounced, as in the beginning, i. 3. upon those who keep the fayings of the prophecy of this book :' and as good. Vitringa devoutly wilheth, May the Lord bestow this grace and favour on us, who have employed fome time and pains in the study and explication of this book, that fome part of this bleffing alfo may defcend to us!!

8 And I John faw thefethings, and heard them. And when I had heard and feen, I fell down to worship. before the feet of the angel, which fhewed me thefe things..

6 Then faith he unto me See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow-fervant, and of thy brethren the prophets,, and of them which keep the fayings of this book; worfhip God.

10 And he faith unto me, Seal not the fayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

11. He that is unjust, let him be unjuft ftill: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy ftill, and he that is

righteous, let him be righteous ftill: and he that is. holy, let him be holy still.

12. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work fhall be.

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14 Bleffed are they that, do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into, the city.

15 For without are dogs, and forcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whofoever loveth and maketh a lie. 16 IN

d Præftet nobis hanc gratiam Dominus, qui operam aliquam in illjus mediatione colocavimus, et aliqua etiam nobis hujus beatitatis pars obtingat. Vitring. p. 909.

16 I Jefus have fent mine angel to teftify unto you thefe things in the churches. I am the root and the offfpring of David, and the bright and morning ftar.

17 And the fpirit and the bride fay, Come. And let him that heareth fay. Come. And let him that is athirst, come: And whofoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

18 For I testify unto e-very man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man fhall add unto these things, God

fhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19 And if any man fhall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God fhall 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 teftifieth thefe things faith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. E.. ven fo, Come, Lord Jefus..

21 The grace of Our Lord Jefus Christ be with you all. Amen.

St John, ver. 8, 9. teftifieth himself to be the person who faw and heard these things and in his extafy falling into the fame mistake that he had commited before, xix. 10, he is gently corrected in the fame manner by the angel: Who ordered him, ver. 10. not to feal up this prophecy,' as Daniel's was, xii. 4, 9. for the time is at hand,' fome of the particulars would very foon be accomplifhed as indeed all would in their due feafon and order. Which he farther inforceth, ver. 11-15. with promifes and threatenings, of rewards to the righteous, and of vengeance on the wicked. It was not thought fufficient to represent the angel fpeaking in the perfon of Chrift, but Christ himself alfo is introduced, ver. 16. fpeaking in his own perfon, and confirming the divine authority of this book, and attefting it to be properly his revelation. The fpirit and the bride,' ver. 17. that is, the spiritual bride,' the true church of Chrift, therefore receives it, and ardently wifheth and prayeth for its completion. The book being of this importance and authority, a folemn adjuration is added by Christ himself, that no man prefume to add any thing to it, or take away any thing from it, ver. 18, 19. For I teftify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this bock, If any man

fhall

fhall add unto these things God fhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; And if any man fhall 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: Which ought to be seriously confidered by all visionaries and enthufiafts on the one hand who boaft their own inventions as divine revelations; and by all fcepties and infidels on the other, who depreciate the value and authority of thefe predictions. 'He. who teftifieth these things, faith, Surely I come quickly; ver. 20. he not only attefteth them to be true, but will also come speedily to accomplish them; to which St John answers, and in him the whole church, Amen; Even fo, Come, Lord Jefus.' He clofeth all with the ufual apoftolical benediction, ver. 21. wishing the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift' to the churches of Afia in particular, and to all Chriftians in general. The conclufion is truly excellent, as well as all other parts of this book: and nothing could be contrived to leave these things with a ftronger impreffion upon the mind of the readers. In the whole from first to laft, appears the majefty of the divine revealer, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the author and finisher' of every good work, and of this more efpecially.

This, as (Sir Ifaac Newton hath hinted; and as Dr Warburton hath fully proved in some discourses, which it is hoped will be printed one time or other for the benefit of the public,) is that fure word of prophecy, whereunto' Chriftians as St Peter faith, do well to take heed' and attend. St Peter, 2 Pet. i. 16, &c. is afferting and establishing the truth of Christ's fecond coming in power and great glory. For we have not followed cunningly devifed fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty.' One illuftrious proof of his coming in power and glory was his appearing in glory and majefty at his transfiguration, ver. 17, 18. For he received

e Sir Ifaac Newton's Obferv. upon the Apoc. Chap. 1. p. 240. The Bishop hath fince published a difcourfe upon this fubject in third vol. of his fermons; but his fecond lecturer (Dr Hallifax) contradicts him herein, and maintains the Revelation to be written after the death of St Peter in the reign of Domitian.

received from God the father honour and glory, when there came fuch a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.' His appearing once in power and great glory is a good argument, that he may appear again in like manner: and that he not only may, but will, we have a farther af furance of prophecy, ver. 19. We have also a more füre word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that fhineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hears.' St Peter might mean the prophecies in general which treat of the fecond coming of Chrift, but it appears that the Revelation was principally in his thoughts and intentions. Chrift's fecond coming in power and glory is one principal topic of the Revelation. With this it begins, i. 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds: and every eye fhall fee him.' With this it also concludes, xxii. 20. He who teftifieth these things, faith, Surely, I come quickly.' Nothing can better answer the character of the Revelation, especially in St Peter's time when as yet fcarce any part of it was fulfilled, than a light fhining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the dayftar arife in your hearts.' It openeth more and more like the dawning of the day; and the more it is fulfilled, the better it is understood. Afterwards St Peter proceeds, in the fecond chapter, to describe, out of this 'fure word of prophecy,' the falfe prophets and falfe teachers, who fhould infeft the church; and in the third chapter, the certainty of Chrift's coming to judgment, the conflagration of the present heavens and earth, and the structure of the new heavens and earth; and all agreeably to the Revelation. Attention therefore to this book is recommended to us, upon the authority of St Peter as well as of the writer St John and a double bleffing, as we have feen in the book itself, is pronounced upon those who fhall study and obferve it; firft in the beginning, i. 3. Bleffed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep thofe things, which are written. therein; and here again in the end, xxii. 7. Bleffed is he that keepeth the fayings of the prophecy of this book. Emboldened

Emboldened by which bleffings I would humbly pray. with Nehemiah, Nehem. xiii. 22. Remember me, O my God, concerning this alfo, and fpare me, according to the greatnefs of thy mercy.'

RECAPITULATION OF THE PROPHECIES RELATING TO

POPERY.

PON the whole it appears that the prophecies rela

and the most striking part of the Revelation. Whatever difficulty and perplexity there may be in other paffages, yet here the application is obvious and eafy. Popery being the great corruption of Christianity, there are indeed more prophecies relating to that than at almost any other diftant event. It is a great object of Daniel's, and the principal object of St Paul's, as well as of St John's prophecies; and thefe, confidered and compared together, will mutually receive and reflc&t light from and upon each other. It will appear to be clearly foretold, that fuch a power as that of the pope fhould be exercised in the Christian church, and fhould authorize and establish fuch doctrines and practices, as are publicly taught and approved in the church of Rome. It is not only foretold that fuch a power should be exercised, but the place and the perfons likewise are pointed out, where and by whom it fhould be exercifed. Befides the place and the persons, the time alfo is fignified when it should prevail, and how long it fhould prevail; and at last upon the expiration of this term it fhall be deftroyed for evermore. It is thought proper to reprefent the prophecies relating to popery in one view, that like the rays of the fun collected in a glafs, they may appear with the greater luftre, and have the stronger effect.

I. I fay, the Spirit of prophecy hath fignified beforehand, that there should be fuch a power as that of the pope and church of Rome ufurped in the Christian world: and these predictions are fo plain and exprefs, that, was

not