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and Titus, by a book fealed with feven feals, as to represent the Babylonish empire when a much greater scheme commenced in Nebuchadnezzar, to Daniel, by a li on, in the reign of Belshazzar? Or even to represent the Roman empire itself by a beaft dreadful and terrible, and having great iron teeth, when that empire had been founded by Romulus, fome generations, if not centuries, before the prophet had this vifion of it ?* Confidering the book which the apostle faw in the vifion, as con

are fallen, it certainly represented | play to Nebuchadnezzar, near the many and great events which ex- commencement of it? In like ifted long before the days of the manner, why was it not as conapoftle; yea, by far the most in- fiftent to reprefent to the apostle, terefting and important events in the reign of Domitian, that which exifted in it, through the scheme of events which commencwhole term of its duration; it be-ed in the conquefts of Vefpafian ing a much longer term from the rife of it to the days of the apoftle, than from the reign of Domitian, or even Nero, to the diffolution of the old Roman empire by the northern nations-a period alfo, in which with its great iron teeth, (it being the fourth terrible beaft of Daniel) it had broken in pieces and fubdued the beafts which were before it-in which it had difplayed its national policy, the military prowess and conquefts of its arms and in which it had paffed the zenith of its power and glory. According to thefe re-taining that series of events which marks, bifhop Newton might have conceded, that the apoftle wrote the Revelation in the reign of Domitian, and yet have applied the vifion of the white horfe and him that fat thereon to Vefpafian and Titus, and fupported the proprie ty of it by fcripture precedents and example.

If it be enquired, does not this fubject the fcripture to the imputation of abfurdity? It may be replied, perhaps not; for thefe are not of the nature of fimple prophecies; but fymbolic reprefentations of important events, or particular great scenes of divine providence and is it not as proper to make such a difplay, in the middle, or at the end, as at the beginning of the scene? When the Babylonish empire was to be reprefented by a lion with eagle's wings, why was it not as proper to make this reprefentation to Daniel, near its destruction; as when it was to be reprefented by an head of gold, to make this difVOL. III. No. 10.

commenced about his time, relating immediately to the Roman empire, by the opening of the feals, and the fymbolic appearan ces confequent upon it, we have difclofed to us, the wars, famines and peftilences, by which God punished the idolatrous per fecutors of his people, until in his holy providence, the empire by a great revolution became Chriftian. We have, Chap. 7. reprefented, by the angel's holding the winds that they fhould not blow, and the fealing of the fervants of God in their foreheads, that peaceful and profperous ftate of the church which fucceeded the converfion of the empire from heathenifm to Chriftianity. We have next, Chap. 8. on the opening of the seventh feal, a vifion of feven angels with feven trumpets prepared to found.

Suppofing the Roman empire to have been founded in the reign of Joafh king of Judah, it was more than 300 years before the prophet had this vifion of it.

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church were, in their completion they would be painful and diftreffing. We come now to the propofed fubject, an explanation of the eleventh chapter. As this is an obfcure part of holy fcripture, the prefent expofitor is fenfible, that for him, an unusual degree of diffidence is peculiarly proper; without deciding therefore upon any fubject, he will only fubmit his general view of it to the confideration of the candid and judicious. This chapter is understood

1. May it not be confidered as a prophetic reprefentation of events, collateral with the preceding vifions and predictions? From the commencement of the pro

By the founding of the four firft, with their effects, are fignified, the calamities with which God punifhed the herefies of the Chriftian empire, and the extinction of it by the irruptions of the barbarous nations. In the conclufion of thefe, we have an angel flying thro' the midst of heaven, and proclaiming woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth and fea, portending the dreadful calamities which would fucceed the founding of the three remaining trumpets. We then have, Chap. 9. the found-by all expofitors to confift of the ing of the fifth trumpet, which contents of the book, which bishop conftituted the firft woe, upon Newton concludes with the 13th which a ftar fell from heaven, the verse; the rest of the chapter bebottomlefs pit was opened, and ing a continuation of the vifions the smoke of it afcended, filled contained in chapter ninth. Conwith locufts; denoting the impof- cerning this little book, admit the ture of Mahomet, the fpread of two following general conjectures. his delufion, and the conquefts and cruelties of his followers the Saracens or Arabians, by which God chaftifed the corruptions and fuperititions of the Chriftian church but not reformed by thefe judg-phetic vifions, or the opening of ments, we have the deftruction of the feals, Chap. 6. to the concluthe eastern empire reprefented by fion of the ninth chapter, we have the fixth trumpet and fecond woe, a progreffive feries of visions, deor the loofing of the four angels noting future events. If, accordwhich were bound by the river ing to commentators, the opening Euphrates, i. e. the removal of of the feals, and the founding of thofe obftructions which impeded the four firft trumpets related to the progrefs of the Turks, and the empire, we fhall find thefe giving them opportunity to pur-prophecies fulfilled within the first fue and extend their conquefts, by fix hundred years of the Chriftian which they fubdued the eaftern era. If we apply the fifth or or Greek empire, and establish-firft woe trumpet, to the Mahomed themselves upon its ruins. etan, and the fecond woe trumpet Thefe vifions being completed, to the Turk, it will bring down the apoftle then had a vision of a the feries of events to the fevenmighty angel with a little book, teenth century. And the fifth which, according to direction, he and fixth trumpets will include the took and ate, remarking, that in extended period of more than one his mouth it was fweet as honey, thoufand years. It is now to be but in his belly it was bitter- obferved, that thefe diftreffing fignifying, that however pleafant fcenes were chiefly opened on the and agreeable thefe revelations of caftern empire; and the fuperftifuture events relating to the tion and voluptuoufnefs of the

about the fame time, and that each will probably terminate about the fame period? According to this hypothefis, we have the Revelation divided into two parts, from the fourth to the feventh trumpet. One part confifting of the fifth and fixth trumpets, containing the vifions or prophecy of the Saracens and Turks. The other confifting of the little book, containing a prophecy of antichriftian idolatry, and the fufferings of God's peo

tem of vifions is renewed by the feventh trumpet, and continued to the end.

Greek church particularly were chaftifed by the wars, cruelties and merciless exactions, of the Saracens ; and fimilar diftreffes with the extinction of the empire by the Turks, were confined to it almost entirely. In thefe vifions no proper notice is taken, only a general hint given of the defection of the western church, by "The rest of the men repented not." There are no diftinct reprefentations of the blafphemy, arrogance, cruelties and perfecu-ple from it; after which the fyftions of the man of fin. Neither are there any reprefentations of the faith, fufferings and patience of those who kept the commandments of God, or the true church, for the extended period of one thousand years. Why might not the spirit of infpiration, on the one hand, to preferve the chain of events, continue the vifions? And on the other, to expofe fuch interefting fubjects, give the apoftle the little book, as a fummary of them, and which, if I underftand its contents, related wholly to them, as a collateral prophecy? So, as the church was divided into the Geeek or caftern, and the Latin or western church, and God's providence extended to each; as in the two trumpets we have the rife and propagation of the fatal delufion of Mahomet, and the calamities with which God punished the fuperftition, formality and vices of the eastern church, by the Saracens and Turks, fo in the little book, we have the blafphemy and perfecutions of antichrift and the fufferings of God's faithful fervants in the western church. Is it not a confirmation of this conjecture, that there is fuch a parallel in their dates, the fpread of Mahometifm, and the confirmed afcendency of the bishop of Rome commencing

2. May not this little book be confidered as an introduction to the feventh trumpet, and a fummary of the fubfequent vifions relating to antichrift? If the judgments which conftitute the third. woe, be not inflicted upon antichrift, we know not where to find them. If they were to be inflicted upon him, without any previous information of him, the feene would have commenced very ab-. ruptly, and be involved in great, obfcurity. To fupercede thefe effects, we have the vifion, making a concise display of him, and . his enormous wickednefs, as the procuring cause of these terrible. calamities, by which the whole procefs of divine providence is made plain, and the infliction of thefe judgments naturally introduced. May we not alfo confider it as a fummary of the fubfequent vifions which relate to this fubject? Will it not probably appear, upon examination, that the fol lowing vifions contained in the Revelation, relating to antichrift and the witneffes, are but fo many expofitory lectures making a full difplay of them, of which this vifion in the eleventh chapter furnifhed the feve al texts? If this

be juft, is there not a great fimilarity between the prophecy of Daniel, and the vifions of the apoftle John? First, Nebuchadnezzar, Chap. 2. faw a great image in his dream, compofed of four different materials, which were interpreted to fignify four great empires which fhould rife, be broken in pieces and fucceeded by the kingdom of Chrift. Then Daniel Chap. 7. had a vifion of four beafts, which were interpreted to fignify the fame four empires, but many fubjects were difclofed in this vifion, relating efpecially to the fourth, which were inveloped in the image. So he had another vifion Chap. 8. of a ram and an he goat which reprefented the fecond and third of thofe empires, and another vifion Chap. 10. difclofing many particulars relating to them, especially to the third, which were unnoticed in the preceding vision, and by which the great revolutions to be effected in divine providence, with the diverfified fcenes of the church to the end of the world, were exhibited to the astonished and fainting prophet; but all the vifions or predictions, contained in the book, were fummarily comprised in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and in the vifion of the four beasts. So the fubfequent vifions, contained in the Revelation, are fuppofed to be only varied views of the feveral subjects exhibited in this eleventh chapter.

Hoping thefe obfervations introduce the propofed fubject, I shall in my next number attempt to give a true explanation of the chapter and as it is apprehended that general remarks will be Jeaft exceptionable and moft to edification, fuch only will be made.

PEREGRINUS. (To be continued.)

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CONNECTICUT EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE..

I

GENTLEMEN,

HAVE been led to view the narratives of religious revivals, with which you have favored the public, in your Magazine, as ftanding among the more important things which compofe that valuable work. By thefe, Zion has been comforted, and the enemy confounded. Religion comes more forcibly recommended to the mind from example, than precept. There is a certain life in the for mer, that is not in the latter. This no doubt is the reason why the book of God is so interspersed with accounts of this nature. In characters, we are taught the nature of virtue and vice from exercife and action; the mind in this cafe, is not perplexed with a chain of theoretic reafoning, but called to look on facts. For thefe reafons, I am a friend to all fuch publications, whether in a greater or lefs degree extraordinary. Compared with other accounts, which you have received, I have little to fay, yet on the score of fovereign grace, and the almighty power of the divine fpirit, in fubduing the finner, I have much to fay.

I can bear the fame teftimony with those that have labored in a larger field, that, with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

In the year 1781, it pleafed God to revive his work among us; a special attention and uncommon ferioufnefs, feemed to prevail in all parts of the fociety; and the happy effects for many years were fenfibly felt. At that season, there were upwards of thirty added to the church. AL ter that, there was nothing special

took place, except in individual | be feen; they were wholly uncafes, for twenty years. During moved, unless with a spirit of opwhich period, the fpirit of vital pofition." The wind bloweth religion was reduced to a very where it lifteth, and thou heareft languid ftate. This will ever be the found thereof, but canst not the cafe without fresh anointings tell whence it cometh, and whithfrom the spirit. er it goeth: fo is every one that is born of the fpirit." God works like himself; whatever course he takes in his providence, or where. ever he rides in the gospel chariot, the moft vifible effects of fovereignty mark his way; confirming his own declaration" And ye fhall know that I am the Lord."

Toward the latter end of March in the year 1801, two or three pious people agreed to meet and pray for a revival of religion among us. This was foon difcovered, and others joined. The numbers increased weekly, and in the May and June following, our meetings became crowded, and the fpirit of God in the conviction of a number, was evidently feen among us. A public lecture was appointed, in which I was favored with the kind affistance of my brethren in the miniftry. Our conferences were attended three or four times in the week; but the moft crowded, and that which discovered most of the power of the fpirit, was on Thursday in the afternoon. During this period, religion appeared not to be a fecondary object, but the one thing needful. Sabbaths feemed too far diftant, and the appointed seasons of conference were waited for with anticipated delight. The work however, was far from being general among the people. There were fome from almoft every part of the fociety; and fome families fo peculiarly diftinguifhed, that it might almoft be faid of them, as of the favored house at which our Lord, when in the flesh, fo often called, that they were all friends to Jefus. To the ferious, contemplative mind, there was a ftriking difplay of the fovereign, difcriminating grace of God. While one family was wholly occupied with the concerns of the feul, perhaps a few rods at the next door, nothing of it was to

It may be noticed, that between these revivals, there had arisen a new generation, and among these was the principal fuccefs of the work. Those who had come to years of understanding before, and refused the offers of mercy, were generally unmoved. And fhould God in fome after period again. revive his work among us, it may be likely fo with those that are now left. The idea comes folemnly addreffed to all, among whom the fpirit of God is moving, left prefuming on a more convenient seafon, like Felix, they neglect the accepted time, and no place in after life be found for repentance. " Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone."

The work, in its early stage, took deep hold of profeffors. They feemed to awake as from fleep, and the profperity of Zion was the object of their united prayers. Love to one another, and zeal for the cause animated them, with but a few exceptions. The ftill fmall voice, has characterized the work from the beginning, without any thing of an oppofite nature.

Among the new converts, an uncommon degree of caution appeared to lead the way to their

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