LECT. XV. CHAP. XII. - Continued. The devil, being cast down in the Reformation, persecutes The second flight of the Church into the wilderness, This brought our pilgrim fathers to America, Eight reasons for the truth of this, A note on their wars with the natives, Designs, measures, and disappointment of Bonaparte, The devil was wroth, and went to make war with the remnant of the woman's seed, &c., The secular Roman beast the same as in Dan. vii. 7, But one beast can exist at a time on the same ground, His two horns and high claims His image made to the first beast, His miracles and tyranny, Objections answered, The mark and number of this beast, Verse 6. The present missionary angel flying, &c., The second and third angels, LECT. XX. CHAP. XIV. -Continued. The harvest and vintage,. The vials given into the hands of the seven angels by an emblem of the gospel ministry, . -CHAP. XVI. The vials, The old scheme of the vials, This, and a following one unsatisfactory, Vial I.-Poured on the earth, &c. The Reformation, LECT. XXII. CHAP. XVI. - Continued. Vial I. Continued, LECT. XXIII. CHAP. XVI. Continued, Vial II. Poured upon the sea, &c. Wars in Italy, for LECT. XXIV. CHAP XVI. Continued. Vial III.-Poured upon the rivers, &c. Wars in other LECT. XXV. CHAP. XVI. - Continued. LECT. XXVI. CHAP. XVI. Continued. Vial V. Poured on the seat of the papal beast, &c. A note, further giving the former insolent claims of the LECT. XXVII. CHAP. XVI. Continued. 288 288 316 LECT. XXVIII. CHAP. XVI. - Continued. The three unclean spirits, &c., The false prophet and popery are the same,-A note, LECT. XXIX. CHAP. XVI. -Continued. Vial VII. Poured into the air, &c. The destruction LECT. XXX. CHAP. XVII. The papal harlot on the beast, A sketch of his rise in the Voltaire system of infidelity, LECT. XXXI. CHAP. XVII. - Continued. Further views of the rise of this beast, -vast enormities, LECT. XXXII. CHAP. XVIII.--Another view given of the descent of Christ, in Chap. x., • 348 LECTURE I. INTRODUCTION. Our Saviour assures us, at the introduction of this sacred book, that "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." Rev. i. 3. We find here our warrant, and our great encouragement, as well as duty, to study the Revelation with devout and diligent attention. I would contribute my mite to the correct performance of this duty, too generally neglected. In this introduction, I purpose to give a concise view of the origin and nature of the figurative language which abounds in it, and in most of the prophetic writings of the Bible; then note the divisions found in the Revelation; and exhibit the duty, benefits, and encouragements, which urge to a devout and diligent study of the Apocalypse. What, then, are the origin and nature of figurative language? This kind of language is a representing of one thing by another; things less known, by things better known; and sometimes the reverse. Things spiritual are often denoted by things natural; as in the bread and wine of the Holy Supper. This kind of language had its origin in early times, and in the want of a literal language. It came easily into use from necessity (which is the mother of invention); and, from the analogies which were found to exist between different things, it was found to be easy and natural to take the properties of one thing to represent those of another. People of very limited knowledge of words, wishing to communicate their ideas (such as they were), attempted to do it by such means as they found within their power; and those were, figures bor B |