wards fills up with his colouring and figures, touching and retouching till he has given a finish to the whole. Thus the opening of the six first seals gives an account of the whole state of the church, from the first promulgation of the Gospel to the end of time, and contains the great outline to be filled up the seventh seal introduces the seven angels with their trumpets; the four first of which amplify and improve upon the first four seals, and the three woe trumpets give a still higher colouring to the second, third, and fourth trumpets: the principal figures are then introduced, and fill up the whole picture. Thus a following circumstance is brought forward to expand, to amplify, and set in a clearer point of view, the foregoing. But this mode of arrangement is neither new, nor solely applicable to the Apocalypse; it is common amongst the older prophets, and it is decidedly the mode of Daniel. He gives us in the interpreta

b We are indebted to the excellent work of Dean Woodhouse for the first suggestion of this way of arranging the prophecies of the Apocalypse.

tion of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, a state of the church from the Babylonian captivity to the end of time. In his vision of the four beasts it is the same history within the same period, but much extended and amplified. In the vision of the ram and hegoat, the history is taken up at a later period, but extends to the end of time: then again comes the vision of the king of Grecia, which gives a full and ample account of inany transactions which should intervene between the breaking of the great horn and the rise of the little one, with a further amplification of his character and his end. If then this be the mode of arrangement in Daniel's prophecies, why should not the same mode be adopted in St. John's? For my part I should as soon think of putting the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, the vision of the four beasts, the vision of the ram and he-goat, with that of

C

• How strange that Bishop Newton should so clearly see this arrangement in Daniel's prophecies, and not apply it to the Apocalypse! See Newton, vol. i. page

335.

the king of Grecia, in one unbroken series, as I should of arranging in the same series the seals, the trumpets, and the woes. I shall therefore adopt the same mode of arrangement for both prophets; and on this plan proceed to lay before my reader, in the first place, those prophecies of Daniel which foretell the future state of God's church, and are particularly connected with the Apocalypse. Secondly, those visions of the Apocalypse which seem to be already fulfilled, and are particularly connected with the prophecies of Daniel.

As I proceed in my exposition, I shall not fill out my pages with what others have said; but when I can fully assent to what they have said, I shall but just take the heads of their exposition, and refer my reader to their works.

It will be observed, that I have brought in question the names of two commentators only, that of Bishop Newton and of Dean Woodhouse, the former of whom I consider as the focus to which all the rays of his predecessors have converged, and

from which those of his successors have diverged; so that to attack his system then, is to attack the systems of all those who have misled him, and of all whom he may have misled. To the latter I have made continual reference, as I have built upon a principle of his own devising, though I have been forced to depart widely. from his plan in the course of the work. But I trust that none of my observations on either of these distinguished commentators will be liable to the charge of petu lance or rudeness, or be deemed deficient in that humility and respect which is due from me towards the long-established character of the one, and the eminent talents, profound learning, and exalted station of both.

I shall close this introduction by an observation upon what the sensible and learned editors of the new Family Bible have advanced at the end of their introduction to the Apocalypse. "In consideration, however, of the number of wild "and perhaps mischievous theories con

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cerning the times and persons to which "this opinion has usually led, it has been "thought advisable to restrict the notes "for this work to the long-established

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opinion, that papal Rome is intended by "the Antichristian power." This is wise and good, because in such a work as that in which the judicious editors were engaged, a rash adoption of a new theory might have led to greater errors and worse consequences than what have been felt and acknowledged in the old one. But this is no bar to the humble and temperate enquirer, who thinks that he also may add something to the light of truth. I do not flatter myself, nor do I, perhaps, wish that my theory (if such it is to be called) should be immediately adopted, but I do wish that it may be fairly weighed, and deeply considered, before it be rejected. For though I allow, as every one must allow, that the papal power of Rome forms one branch, and that a considerable branch too, of the power of Antichrist, yet I feel no doubt, that the Mahometan apostacy,