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churches of Proconsular Asia, are of so peculiarly instructive a character, so full of individual interest, and of practical improvement, that it is impossible to read them with any attention, without being impressed by the invaluable lessons of Christian doctrine and practice, the earnest calls to repentance and amendment of life, and the encouraging promises of assistance and acceptance, which they so abundantly contain. Impressed with these feelings, we trust it will be no unprofitable employment to tread together this hallowed ground, to linger for awhile in this vestibule of the temple of prophecy, and wonder and adore; while ever and anon we catch a passing glance through the thin veil which hangs between, of the things which have been seen, "and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.'

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It is the commonly received opinion, in which Bishop Newton, and Scott, and

a Revelation i. 19.

most of the modern commentators unite, that the epistles, to which we have referred, were merely directions to the seven different churches to which they are addressed; and prophetical, only so far as regarded the fate of those particular churches. Notwithstanding these high authorities, however, we are disposed to believe that while these epistles no doubt contained messages expressly applicable to the churches whose name they bear, they had also a secondary application of a less obvious and literal character: since it is most improbable that in a book, every other portion of which is highly prophetical, figurative, and symbolical, these opening chapters alone should be merely literal and didactic.

We consider, then, that these seven epistles, taken in the order in which they were written, pourtray as types, and possibly predict as prophecies, the different states of the Christian Church,

from the period at which they were penned, through seven successive ages, stretching through all time, and reaching even unto the end of the world. Thus fulfilling the expectation of our text, that we are about to read a very interesting series of types or prophecies, and not merely of spiritual lessons, however useful; and thereby keeping up a close and obvious analogy with all the remaining prophecies, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials, which occupy the larger portion of this astonishing book.

So far, then, as the types in these epistles have been hitherto fulfilled, it will be one of the intentions of these discourses to point out out their accomplishment. Prophecy is every hour changing into history; what was prophecy to one generation, becomes history to their children: thus the Babylonish captivity, for instance, which was prophecy to Jeremiah, was history to

Daniel; the coming of the Messiah, which was prophecy to every generation from Adam to Malachi, was history to the apostles; the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews, which were prophecy to the apostles, were history to the fathers of the Christian Church; while the events which were prophecy to our fathers, have become, by the wonderful facts of the last forty years, history to us.

It is, then, with prophecy which has become history, with types which have been merged in their antitypes, that while on this portion of each of the epistles, we shall be engaged; trusting that so doing, we shall inherit the especial promise of the text, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of this prophecy ;" and praying, that the consideration may tend to excite, both in the mind of him who readeth, and of you who hear, a stronger persuasion of the intimate foreknowledge

and wonderful counsel of God, and of the deep and blessed interest which the Lord Jesus Christ has ever taken, and will ever take, in the well-being of his Church; until He has guided her vessel through all the storms and tempests that await her here, and carried her in safety to the haven where she would be.

Prophecy, however, under whatever shape, will form but a very small portion of our observations. The blessing of the text extends not merely to reading and to hearing, but to "keeping those things that are written therein;" for it is scarcely possible, throughout the whole of the Scriptures of truth, to select a passage SO abundant in warning, so replete with encouragement, above all, so full of practical advice, as are these seven epistles to the churches. Our earnest prayer, therefore, is, that while we but slightly glance at the completion of their prophecies, we may be led to speak plainly, usefully, and affectionately

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