with the wickedness and ruin of his enemies, are set forth in so striking and peculiar a manner, that even those who do not at all understand the prophetical meaning, are interested and edified by reading it, in proportion to the degree of their humility, faith, and piety.' Scott. The eloquent Saurin remarks, "This is a very mortifying book to a mind greedy of knowledge and science; but one of the most satisfying to a heart solicitous about maxims and precepts." The Revelation is divided into twenty-two chapters, containing four parts. Part I. The introduction, contains a dedication to the seven churches in Asia Minor, ascriptions of glory to God, and a description of the glorious vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, with which John was favoured in his exile, ch. i. Part II. Contains the seven epistles to the churches, ch. ii. iii. 1. To the church at Ephesus, ch. ii. 1-7. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Smyrna, ver. 8-11. Thyatira, ver. 18-29. Part III. Describes several wondrous visions which the apostle beheld, ch. iv. v. 1. Of the Divine Majesty enthroned in glory, surrounded with angels and the heavenly church, in the exercise of sacred worship, ch. iv. 2. Of the Lamb, who alone was worthy even to look upon the volume of God's decrees, which, as a sealed book, is given to Him; and who, on that account, receives the adoring acclamations of the whole choir of saints and angels, equally with him who sat on the throne, ch. v. Part IV. Includes the remainder of the book, from ch. vi. to xxii. referring to the condition of the church in all succeeding ages, to the consummation of blessedness in the world of glory. This part of the book relates to seven distinct periods of the church, the revolutions of which the apostle describes. Period I. The opening of the seals of the book, ch. vi.—viii. 1. 1. Seal opened, exhibits a white horse, ch. vi. 1, 2. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. a red horse, ver. 3, 4. a pale horse, ver. 7, 8. Six of the seals having been opened, John beheld the heavenly church of 144,000, sealed, and innumerable multitudes from all nations blessing God and the Lamb for their salvation and glory, ch. vii. 7. Seal opened, exhibits a universal silence,-to introduce Period II. Which is that of the trumpets, ch. viii. 2-13.-x. The vision of the intercession of Christ, ch. viii. 3—5. Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth ver. 8, 9. The sixth angel having sounded, John had a wonderful vision, which he relates, of a mighty angel bringing him a little book, as a commission to prophesy to all nations, ch. x. Period III. Is distinguished by a series of representations, ch. xi.-xix. 1. The temple, altar, and worshippers of God measured, ch. xi. 1, 2. 2. The two witnesses commissioned to prophesy 1260 days, ch. xi. 3-6. 3. The beast fights against and kills them, but they rise again and ascend to heaven, ch. xi. 7—14, 4. The seventh trumpet sounds, and glorious things follow, ch. xi. 15—19. 5. The church described as a woman clothed with the P sun, whose man child is persecuted by a dragon, ch. xii. 1-6. 6. Michael overcomes the dragon, Satan, and expels him, which causes great joy in heaven, ch. xii. 7-12. 7. The dragon persecutes the church on the earth, ch. xii. 13-17. 8. The vision of a wonderful beast rising out of the sea, to which the dragon gives power, ch. xiii. 1—10. 9. A second beast, by which all are compelled to worship the dragon, ch. xiii. 11—18. 10. A vision of the Lamb, on Mount Zion, with 144,000 of his elect; and the heavenly church celebrates the happiness of the faithful, ch. xiv. 1—5. 11. A vision of an angel flying to preach the gospel to all nations, and to denounce judgments from God on the beast and his worshippers, ch. xiv. 10-20. 12. A vision of the angels with the vials of plagues, and of the heavenly church rejoicing in the righteous government of God, ch. xv. 13. The vials of divine wrath poured forth upon the enemies of God and of his church, ch. xvi. 14. The vision of the mystical Babylon, ch. xvii. 15. The overthrow and utter ruin of Babylon, and the miseries of the wicked, ch. xviii. 16. The triumph of the heavenly host over the desolation of Babylon, ch. xix. 1—10. 17. The conquest of Christ over the enemies of his church, ch. xix. 11—21, Period IV. Exhibits an angel binding Satan during the happy millenium of the church, ch. xx. 1—6. Period V. Exhibits Satan loosed for a season, and his vain attempts to re-establish his tyranny over the minds of mankind, ch. xx. 7-10. Period VI. Exhibits the general resurrection, the universal judgment, and the everlasting misery of the ungodly, ch. xx. 11—15. Period VII. Exhibits a vision of the New Jerusalem, with the felicity of the redeemed, in all the magnificence and grandeur which human language can express, ch. xxi. xxii. 1-6 1. The angel attests the truth of these things, ch. xxii. 7-9. 2. Christ himself shows the apostle that the state of men will soon be unchangeably fixed; declares who shall enter heaven, and who shall be excluded; urgently calls upon men to accept his salvation, and denounces plagues on those who alter or abridge the words of this prophecy, ch. xxii. 10-19. 3. The apostle closes with his benediction, ch. xxii, 20, 21. CH. IV. HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS. THE following concise harmony of the gospels is revised and corrected from that of the late Rev. John Brown. It is presumed that it will be found useful to the reader. By this means the subjects are exhibited at one view, with all their concurrent circumstances, as evangelists. I. Luke's preface. II. Christ's divinity III. John Baptist's birth, and Christ's foretold. IV. Mary in danger of being put away V. Christ's birth... VI. VII. recorded by the several ........ ii. pedigree both by Joseph and his mother. circumcision VIII. The wise men from the east seek Christ IX. Christ hears and questions the doctors X. Ministry of John XI. Christ baptized.. ......... .......... ii. 1-20. iii. 23-38. ii. 21-40. -41-50. iii. 1-18. - 21, 22. iv. 1-13. i. 6-8. XII. tempted XIII. John's testimony to Christ i. 15-36. XIV. Christ's first miracle XV. discourse with Nicodemus iii. XVI. John imprisoned xiv. 3-5. vi. 17-20. iii. 19, 20. XVII. Christ converts many Samaritans. iv. XVIII. preaches in Galilee iv. 17. i. 14, 15. iv. 14, 15. XIX. at Nazareth. XX. Christ at Capernaum.. iv. 13-16. 16-30. i. 21-45. viii. 5-17.) XXI. heals a man sick of the palsy ix. 2-8. ii. 1-12. v. 1-16. XXII. calls Peter, &c. iv. 18-22. i. 16-20. XXIII. Matthew, and dines with him ix. 9-17. ii. 13-22. 1-11. 27-39. |