Page images
PDF
EPUB

are contemporary) furnished the occafion of shutting up the two prophecies together in one common term: which, however, had the appearance of being misplaced, till the detection of this fingular contrivance, by means of the fynchronisms, pointed out the use and end of the present disposition [y].

[ocr errors]

[] The reader may form a diftine idea of the method, in which the whole book of the Apocalypfe is difpofed, by observing that it is refolvible into THREE great parts.

The FIRST part, is that of the EPISTLES to the feven churches, contained in the three first chapters, and is not at all confidered by Mr. Mede.

The SECOND part (with which Mr. Mede begins his commentary) is that of the SEALED BOOK, from ch. iv. to ch.x; and contains the fates of the Empire, or its civil revolutions, yet, with a reference, itill, to the state and fortune of the Christian Church.

The THIRD part, is that of the OPEN BOOK, with what follows to the end; and exhibits, in a more mi, nute and extended view, the fates of the Chriftian Church, especially during its Apoftacy, and after its recovery from it.

This THIRD divifion may, further, be confidered as confifting of Two parts. The FIRST contains, in ch. xi, a fummary view of what should befal the

Another

"Another cause of the feeming perplexity in which this Prophecy is involved, is,

Christian Church, contemporary with the events deduced in the fecond part concerning the Empire; and is given in this place, in order to connect the fecond and third parts, and to fhew their correspondence and contemporaneity. See Mr. Mede's Clavis, p. 424; and Comment. Apocalypt. p. 476.

The SECOND part of the last divifion, from ch. xii to the end, gives a detailed account of what should befal the Chriftian church in distinct, and, feveral of them, fynchronical vifions.

It has been thought by fome an objection to Mr. Mede's scheme, "That the prophecy of the open book, (which contains, according to him, all the remaining vifions to the end of the Revelations) is not only, for the jubject, more confiderable, but, for the fize of the volume, larger, than the Prophecy of the fealed book; whereas, the name given to it, ß.Cλæpídior, or little book, feems very clearly to express the contrary."

If this objection be thought material (for I do not find that Mr. Mede condefcends to take any notice of it) it might, perhaps, be obviated by supposing, That the little book contains the xith chapter, only, being a compendium of the third divifion, and inferted in this place to fhew the contemporaneity of the two laft and principal parts; and that all which follows to the end, is to be regarded as a fort of comment on the little book, or larger explication of its contents: As if the defign had been to confult our weakness, in prefenting us, firft, That,

K 4

That, it being expedient to treat the fame fubject in different refpects, and to give

with an abridged view of a great scheme, and, then, in drawing it out at large, for our more diftinct informa

tion.

But the truer answer to the difficulty I take to be, That the jealed book is reprefented under the idea of a book, properly fo called, which, upon being opened, prefents to the eye the feveral objects and fchemes of the prophecy, diftinctly delineated on the roll, or volume, when it comes to be unfolded, and which, therefore, must needs be confidered as a large one. The open book, on the other hand, is to be regarded, not as a real, but metaphorical book; and is not produced to be read or contemplated, after a gradual evolution of it, but to be eaten, at once, by the prophet; like that book to which it alludes, and from which the imagery is taken, in the vifions of Ezekiel [ii. 8. and iii. 1, 2, 3.] -to eat a book, being, in the hieroglyphics, to meditate upon, and to digeft, its contents. So that this book, to distinguish it from the other, is named a little book: not, that the revelations, conveyed by it, are less confiderable, or lefs numerous, than the other, but that the fe, to which it is put, required only that it should be fpoken of, as a book fimply; the diminutive form being here fuggefted in the term Baapidos, that the metaphor of eating it might feem the eafier; and (because the former fealed book was of an immenfe fize) might, under this idea, prefent itfelf the more naturally, and give lefs offence, to the imagination.

different

different views of it, according as two fets of men, the true worshipers and the false, were affected by the fortunes of the Christian Church, this shifting and opposite face of things could not be exhibited together; but was to be fet forth in feveral and fucceffive, though contemporary, visions. Hence, the prophecy is thought to proceed, when, in fact, it ftands ftill, and only prefents another profpect of the fame tranfactions.

But I enter no farther into the mysterious contexture of this book; through which, however, the clue of the fynchronisms, if well purfued, would fafely conduct us. It is enough to my purpose to have fhewn, That, as the Language of the Revelations is intelligible, fo the Method is not involved in fuch intricacies, but that, in general, a regular, a confiftent, and, what is more, a true [z] conception may be formed of it.

[x] I am not ignorant that many interpreters have thought otherwife. But poffibly they have not enough attended to the advice, which Mr. Mede used to give to

Whence

[ocr errors]

Whence no fober man needs be discouraged from reading this book; or will be in danger, I think, of lofing either his wits, or his reputation, in the ftudy of it. For what fhould hinder a book, though of prophecies, from being understood, when its method may be clearly defined, and its language decyphered? Provided always, that we only interpret a prophecy by the event, and do not take upon us to determine the event by a premature construction of the prophecy,

With this Apocalyptic key then (of which fo much has been faid), this key of knowledge, in my hands, it may, now, be expected that I should open this dark parable of the Revelation, by applying so much of it, at least, as refpects Antichrift, to Apoftate Papal Rome. But, befides that there would not, in what remains of this courfe, be fuch of his friends as did not enter into his ideas EXPENDE. My meaning is, that, if they had poffeffed the patience, or the fagacity, to understand this great Inventor, before they objected to him, they would perhaps have feen caufe to acquiefce in the Method, pointed 'out by him, instead of attempting in various ways, and to little purpose, to improve upon it.

room

« PreviousContinue »