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  1:4  Ro 1:7  16:20,24  2Co 13:14  Eph 6:23,24  2Th 3:18 



           CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

 The obscurity of this prophecy, which has been urged against its
 genuineness, necessarily results from the highly figurative and
 symbolical language in which it is delivered, and is, in fact, a
 strong internal proof of its authenticity and divine original.
 "For it is a part of this prophecy," as Sir Isaac Newton justly
 remarks, "that it should not be understood before the last age
 of the world; and therefore it makes for the credit of the
 prophecy that it is not yet understood.  The folly of
 interpreters has been to foretell times and things by this
 prophecy, as if God designed to make them prophets.  By this
 rashness they have not only exposed themselves, but brought the
 prophecy also into contempt.  The design of God was much
 otherwise.  He gave this, and the prophecies of the Old
 Testament, not to gratify men's curiosities by enabling them to
 foreknow things, but that, after that they were fulfilled, they
 might be interpreted by the event; and his own providence, not
 the interpreter's, be then manifested thereby to the world.  For
 the event of things, predicted many ages before, will then be a
 convincing argument that the world is governed by Providence.
 For, as the few and obscure prophecies concerning Christ's first
 coming were for setting up the Christian religion, which all
 nations have since corrupted, so the many and clear prophecies
 concerning the things to be done at Christ's second coming, are
 not only for predicting, but also for effecting a recovery and
 re-establishment of the long-lost truth, and setting up a
 kingdom wherein dwells righteousness.  The event will prove the
 Apocalypse; and this prophecy, thus proved and understood, will
 open the old prophets; and all together will make known the true
 religion, and establish it.  There is already so much of the
 prophecy fulfilled, that as many as will take pains in this
 study may see sufficient instances of God's promise; but then,
 the signal revolutions predicted by all the holy prophets, will
 at once both turn men's eyes upon considering the predictions,
 and plainly interpret them.  Till then we must content ourselves
 with interpreting what hath already been fulfilled."  And, as
 Mr. Weston observes, "if we were in possession of a complete and
 particular history of Asia, not only of great events, without
 person or place, names or dates, but of the exactest biography,
 geography, topography, and chronology, we might, perhaps, still
 be able to explain and appropriate more circumstances recorded
 in the Revelation, under the emperors of the East and the West,
 and in Arabia, Persia, Tartary, and Asia, the seat of the most
 important revolutions with which the history of Christianity has
 ever been interwoven and closely connected."  History is the
 great interpreter of prophecy.  "Prophecy is, as I may say,"
 observes Bp. Newton, "history anticipated and contracted;
 history is prophecy accomplished and dilated; and the prophecies
 of Scripture contain the fate of the most considerable nations,
 and the substance of the most memorable transactions in the
 world, from the earliest to the latest times.  Daniel and St.
 John, with regard to those latter times, are more copious and
 particular than the other prophets.  They exhibit a series and
 succession of the most important events from the first of the
 four great empires to the consummation of all things.  Their
 prophecies may really be said to be a summary of the history of
 the world; and the history of the world is the best comment upon
 their prophecies....and the more you know of ancient and modern
 times, and the farther you search into the truth of history, the
 more you will be satisfied of the truth of prophecy."  The
 Revelation was designed to supply the place of that continued
 succession of prophets, which demonstrated the continued
 providence of God to the patriarchal and Jewish churches.  "The
 majority of commentators on the Apocalypse," says Mr. Townsend,
 "generally acted on these principles of interpretation.  They
 discover in this Book certain predictions of events which were
 fulfilled soon after they were announced; they trace in the
 history of later years various coincidences, which so fully
 agree with the various parts of the Apocalypse, that they are
 justly entitled to consider them as the fulfilment of its
 prophecies; and, by thus tracing the one God of revelation
 through the clouds of the dark ages, through the storms of
 revolutions and wars, through the mighty convulsions which at
 various periods have agitated the world, their interpretations,
 even when they are most contradictory, when they venture to
 speculate concerning the future, are founded on so much
 undoubted truth that they have materially confirmed the wavering
 faith of thousands.  Clouds and darkness must cover the
 brightness of the throne of God, till it shall please him to
 enable us to bear the brighter beams of his glory.  In the mean
 time, we trace his footsteps in the sea of the Gentile world,
 his path in the mighty waters of the ambitions and clashing
 passions of man.  We rejoice to anticipate the day when the
 bondage of Rome, which would perpetuate the intellectual and
 spiritual slavery of man, shall be overthrown, and day-spring of
 united knowledge and holiness bless the world."
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