far influenced by what had been written by Abauzit and Semler's partizans on the canonical question, that he concluded with Eusebius on reckoning the Apocalypse, not among the undisputed canonical books, but among the avriλeyoμeva. The work of Herder, published 1779,' vindicated with great earnestness and ability the literary merits and beauty of the Apocalypse; indeed with such ability and enthusiasm as to act strongly on the literary German mind: yet vindicated it only as Herder might have vindicated a neglected beautiful Poem of classic origin; not as a work of inspiration. In 1786 Hernnschneider published his Comment on the Apocalypse: explaining it as a Poem describing the three things following ;-viz. the overthrow of Judaism, the overthrow of Heathenism, and the final universal triumph of the Christian Church. This was the model, in respect of general plan, of the more celebrated work of Eichhorn, published shortly after, viz. A.D. 1791: a work of which Professor M. Stuart, to whom I am indebted for this rapid sketch of the German Apocalyptic Expositors of the last half of the last century, thus reports;-that though not equal to Herder's in respect of the perception or the development of æsthetic beauties, it is yet in regard of philology, and real explanation of words and phrases, far Herder's superior: adding, moreover, that it is substantially correct in its exegesis, i.e. in its view of the general tenor and meaning of the Apocalyptic Book; a statement meaning that it is substantially in agreement with Professor Stuart's own views.

Such was the state of Apocalyptic exegesis, (to use the somewhat needlessly Anglo-Americanized Hellenic phrase,) such the different views generally entertained, either in England, where the mental powers seemed all dormant, or in Germany, where those powers seemed all vigorously but badly active, when the thunder-clap of the great French Revolution burst upon a startled world. It was just such an infidel outbreak, tearing and lacerating the Popedom even from its very commencement, as Sir I. Newton had predicted and expected. Was it not the Revolution connected with the sounding of the 7th Apocalyptic Trumpet ?-In England very soon the cry

' Entitled, "Maran Atha, or Book of the Coming of the Lord." Professor Stuart almost warms into enthusiasm in speaking of this book; and at the end of his Second Volume gives a large specimen of it. It seems to me calculated to excite feelings of a very different kind in the devout Christian.

was raised that such was indeed the fact : and the voices of Galloway, and Bicheno,' and Faber and Cuninghame, and others too varyingly mingled together proclaiming it. A voice this which, especially in England, has never since ceased.-Meanwhile the difficulties left by older Protestant Apocalyptic interpreters remaining altogether unsolved, and by not a few interpreters of the same general school new mistakes and errors being multiplied, (very much from the circumstance of the English ecclesiastical literature having been at so low an ebb at the end of the last century,) the Rev. S. R. Maitland, with great acuteness, and not a little of the ecclesiastical learning of the Continental schools, dashed in among Expositors of this class (as it has somewhere been said) like a falcon into a dovecote: and made havoc of those obvious errors with such effect, as to prepare the way in England for the rejection to a great extent of the old Protestant antipapal School of Apocalyptic Interpretation, and the adoption of one on the futurist system; i. e. one that makes all the prophecy to relate to things yet future, as first, or nearly first, suggested by Ribera.—On the other hand, in Germany Alcasar's præterist scheme continued to meet with chief favor. And as this is one of the grand rival schemes that now claim the reader's acceptance, I think I cannot better conclude this Historic Sketch than by placing it before the reader's eye, as drawn up by the learned Professor Hug, professedly from Hernnschneider and Eichhorn: its characteristic view being this, that the two cities Rome and Jerusalem, whose fate (as they would have it) constitutes the most considerable part of the Apocalypse, are only symbols of two religions whose fall is foretold; and that the third, which appears at the end, viz. the heavenly Jerusalem, signifies Christ's religion and kingdom.

7. The modern German Præterist Scheme, as sketched by Prof. Hug. "There are three cities in this book, on account of which all the terrible preparations above, and here below, and all the commotions of

1 Mr. Bicheno, I believe, the first; his "Signs of the Times" being published as early as January 1793. So in his Preface to the 6th Edition in 1808 :-"It was early in the French Revolution that I commenced writing on these subjects; and was, for aught 1 knew, the first who wrote on them at any length." Mr. B. was one who thought too favorably at first of the French Revolution. But the work is very interesting from its evident sincerity and deep earnestness. His eyes were rivetted on the fulfilment, as it went on, of the ten kings desolating the harlot Rome.

the earthly and heavenly powers, take place. One of them is Sodom, called also Egypt; the other is Babylon; and the third is the New Jerusalem, descending from heaven.

The whole affair of the seven Angels with the seven Trumpets, viii-xii, refers to Sodom. But we soon see that this city, long since destroyed, only lends its name to denote another. For in this Sodom our Lord was crucified: ὅπε ὁ κύριος ἡμων εςαυρωθη xi. 8. In this Sodom is the Temple, the outer court of which is said to be abandoned to the Gentiles. Thus it is the Holy City itself, moλiç ayıæ, of which foreign nations will take possession; xi. 1. As two martyrs have perished in it, its destruction is decided; xii. 1. (Josephus the Jew likewise compared Jerusalem to Sodom at the same epoch. Bell. Jud. v. 10.)

After a long episode, in which a matron appears in the pains of child-birth, persecuted by a monster, and after the description of two more monsters, which torment the adherents of this distinguished woman, Apoc. xii, xiii, xiv, the destruction of Babylon also is decided in heaven, xiv. 8.

"The seven Angels with the seven Vials of wrath are appointed to execute the decision, xvi. 17-19; although indeed Babylon had stood for centuries before desert, and amidst but half-distinguishable remains of its magnificence. But this Babylon is built upon seven hills; one opioi ètta' xvii. 9-18. It is an urbs septicollis; a mark of distinction renowned throughout the world, which renders it easy for us to guess the city which is peculiarly intended. But the other criterion that it possesses, the imperium orbis terrarum, Baoiλeia eni Baoiλeiwv tns yns, perfectly assures us, xvii. 18, that this Babylon on the Euphrates is Rome on the Tiber.

Consequently Jerusalem and Rome are the two cities whose destruction is here seen in the Spirit. These cities, however, do not exist in reality as cities, in the poetical composition; but they are images of other ideas. Rome, or Babylon in particular, is by the author conceived to be opposed to the everlasting gospel, evayyeλiov αιώνιον, , xiv. 6, 7, 8. In this opposition to Christianity it could hardly signify any thing but Heathenism: to represent which the capital of the heathen world is most eminently and peculiarly qualified. Hence John farther also describes it with such phrases as were used by the

Prophets, to denote false gods and their worship. It is the habitation of Demons, the seducer to infidelity to the true God; i. e. moрvera: from the cup of whose fornication all nations and kings of the earth drink xviii. 2, 3; xvii. 1, 2, 5.

"If the capital of the heathen world symbolizes the religion of the heathens, we shall easily ascertain what the capital of the Jews represented. What else but the Jewish religion? Therefore Heathenism and Judaism, the two prevailing religions of the ancient world, were destined to perish.

"And what should now succeed to them? A New Jerusalem, the kingdom of the blessed, after this life? (xxi-xxii. 6.) The New Jerusalem is certainly so described; and such is usually considered to be its meaning. But if these cities be religions, and Rome and Jerusalem represent Heathenism and Judaism, the new Sion can only be Christianity; which has an endless dominion, and blesses mankind. This the unity of the whole demands: nor would it be consistent, if the idea of it was compounded of such an unequal representation of its parts, as Heathenism, Judaism, and Eternal Blessedness.

"For what purpose should this kingdom of the blessed afterwards forsake that long-beloved abode in the higher spheres, and in heaven; and descend among men, unless it were an earthly institution? (xxi. 23). It could only descend upon earth as a religion; for the sake of supplying the place of the two former religions.

The previous openings of the graves, and the return of the dead, is here only one of those awfully terrible images, which the prophets sometimes used to represent a total change of things; the revival of the national state, and of the religious constitution of the Jews. (Ezek. xxxvii; Isa. xxvi. 19.)

And if a last judgment also be connected with it, we well know that such also is figuratively convoked by the prophets, for the purpose of executing the punishment of those who have oppressed and ill-treated the people of God; or for the purpose of expressing Jehovah's designs of introducing a new epoch of glory for his religion and his people. (Joel iii. 2; Zeph. iii. 8.) This being admitted, the whole passage of the seven Seals is only an introduction to the three principal descriptions :-to the dissolution of Judaism, to the abolition of Heathenism, and the occupation of the dominion of the world by

the doctrines of Jesus. (v-vii. 2.) For a prophecy, according to the ancient prophetical language, is a sealed book (Isa. xxix. 11): of which the mysteries can only be developed by the Lamb, who is on the throne of God; the co-Regent with Jehovah, in whose hands the events are. Terrible plagues, famine, pestilence, war, and an entire revolution of states impending; from which those however are exempted, who belong to the chosen of the Lamb.

"But the Epistles, which are preludes to the whole as far as chap. iv, are Dedications or Addresses to those communities which were particularly connected with the author in the district of his ministry.

"Then, the Episode (xii, xiii), which follows the judicial punishment of Jerusalem, the Episode relating to that noble Woman who struggles in the agonies of labour, and who is persecuted by the Dragon, (Isaiah's ancient metaphor of idolatry,) exhibits to us Judaism, which is still in the act of bringing forth Christianity; as all the circumstances, and the individual traits in the description prove. But the other monsters which ascend from land and sea, and which are in the service of the Dragon, signify according to very recognizable criteria, the Roman land and sea-forces which protect the dominion of Paganism (xiii. 1—xiv. 6).

"

Opposed to this, after the punishment is executed on Rome (xvii. 1-xviii), another Woman appears on a scarlet Beast. The former Woman, after her new-born child had been taken up to the throne of God, henceforth repaired to the deserts and pathless regions; which is an excellent metaphor of wandering Judaism. But the fate of the latter Woman is not so mild. Her destruction is soon after celebrated in jubilees and triumphal songs. That this typifies idolatry, as the former the Jewish religion, is evident from the representation."

§ 7. CONCLUSION.

Thus have I brought down my Sketch of the history of Apocalyptic Interpretation from the earliest times down to the present day. And, as a result and inference from it, I wish in conclusion to make two observations.