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this book. He was in the island of Patmos, a small, barren, and thinly peopled island (of about thirty miles in circumference), in the Ægean fea, or as it is now called the Archipelago. It is fituated about forty miles from the continent of Afia towards Ephefus, and therefore at a fmall diftance from the feven Afiatic churches. Its modern name is Palmofa. Thither the Apoftle John was banished by the Roman emperor Domitian, about the year of Chrift 95.

At that time Domitian carried on a perfecution against the Chriftians, and banished John to this ifland for his attachment to the truths of inspired fcriptures, as the word or revelation of the will of God to man; and for that open teftimony which he gave that Jefus is the Chrift, and the Son of God.

In this perfecuted ftate he ftiles himself, a brother and companion to the Chriftians in Afia, in the three following particulars, in which that moral or fpiritual relation between him and them was founded: ft, In" the tribulation of Jefus

Chrift;" thofe perfecutions to which he and they were both expofed, from the hands of Domitian, for their faith in Christ, and open attachment to his religion. 2dly, "In the kingdom of Jefus Chrift." In the belief, obedience and enjoyment of that truth, righteoufnefs, peace, and joy, which conftitute the kingdom of Chrift.

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And, 3dly," In the patience of Jefus Chrift." In that patience, ferenity and firmness of mind when fuffering for the truth, which Chrift taught, and examplified in his own unparalelled fufferings; and which thofe only poffefs, in whofe hearts the kingdom of Chrift is erected.

Ver. 10, 11.-I was in the fpirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, faying, I am Alpha and Omega, the firft and the last: And what thou feeft, write in a book, and fend it unto the feven churches which are in Afia; unto Ephefus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

John fays "He was in the fpirit." This is the fcripture expreffion for being under the power of divine infpiration. In every paffage of fcripture where this expreffion occurs, it always fignifies that the perfon, to whom it is applied, was infpired at the time. Thus Mat. xxii. 43. "Jefus faith unto "them, How then doth David in spirit call him "Lord?" By looking into the context, the reader will clearly fee that the meaning of that expreffion is, How then doth David, fpeaking by inspiration,

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call him Lord? Rev. iv. 2. "And immediately I "was in the fpirit."-xvii. 3. "So he carried me "away in the fpirit into the wildernefs;"-and xxi. 10." And he carried me away in the spirit, "to a great and high mountain." In all these paffages, the context fully fhews that, by this expreffion, John declared that he was inspired at thefe times. This phrafe is exceedingly expreffive of the nature of infpiration, the thing fignified by it. When a person When a person perceives and feels through the channels of the bodily organs, as we all ordinarily do, he is faid to be in the body. But when perceptions are conveyed to, and impreffions are made upon, his mind by the spirit of God immediately, and without the intervention of his bodily organs, as are done in infpiration, he is with equal propriety faid to be in the fpirit, because the impreffion is made upon him in a way fimilar to that, or probably in the precife fame way, in which one unembodied fpirit communicates its ideas to another, in the feparated state of man's existence after the death of his body, and before the refurrection of the dead. Agreeably to this account of the matter, the infpired Paul giving us an account of a vifion which he faw, and at the fame time being at a lofs to fay, whether it was communicated to him through the' channel of his bodily organs, or by immediate infpiration, fays, 2 Cor. xii. 2, 3. "I knew a man in "Chrift,

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Chrift, above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body "I cannot tell: God knoweth) fuch an one caught

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up to the third heaven. And I knew fuch a

man (whether in the body, or out the body, I "cannot tell: God knoweth.)" &c.

It was on the Lord's day that John was infpired at this time. The first day of the week was fo called in memory of Chrift's refurrection from the dead on that day; and is facred to the worship of God by the difciples of the Lord.

To enumerate the various kinds and degrees of divine inspiration, as they are stated by thofe writers who treat directly of that fubject, would be an unneceffary digreffion. Let it be obferved in general only, that it is unneceffary to attempt a proof of the reality or nature of divine infpiration, to real Chrif tians, because their faith, founded upon facred fcripture, neceffarily pre-fuppofes the belief of it.

But, if any fhould look into this book, who deny divine infpiration; for their fakes, let it be obferved: That that God, who endowed one man with the power of making known his ideas to another man, in fuch a way as to convince him fully who it is that fpeaks to him; certainly muft have a power himself of making his mind known to the men, whom he hath made, and in fuch a manner as to leave them under no doubt, that the communications come from him, Underftand, ye brutish

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"brutish among the people: and ye fools when will ແ ye be wife? He that planted the ear shall he not "hear? He that formed the eye fhall he not fee? "He that chastiseth the heathen, fhall not he cor"rect? He that teacheth man knowledge, fhall "not he know?" What are called natural intellectual powers are as much the gift of God, as infpired communications are. It is God who makes man wiser than the fowls of heaven, and giveth him more understanding than the beafts of the earth. It is God, who maketh one man to differ from another in kind and degree of natural genius. Let not any, then, who must admit that they are indebted to God for their intellectual powers; through a falfe, criminal, and dangerous pride of understanding, be ashamed to acknowledge him for the bleflings of divine revelation. Let them read this book with candour and attention, and the historical detail of facts, in which the predictions of John have been accomplished in a moft minute and striking manner, and in its effects; I truft, and pray to God, they fhall then fee an inconteftible proof of divine infpiration.

In whatever manner God communicates his will 'by inspiration to any man, at any time, we may be certain that that perfon diftinctly perceives what is communicated, and from whom it comes. Infpiration was communicated to the mind fometimes, by impreffions made upon it fimilar to thofe,

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