and the temple built on mount Zion at Jerusalem, was the ftated place of public worship for them, during their fettled and triumphant ftate in the land of promife: Hence, in the fymbolical language, the tabernacle fignifies the wilderness, or perfecuted state of the Chriftian church, for the period of the reign of the beaft, from the year 756 to the year 1999; and the temple fignifies the peaceful, fettled, and triumphant state of the church, which fhall commence in the year 2000, and continue for a thousand years. In this fenfe, the tabernacle is used, chap. xiii. 6. In reference to this ftate of the church, the woman is faid to fly unto the wilderness, chap. xii. 14.

In this verse the temple being opened in heaven, fignifies that then the fettled and triumphant state of the church fhall commence. In this fense the temple is ufed, as fhall appear in the commentary, in chapters xiv. 15. and xv. 5, 6, 8. This fettled and triumphant ftate of the church is particularly defcribed in chapters xx. and xxi. and fhall be confidered at full length in the commentary on these chapters. It is remarkable that that period of purity, peace, and triumph, is reprefented in chapter xx. to be of 1000 years continuance, and alfo that from the time when the building of the temple was finished to the birth of Christ was alfo 1000 years, fo that as on other ac

counts,

counts, in refpe& of its duration, the temple is the fymbol of this triumphant ftate of the church. In this hieroglyphic, particular notice is taken of one chief circumftance in that profperous period : "And there was feen in his temple the ark of his "teftament." The ark of the teftament was a fmall cheft, plated with gold, in which was laid up the teftimony of God, that is, the two tables of the moral law of God originally promulgated on mount Sinai. It was placed in the innermoft apartment of the tabernacle and afterwards of the temple, called the moft holy place. On the top of this ark were placed the mercy-feat and the two cherubim; here it was that God manifefted himself and his will, in the oracular refponfes which he made to the high priests when they confulted the oracle of God. The reader may fee a particular account of the ark of the teftament or teftimony in Exodus, xxv. 10,-22, 1 Kings viii. 1,-11, and 2 Chron. v. 1,-10.

The plain meaning of this hieroglyphic is, that, at that period, the church of Chrift fhall appear in a state of peace, triumph, and magnificence. It shall no longer be a tabernacle, but it shall be a temple: Not a temple like the worldly grandeur of the church of Rome, in the preceeding period, not one of human contrivance and execution, like the vain pageantry of heathen temples; 3 G 2

but

but the temple of God, a church whose ornaments are thofe pure and fimple doctrines of truth and grace, which came from God, are worthy of God, and calculated to lead men to God. Then Chriftians fhall not be amufed, deceived, and perverted, by mere external obfervances without communion with God, by falfe atonements and mediators, and by papal bulls in place of the commandments of God; but they fhall fee the mercy-feat guarded by the cherubim; they shall obtain juft views of and repofe a juft confidence in the mercy of God through the mediation of Chrift, that mercy which is guarded by juftice, and that juftice which is the brighteft difplay of Divine mercy. Now they fhall clearly fee that God is juft, even while he is the juftifier of him that believeth in Jefus. They fhall look unto, and regard the teftimony of God contained in those sacred fcriptures, which are given by infpiration of God as the only infallible ftandard of their faith, profeffion, worship, and practice. Notwithstanding all the intereft and inclination which infidels, fceptics, fuperftitious and wicked perfons have had to corrupt or deftroy thefe facred fcriptures, and the many attempts which they have made for these impious and mad purposes, it fhall then appear that the inspired fcriptures have been preserved as fafe, by the fuperintendency of Divine provi

dence,

dence, from deftruction and from any material corruption, as if, like the law given upon mount Sinai, they had been laid up in a golden cheft for preservation. In every religious exercife, they fhall enjoy communion with God. They fhall worship, in spirit and in truth, the one God only through the one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jefus. They fhall pray without ceafing. They fhall afk of God in prayer only according to his will, and he shall hear them. The law of God fhall be written upon their hearts. They fhall not teach every one his neighbour,

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faying know the Lord;" but they shall all know God from the highest to the lowest. Loving the Lord with all their heart, foul, ftrength, and mind, and hating every falfe and wicked way with a perfect hatred, it fhall be as their meat and drink to do the will of God; and God fhall be the ftrength of their heart, and their portion for ever.In every outward fituation they fhall rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of their falvation,

"And there were lightnings, and voices, and "thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” This part of the hieroglyphic is descriptive of a revolution in the earth or Roman empire, (an earthquake) which fhall be brought about by a great ftorm, that is, by a great war. Along with this ftorm mention is made of voices: By this part

of

of the hieroglyphic, it is fignified, that a distinct and articulate meaning fhall be conveyed to men, by those wars which fhall bring about this great revolution. So many circumftances fhall concur in them, as fhall plainly point them out as thofe wars by which Papal Rome fhall be overthrown, according to the predictions of this book. Hence

these wars fhall declare, as with an articulate voice, that the time is juft at hand when the last and greatest revolution fhall take place in Rome; whén Antichrift fhall be deftroyed; the Roman power, feat of government, and name, fhall come to an end; and the myftery of God in the final overthrow of Papal Rome and complete triumph of Christianity fhall be finished under the found of the feventh trumpet.

This revolution, by which Papal Rome shall be totally overthrown in the end of the year 1999, and the wars by which it fhall be brought about, are particularly defcribed in chap. xvi. 12,—21. and fhall be explained in the commentary on these verfes. Here they are mentioned only as it were by the by. But being the principal fubjects of the fixth and feventh vials, they are treated at full length under them. It was proper to mention, and only to mention them here, because the fubject of this trumpet is the beginning of the triumph of Chriftianity over all oppofition; but