for me to offer, and for Your Grace to receive.

At the same time it affords me an additional pleasure in giving me an opportunity of acknowleging publicly my obligations to your Grace for favors great in themselves, but made much greater by your handsome manner of conferring them, unfollicited, unasked, unexpected. I will not say undeserved, because that would be calling Your Grace's judgment' in question ; but I will endevor to deserve them: and indeed I should think any prefer ment ill bestowed upon me,

that did not incite and animate me more to prosecute my studies, and thereby to prove myself more worthy of Your GRACE's favor and kindness. to,

My LORD
Your Grace's ever obliged

and dutiful bumble servant, Nov. 3. 1958.

THOMAS NEWTON.

200.

Very useful to trace the rise and progress of religi

ons and governments; p. 1. None more wonderful than that of Rome in its success and prevalence ; p. I, 2.

This signified beforehand by the Spirit of prophecy, and particularly in the Revelation; p. 3. The objections made to this book by several learned men; p. 3, 4. This book difficult to explain ; p. 5.

A memorable story to this purpose, of Bishop Lloyd of Worcester; p. 5; 6. This book not therefore to be despised or neglected; p. 6. The right method of interpreting it; p.7, 8. What helps and

affiftances

A 3

4

1

altistances are requisite ; p. 8. Hard fate of the ...best interpreters of this book; p. 9. Great en

couragement however in the divine benediction;

p. g.
CHAP. I. ver. 1, 2, 3 : contain the title of the book,

the scope and delign of it, and the blessing on
him that readeth, and on them that attend to it;

Ver. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8: the dedication to the
seven churches of Asia, and a folemn preface to
Thow the great authority of the divine revealer ;
p. 11, 12. Ver. 9-20: the place, the time, and
manner of the first vision; p. 12--19. The place,
Patmos, whither St. John was banished in the
reign of Nero more probably than in that of Do-
mitian ; p. 146. The arguments for this opinion ;
p. '15, 16, 17. The Revelation given on the
Lord's day; p. 18. The manner and circum-

stances of the first vision ; p. 18, 19.
CHAP. II. III. contain the seven epistles to the seven

churches of Asia; p. 19-41. Why these seven
addressed particularly; p. 27, 28. These epistles
not prophetical, but peculiar to the church of that
age; p. 28. The excellent form and structure
of these epistles; p. 29. In what sense they may
be said to be prophetical ; p. 29, 30. Present
state of the seven churches ; p. 31.--41. Of
Ephesus; p. 31, 32.

Of Smyrna ; p. 32, 33.
Of Pergamus; p. 33, 34. Of Thyatira ; p. 35, 36.
Of Sardis; p. 36, 37. Of Philadelphia; p. 37, 38.
Of Laodicea; p. 39, 40.

Ute that we are to
make of these judgments; p. 41.
CHAP. IV. the preparatory vision to things which

must be hereafter ; p. 42---46. The scenery
drawn in allufion to the incampment of the
children of Israel in the wilderness, and to the

tabernacle or temple ; p. 44, 45, 46.
Char. V. a continuation of the preparatory vifion

1

in order to how the great importance of the

prophecies here delivered; p. 46---59. Future events Jupposed to be written in a book; p. 48. This book sealed with seven seals, fignifying so many periods of prophecy, p. 49. The Son of God alone qualified to open the seals; p. 49. Whereupon all creatures sing praises to God and to

Christ; p. 49, 50.
CHAP. VI. ver. 1, 2: contain the first seal or period,

memorable for conquest; p. 50. This period
commences with Vespasian, includes the conquest
of Judea, and continues during the reigns of
the Flavian family and the short reign of Nerva ;
P. 51. Ver. 3, 4: the second seal or period noted
for war and daughter; p. 51, 52. This period
commences with Trajan, p. 53. Comprehends
the horrid wars and slaughters of the Jews and
Romans in the reigns of Trajan and Adrian;
p. 53, 54, 55. Continues during the reigns of
Trajan and his successors by blood or adoption ;
p. 56. Ver. 5, 6: the third seal or period, cha-

racterized by the strict exečuticn of justice, E'w and by-the procuration of corn and oil and

wine i p. 56. This period commences with Septimius Severus; p. 57. He and Alexander Severus just and severe emperors, and no less celebrated for procuring corn and oil, &c; P: 58, 69. This period continues during the reigns of the Septimian family : P: 59. Ver. 75, 8: the fourth seal or period, distinguished by a concurrence of evils, war, and famin, and pestilence, and wild beasts ; p. 59, 60. This period commences with Maximin, p. 61. The wars of this period; p. 61, 62. The famins; p. 62. "The pestilences ; - p. 62---65. The wild beasts? p. 65. This period from Maximin to Diocletian, p. 66. Ver. 9, 10, 11: the fifth seal or period, reinarkA4

able

able for a dreadful perfecution of the Christian's p. 66. This the tenth and last general perfecution, begun by Diocletian; p. 67, 68. From hence a memorable æra, called the æra of Diocletian, or æra of martyrs ; p. 68. Ver. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 the fixth seal or period remarkable for great thanges and revolutions, expressed by great commotions in the earth and in the heavens; p. 68, 69. No change greater than the subversion of the Heathen, and establishment of the Christian religion; p.70. The' like

figures of speech used by other prophets; p. 71, 72. The same thing expressed afterwards in

plainer language, p. 73: CHAP. VII. a continuation of the sixth seal or pe

riod, P: 74---81. A description of the peace of the church in Conítantine's time; p. 77, 78. And of the great accession of converts to it; p. 79. Not only of Jews, but of all nations ; p. 79, 80, 81. This period from the reign of Constantine the great to the death of Theodosius the

great; p. 81. CHAP. VIII. ver. 1, 2, 3, 4. 5. 6." The seventh

seal or period comprehends feven periods distinguished by the founding of seven trumpets ; p. 82, 83. The filence of half an hour previous to the founding of the trumpets ; p. 83. As the feals foretold the state of the Roman empire before and till it became Christian, fo the trumpets

, forelhow the fate of it afterwards p. 84. The design of the trumpets to rouse the · nations against the Roman empire; p. 84. Ver. 7 : At the sounding of the first trumpet Alaric and his Goths invade the Roman empire, twice besiege Rome, and set fire to it in several places; p. 85, 86, 87. Ver. 8, 9: At the founding of the fecond trumpet Attila and his

Huns