The fignification of this kind of fingle fymbols is founded, fays our author, (according to the notions which the ancients had of the compofition, natures, qualities, pofition, magnitude and ufes of the faid works) upon the principle of Affinity and Similitude. Thus a lyon, as being accounted the king of beafts; or an eagle, as the king of birds, may be the fymbol of an earthly monarch; a scorpion upon the account of his poison, and perpetual moving of his tail to ftrike, the symbol of an inveterate and deadly enemy. And forafmuch as a collective body may be confider'd as a totum or whole, and therefore one; a wild ravenous beaft may be the fymbol of a tyrannical Kingdom or Empire.

III. Such fingle fymbols as are taken from the arts and Sciences, cuftoms and practices of men; as the babit or cloathing, a bow, crown, fword, and the like kind of things exifting by infiitu

tion.

This fort of fymbols, as well as the foregoing, founded on, and to be in like manner explained by analogy, according to the use, defign, caufes, and effects of the matters to which. they belong by institution.

By this, fays the author, the habit may, for inftance, fignify the difpofition of a man inwardly; as the habit fhews his outward form, fo the crown may fignify his reigning, becaufe crowns are worn by Princes; his bow, his vanquishing, because it was, and in fome nations ftill is, the inftrument of war and victory. The buckler or breaft-plate his courage; because instruments of defence giving fecurity, and therefore adding courage to the bearer.

I

IV. Such

IV. Such fymbols as are compounded, confifting of two or more fingle fymbols.

In relation to this fourth kind of fymbols, the aforefaid rule of analogy is to be carefully follow'd by applying like to like, by explaining fo much of them, as appears natural and ordinary, in the fame manner as the fingle fymbols fetch'd from nature and art to be explain'd, and what remains extraordinary, by the analogy it has to the ordinary fymbols.

To these four kinds of fymbols our author adds fome others which were us'd by St. John, and are borrowed from the Mofaical œconomy, as the Tabernacle, the Temple, and others contained in the writings of Mofes, and in the history of the republick and religion of the Jews.

The principle, fays he, for understanding this fort of fymbol, is, that the former difpenfations of God with man, were typical of the new difpenfation under the Gofpel-covenant, and this our author illuftrates by feveral instances, beginning from p. 5. to p. 9.

Now for the particular application of the general fignification of the fymbols, and for the better understanding the nature of the Prophetick ftile, our author lays down feveral rules with their explication; we fhall only here mention the heads of them.

RULE I. The fcene of action, and fufferer, des termine the fenfe of all the accidents describ'd in any general vifion, or part of a vifion when none appear.

RULE II. The apparatus or decorations of the vifion in the Revelation are of great use, being of the nature of fuch fort of prologues, as explain

by

by way of introduction, the fubject of the whole action, and must be therefore carefully obferv'd.

RULE III. Invisible beings, and even conceptions of the mind, as collective notions are reckon❜d, come under, or are reprefented by fuch visible shapes or figures, as are borrowed from fome of thofe vifible adjuncts that either attend continually, or may at any time have attended the invifible objett, fo that they may abfolutely determine it to be that object defign'd and none other.

RULE IV. When a Kingdom or Empire is to be reprefented throughout its whole extent and duration, the whole picture of it is given as if all the parts were exifting at the fame time.

RULE V. In bodies politick and continual, where there is found a collection of individuals of different denominations, that is faid in general of the whole, which is true of the principal and greatest part. And when the faid bodies are confider'd from their beginning, to their end, that may be faid of them in general, which is true of them during the greatest part of their time, or when they were in their moft flourishing ftate.

RULE VI. When the things to be prophefied of in the Revelation, are to be confidered in feveral views, there is a change of the fymbols.

RULE VII. For the greater certainty, there is fometimes a double mark fet upon an event, is not only in the fame expreffion defcrib'd fymbolically, but also by that very name or attribute which the men themselves in the common ftyle of Speech wou'd give it.

RULE VIII. The repetition of a prophecy, vifion, or dream, fignifies the certainty and speedy accomplishment of an event of more special concern, and remarkably eminent.

RULE

RULE IX. In all fymbolical propofitions, the perfons of the verb fubftantive, Sum—as, I am, is are whether expreffed or understood, are the copulative, fhewing, the relation between the type and the antitype.

thou art

RULE X. In fymbolical rites, 'tis ufual to afcribe the effect defign'd to the symbol, by which it is reprefented, as if the fymbol or type were the efficient caufe thereof.

RULE XI. 'Tis the ufual ftyle of the prophets to write of things as already done, or past, tho' they are only to happen afterwards.

RULE XII. During the prophetical extafy, the very actions and words of a prophet are fymbolical, as is rightly obferv'd by Irenæus, L. iv. C. 37.

SYNOPSIS,

The first great Part or Vision, containing,

I.

AN

'N Introduction to the Epiftles to the feven Churches in Afia, ver. 9. to the end of the

Chapter.

II. The Epiftles to the faid Churches; the faid Epiftles relating chiefly to the prefent state of the Church at the time of the vifion, Chap. ii. ver. 1. to the end of Chap. iii.

The fecond great Part, or Vifion; treating of the whole conftitution and fates of the Chriftian Church, from the very beginning thereof, to its confummation in glory; and confifting of the following parts;

Firft, An Introduction to the events from the beginning of the Chriftian difpenfatiin to the end of the world, Chap. iv, v.

Secondly,

Secondly, The events belonging to the first general period of the Church; taking in the fyftem of the feven feals of the book fealed; by the opening whereof, the feveral steps and effects of the propagation of the Gospel in the Roman Empire are fet forth.

The first feal begins at our Saviour's afcenfion, Chap. vi. ver. 1, 2.

The fecond feal begins about A. D. 66. and ends about Chap. vi. ver. 3, 4.

The third feal begins about A. D. 202. in the reign of Severus, ver. 5, 6.

The fourth feal begins about A. D. 325. and ends about A. D. 275. ver. 7, 8.

The fifth feal begins about A. D. 303. ver.

9-II.

The fixth feal begins about A. D. 312. and effects the fall of the Roman pagan Empire in the Weft and Eaft, ver. 17.

An Epifode, fhewing the ftate of the Church at the time of the faid fall of the Roman pagan Empire, Chap. vii.

The feventh feal begins about A. D. 235. when the Chriftian religion became the ruling religion of the Roman Empire, both in the Eaft and Weft, Chap. viii. ver. 1-6.

Thirdly, The events belonging to the fecond general period of the Church; taking in, the fyftem of the feven trumpets; by the founding whereof the feveral external judgments upon the Pagans, and the corrupted Chriftians in the Roman Empire, after that Chriftianity became the ruling religion therein, are fet forth.

The first trumpet effected by the Goths invading, under Alarick, the Roman Empire; and reaching from A. D. 395, to A. D. 409.

The