mation of all things. The details of the antichristian apostasy, which was to prevail for fortytwo months, or 1260 days, (of years,) are reserved for the succeeding chapters. This remark is intended to prevent any confusion or mistake in unravelling the scheme of Revelation, which upon the whole Mede and Newton have most satisfactorily developed and explained, and which, dictated as it is by the Holy Spirit of God, the influence of that Spirit on the minds of pious readers can alone enable them to comprehend and interpret.

Perhaps, as Newton suggests, the last verse of the eleventh chapter may be considered as an introduction to a new series of visions relative to the fates of the Church.

"And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in the temple the ark of his testament, and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail."

These signs Newton supposes are the proper introduction to the twelfth chapter.

We now approach to the contemplation of several interesting and figurative visions, which are intended to display, according to the most approved interpretations, the fates of the Christ

ian Church for successive ages. These, as Mede supposes, are the visions of the little book, the first of which, in chapter eleven, runs through the whole of the Apocalyptical course, from beginning to end; and indicates its connexion with the seals and the trumpets. So likewise does that of the seven-headed and ten-crowned dragon, and that of the 144,000 virgin attendants on the Lamb, and the events concluding with the harvest and the vintage of the earth. These, then, must be considered as containing general descriptions, while the intermediate parts enter into more minute details.

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven--a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars."

This figurative description I believe, with Mede and Newton and other commentators, to be a beautiful image of the primitive Christian Church, clothed with the sun of righteousness, having the moon under her feet, as the emblem of the shadows of the law, or of the powers of darkness, under Pagan superstition and idolatry, and crowned by a radiant circle of apostolic stars, the first bright luminaries of the revelation of heavenly truth.

"And she being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered."

The pangs and throes of the woman waiting for her delivery are an allegory of the seven persecutions which the Church underwent during the first ages, in her contest with " spiritual wickedness in high places," and while she was labouring to produce that Son who should be the first defender of the faith.

"And there appeared another great wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth."

The red dragon is the Heathen Roman empire, red from the uniform of its armies, and from the blood it so profusely shed; and a dragon, as identified with the old serpent, which it worshipped in his idols, having seven heads, emblems of the seven dynasties which wore its crown, and bare rule over it, and of the seven mountains on which its capital was built. The ten horns, as subsequently explained by the angel, are the ten kingdoms which were to arise in the time of its last head.

The dragon too is said to have drawn a third part of the stars of heaven with his tail, and cast them to the earth; that is, he had subjected a

third part of the princes and dominions of the world to his power; for a third part of the globe, as known in the age of John, was circumscribed within the Roman empire. His tail, in oriental language, implies his followers and agents, and the tail of a dragon or serpent may likewise allude to the false doctrine and false worship which he drew after him.

It may here be observed, that as the great city in the foregoing chapter is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, and as Pharaoh, the persecutor of the people of God, is described as the great dragon (Ezek. xxix. 3. Psal. lxxiv. 13, 14.) so here the persecutor of the Christian Church is appositely and spiritually called by the same title.

"And the dragon stood before the woman, who was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."

As Pharaoh was ready to do on the birth of Moses, and as Herod attempted to do with the son of Mary, so does the Roman dragon lay wait to destroy the child which was to be born in the image of Christ.

"And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule the nations with a rod of iron (or an iron sceptre), and her child was caught up unto God and to His throne."

One of the greatest changes which has taken

place on earth is the change from the reign of idolatry to that of Christianity-from the profession of a belief in numerous gods to that of faith in the one true God, and in his Son Jesus Christ; and this was effected by the birth and conversion of Constantine the Great. We need not be surprised that it is ushered in in so remarkable a manner, and that the conversion of Constantine, and his exaltation to the throne, which seem to be implied in the man-child being caught up to God, and to his throne, should be recorded in such exalted terms, since the Roman empire, and eventually the whole world, from the time of Constantine, was to be brought under the dominion of Christ. He indeed, as it was prophesied of the Son of God, in whose name he governed, was to rule all nations with an iron sceptre. And this, after his assumption of the banner of the cross ("in hoc signo vinces,") and the conquest of Galerius, he may be said to have done, as he not only presided over the Roman empire, but subdued the barbarous nations to his dominion. And can my countrymen ever forget that the first Christian emperor was born a Briton, was born in the city of York, and that he was the first defender of the faith? Let him recollect too, that British kings are still designated by the same glorious title; and let us hope and pray that they may never be unmindful