the nations by Jesus Christ, "And he will break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel," Ps. II, 9. And who can stand against him?

Note. Let it be fairly understood, that as the sealed took contained things which were then future, therefore, opening the seals, was prophesying plainly what should come to pass. Of course, Jesus Christ opened these seven seals when be prophesied of his own death and resurrection, and of the several calamities which should succeed his death and resurrection in the course of that generation. And the opening of the sixth is evidently a prophecy of, and alludes to the time when, the Jewish Theocracy was ended, at the destruction of their city and temple, and the dispersion of that nation.

CHAPTER VII.

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VERSE 1, "And after these things, &c. I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds, &c. that they should not blow upon the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree." Earth and sea I have explained; trees," mean those things which grow large in the minds of men; "four angels," signified four dispensations of calamity; holding the four winds," signified that those dispensations of calamity operated in such a manner as to hinder the gentle moving of the Spirit of God on the minds of men, which is like breezes of wind on the earth.

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VERSE 2, "And I saw another angel ascending from the east." As the east is the place of the sun's rising, so this signified a dispensation of mercy by the light-giving visitation of the Spirit of Christ. "Having the seal of the living God." This dispens tion of mercy was to seal those who believed, with that holy Spirit of promise, Eph. I, 13. "And he cried to the four angels, saying, hurt not, &c. till we have sealed the servants of our God." Signified that

by this dispensation of mercy, those four causes of calamity, or four calamities, were deferred, un til those who believed in Christ were sealed by the holy Spirit unto the day of redemption, Eph. Iv, no.

Note. These calamities which were hurting the family of man, were stopped by the sealing dispensation of goodness a little prior to the second, or spiritual coming of Christ, which immediately succeeded them.

Verse 1, "And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour." As the opening of the seventh seal was a prophecy of the spiritual coming of Christ to reign over all nations;" silence in Heaven" signified that all hevenly spirits were satisfied with his taking the government, and submitted to him in such a manner as to silence al calculations, or movements of their own, being filled with consolation at his coming, believing, that whereas he reigns, all things will, in due time, issue well; For the space of half an hour," signified that heavenly views

Verse 2, "And I saw the seven angels which stood before God." Now, although these seven angels are not mentioned before, yet he speaks of them, as if they are well known to stand before God, and indeed this is the case as soon as the vision is understood, for as the number seven is used in various parts of the Holy Scriptures to represent by figures, the spirits of God, such as seven eyes, seven horns, seven lamps of fire, &c. so, seven angels are the figures to represent the seven degrees of understanding in man, who was made after the similitude of God, and these are the seven angels, or messengers which stand before God; "And to them were given seven trumpets ;" signified the gospel

testimony suited to the seven degrees of understanding.

Verse 3, "And another angel came and stood at the altar." Signified a dispensation of the spirit which moved men to offer themselves to God. "Having a golden censer," signified the privilege of access to God, "And there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden altar." As incense is used to cause the fire of the altar to burn, it signified that in that dispensation of prayer there was given a view of things which caused the spirit of prayer to burn fervantly.

Verse 4, "And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." Signified that the difficulties, or necessities of the people, signified by incense, together with the prayers of the Saints for their reHief, ascended up, or was noticed before God "Out of the angel's hand;" signified that all this, which ascended up before God, proceeded from the hand of that dispensation of prayer which God sent.

VERSE 5, "And the angel took the censor and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast into the earth." Signified that this dispensation of prayer threw into the ground of the minds of the Saints, a clear view of the things which they ought to pray for, and filled them with the spirit of prayer. And there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake," explained before: see Key, to chap, iv, 5, and chap, vi, 12.

Note. Such dispensations of prayers frequently occur in every age of this gospel day, or reign of Christ.

Next follows a description of the trumpet-like sound of the gospel testimony.

Verse 7, The first angel sounded," signified that the gospel was preached according to the first degree of understanding in the witnesses and

hearers. "And there, followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth; and a third of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up." As hail is made of water from the sea which is taken up, congealed, and let fall back, so the wicked thoughts of men, which rise out o them, being detected, or congealed, by the truth, fall with guilt on the ground of their minds, like hail upon the ground, when the testimony of God, like fire, awakens them to a sense of their sins, and the same conviction causes the exercises of their thoughts to become loathsome and disagreeable to themselves like blood to drink. Thus, the first preaching in the Apostles' days, was followed in the people with "hail and fire mingled with blood." "And a third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass," signified that by means of the people rejecting the gospel when it was preached, those things that were good, which had grown in their minds, like trees and green grass were destroyed by their rebellion.

Verse 8, "And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea." Signified that the testimony which is like fire attacked some human establishment which stood in the minds of the people like a mountain, and as they saw it was burning up, it entered much into their thoughts, and therefore it is figuratively said to be "cast into the sea." "And the third part of the sea became blood," signified that whereas they still reject the truth, a large part of their thoughts becomes disagreeable and frightful

to them like a sea of blood to sail in.

Verse 9, "Aid the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died," signified that a part of lively exercises in their thoughts died; And a third part of ships were destroyed," signified inventions of men which moved in their thoughts as ships move in the sea, were a large part of them destroyed by the testimony.

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VERSE 10, "And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp." Signified that the testimony attacked some religious establishment which the people had considered brilliant like a star in the sky, that it then appeared to be "burning as it were a lamp," signified that it had no fire of its own; "and it fell upon the third part of the rivers and fountains of waters," signified that its fall, exercised the secret thoughts and exercises of the people, which are represented by rivers, and fountains of waters; and as the minds of people partake of that spirit which the secret runnings of their thoughts impart, which, of course, is their drink.

Verse 11, "And the name of the star is called wormwood: and a third part of the waters (that is, those inward exercises) became wormwood; and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter." As it was a corrupt, bitter invention, and entered the exercises of the people's thoughts so much, many good movements in them died.

Verse 12,"And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and a third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as a third part of them was darkened." Signified that the fourth degree of the testimony of truth attacked all the luminaries or lights of the political and religious establishments of the world; which lights are nothing else but the wisdom of this world, and its dependants; "so as a third part of them was darkened, &c." signified that the gospel testimony showed the weakness of the wisdom of men to be such, that the people could not make more than two thirds as much dependence on it as they had before, as many of them saw that it was foolishness with God, 1, Cob. III, 19.

Verse 13,"And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying, with a loud voice, Wo, wo, wo, to the inhabitants of the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound. Signified a dispensation of