of our author's, published afterwards. 1. "Liturgia Græca Johannis Ernesti Grabii." This liturgy drawn up by the Doctor for his own private use, was published by Christopher Matthew Pfaff, at the end of Irenæi Fragmenta Anecdota. 2. "De Forma Consecrationis Eucharistiæ, hoc est, Defensio Ecclesiæ Græcæ, &c." 1721.

It appears that the sentiments of Dr. Grabe were mostly in unison with the nonjuring Divines, though he kept up a particular friendship with some of the greatest Prelates and others who complied with the revolution. To explain this, however, it is necessary to observe that most of the former, after being silenced by a fatal, not. to say cruel policy, adopted the liturgy of Edward VI. which they considered as being nearer to the primitive offices of the Christian Church. Dr. Grabe was of the same opinion, and, therefore, he joined in communion with those worthy men, who like him in some respects had suffered for the testimony of a good conscience, That great divine, Dr. George Hickes, the deprived Dean of Worcester, was his most intimate friend and confessor, from whom he received the Holy Eucharist the last time of his life, as he had done several times before, according to the first liturgy of King Edward VI. which he looked upon as nearer to the primitive forms, on account of the mixture of water with the wine, the Invocation of the Father for the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Elements, the Oblation rightly placed, and Prayers for the dead*.

J. W.

BIBLICAL CRITICISM.

COMMENTARY ON REV. X. AND XI.

(Continued from page 222.)

Chap. x. ver. 1. “ ND I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven,

"Campbell's Primitive Doctrines restored, p. 79.

clothed

clothed with a cloud and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.”—If it be admitted that this angel has been identified with Michael, (Dan. xii. 1.) our first enquiry must be, When Michael, according to Daniel, stood up. Now it is generally allowed that by the King of the North (Dan. xi. 40.) is meant the Turk of Scythian origin. The prophet describes this king as falling upon Antichrist at the time of the end like a hard storm (of hail) (n) with horsemen, (comp. Rev. ix. 16.) and as overflowing and passing over (comp. Rev. ix. 14. and xvi. 12.) the Euphrates probably; and at ver 44 as probably predicts the victories of Mahomet II. over the Persians and Grecians; and concludes with the reduction of Constantinople, &c. adding: "And he shall come to his end and none shall help him, and at that time shall Michael stand up." The question is, Whether it be at the time of the end generally, or in any particular point of the time of the end that Michael stands up. I am disposed to consider the time of the end as a term of years, during which Michael rises up both progressively and by steps and degrees. Mahomet II. seems to have carried the Turkish power to that extent, to attain which it was raised up, i. e. to slay the third part of men, or to destroy a third part of the old Roman empire. (Rev. ix. 15, 20.) The time of reformation at least may be considered as an epoch of decline to both Pope and Turk, and according to the prophetical style, as an epoch of light to the Jews, if the Jews be ultimately to be converted by the gospel, at that time republished. That Michael stands up repeatedly may be proved from the Apocalypse. He stands up (Rev. x.) as soon as the Turks have compleated their victories: as soon as the Turks decay (Rev. xi. 14.) that great prince again stands up and pours forth the seven vials and utters their thunders (xi. 19.) Lastly, when the Turkish Empire begins to crumble to pieces, and its overflowing stream to be dried up, (Rev. xvi. 12, 16. Dan. xi. 45.) the seventh vial is poured out, and the great time of trouble (Dan. xii. 1.) commences, and the power of Michael, the Lord, is compleated. The 12th chapter of Daniel may therefore be progressively or repeatedly accomplished during the time of the end. I shall treat of that accomplishment which commenced at the Reformation (A.D. 1517) in the parallel vision now in hand.

I must now take another position. Hitherto I have founded

founded my exposition of Rev. x. and xi. upon my own exposition of Daniel, and upon the admissions of the best commentators on Daniel and on the Apocalypse. For it is generally admitted that Dan. xii. and' Rev. x. coincide; and it may be proved from other admissions that the second woe is long ago past, and that consequently the events preceding must have been accomplished. Mr. Faber, in his excellent sermon on the vials, 1799, has sufficiently proved this point. "The excellent author of Dissertations on the Prophecies contends, and with great appearance of probability, that the three different septenaries of the seals, the trumpets, and the vials, mentioned in the Revelation do not run parallel to each other, but are descriptive of three different and successive periods. He supposes that at the period in which he wrote, A. D. 1758, only five of the trumpets were accomplished, but that the sixth had sounded. At the termination of this trumpet he places the destruction of the Othman empire, previous to the downfal of the Beast or Papal Hierarchy: events, however, have contradicted this supposition; since the latter is already fallen, while the former still subsists. Indeed it is by no means clear why such a supposition was ever made. The sixth trumpet relates to the establishment of the Turkish power, the second woe, destined to afflict Christendom; its downfal is never once mentioned. A period indeed is assigned to the progress of its desolating arms; but that æra is now elapsed, and the Othmans are no longer formidable. Still they remain an independent monarchy, and their final subversion is not even hinted at under the sixth trumpet." P. 13.

Now if the downfal of the Turks is not designed, (Rev. xi. 14.) it follows of course, that by the passing of the second woe must be meant the accomplishment of the period of the desolating arms of that power, and that we have only to consult the best historians in order to find when those desolations ceased, in order to know the time of the accomplishment of the preceding predictions in Rev. xi.

Further, as the sixth vial relates most manifestly to the drying up of that river, by which is denoted the Ottoman power, (see Isai. xviii. 2.) and to the depopulation of the possessors of the Holy Land, in order to make way for the Israelites as when they first entered Palestine; and as it is allowed that the sixth vial comes long after the sixth Vol. VI. Churchm. Mag. June, 1804. Čeè trumpet,

trumpet, it follows that the passing of the second woe cannot be the destruction of the Turks.

I now leave this argumentum ad interpretes, and proceed to more general and sure foundations of interpre

tation.

Bishop Newton's " Method of expounding the Mysterious Book of the Apocalypse, (says Mr. Faber, p. 15.) by digesting its prophecies into order, and then applying them to a regular series of events, appears to be the only one which carries with it conviction. For if detached parts of the Revelation are capriciously or arbitrarily to be selected, they may be made to signify any thing or every thing but a connected series of prophecies can only agree with its correlative succession of facts." Comp. Mede's Works, p. 581.

I shall adopt this more sure ground of interpretation as far as my limits will allow, which however will only permit me at present to observe, that according to the method above recommended I have laid my foundations, and raised my superstructure. Independent of all interpretation the following sections may, by attentive perusal, I apprehend, be seen to be in a great measure synchronal and corresponding. Chap. ii. 18. to the endiii. I to 7.-vii. 9 to the end-x. xi. 1 to 13.-xiv. 1 to 8.-xvii. 1 to the end-x. xi. 9 to 22. Proofs for these synchronisms may be drawn from a comparison of the following parallel passages. x. 1. ii. 18. xiv. 1. xvii. 1.

xxi. 9, 10, 17.—x. 3. xiv. 2.—x. 4. xiv. 3.—x. 6. ii. 21, 26. xiv. 7. xvii. 17. -x. 7. xvii. 17.—x. 8. xiv. 7.—x. 10, 11. vii. 9 to the end, xiv. 6, 7.—xi. 1. ii. 27. xxi. 15.—xi. 7. iii. 1 to 4.-xi. 8. xvii. 18.

To proceed with my commentary. It must be observed that St. John acts a part in these visions. During the Prophetical Extasie (says Daubuz, p. 16.) the very actions and words of a prophet are Symbolical, as is rightly observed by Irenæus L. iv. c. 37." "Joannes, (says Pareus) non tam in suâ, quam in omnium præconum veritatis, qui sub finem tube sextæ futuriˆ erant, personâ, librum devorare iterumque prophetare jubetur." Mede's Works, p. 545. See Ezek. xxiv. 24.

In a word, the actions of St. John represent those of the heads of the church in the age treated of in the prophecy. The mighty or arch-angel seen by the Christian ministry, may be considered as the type of Jesus Christ, or the New Jerusalem, descending spiritually as on the

day

day of Pentecost, to reform the world. He is clothed with a cloud, and adorned with a rainbow, in order to shew that he is about to make a covenant with mankind, (Gen. ix. 13). The cloud and pillars of fire denote that he is about to lead his people safely through the Red Sea out of the spiritual Egypt. The verse might be thus paraphrastically explained: " And we (the bishops of the church. A. D. 1517) perceived another mighty spiritual messenger proceed from the Kingdom of Heaven, encircled with a cloud of witnesses, and the sign of the covenant was upon his head, (Christ being the head of the church here personified) and his authority was that of a supreme governor, and his two supporters were as two candlesticks; as two pillars of the faith undergoing refinement in the furnace of Egyptian persecution, but not consumed by the fire." See Acts ii. 19. where the deliverance from the spiritual Egypt is represented in the same manner as here, and 1 Cor. x. 2.

Ver. 2. "And he had in his hand a little book open and he set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth." "Feet," says Daubuz, "signify the servants, followers, or disciples of the party spoken of; it being the business of servants in former times to wash their masters' feet; and disciples sat at the feet of their masters," P. 43. The little open book is opposed to the greater sealed book: the former signifies the Old Testament, the latter, contained in Rev. x. and xi. the New Testament. The verse may be thus explained: "And he had in his power the plaincr and lesser testament (being opened now likewise by translators) and he founded his principal church amongst the relative Gentiles. Aliter, amongst the islanders, and his inferior church amongst the relative Jews. Aliter, amongst the inhabitants of the continent." By relative Gentiles I mean new converts from Popery to pure Christianity, who are also designed by the wilderness (Rev. xvii. 1.) or hitherto uncultivated people,

:

Ver. 3. "And cried with a loud voice as when a lion roareth and when he cried, seven thunders uttered their own voices," In Rev. v. 5. we are informed that the Lion of Judah was alone able to open the seals of the greater book; and in Rev. vi. 1. the opening of the first seal by that Lion was compared to thunder. The law given to Moses after the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt, is denoted by these thunders. The number Ceco

seven