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other Proteftant churches or fects may be difpleafed, on the other hand, that I have written fo favourably of the character and future expectations of well-meaning individuals of the church of Rome, as on ch. xiv. ver. 9, 10, 11. and in other paffages.

I have in fubftance faid, and I here fay it again, that I know no external church in the world, in the prefent period, which is in every thing perfectly Chriftian; that the real church of Chrift, at prefent on earth, confifts of all those scattered individuals, in`every land, and of every external denomination, who, as in chap. vii. are "God's fealed fervants," whom "the Lord knows to be his, "and who name the name of Chrift, and

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depart from evil." Unmoved by the cenfures of bigots of every church, I have faid what the voice of fcripture in general, of this book in particular, and of reafon and experience uniformly fays, that those individuals, of every external denomination, who are wife and good men, whom the Lord who cannot err knows to be his people, are the true worshippers of God, are fanctified by the fpirit of God, and fhall be finally faved

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by the mercy of God through the mediation of Chrift; and that no external church or profeffion can render foolish and wicked individuals, if they live and die of that character, true worshippers of God in this world, or finally holy and happy in a future state. Until the commencement of the millennium, in the year of Chrift 2000, there will always be many perfons, who, by difbelieving, defpifing, and oppofing the prophecies of this book, fhall fulfil them, "Let him that is

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filthy be filthy ftill;" and there will be many who fhall be bleffed in reading, hearing, studying, and obeying them. My fincere prayer to that God, who does all things in the best time and manner, is, that every error, whether my own or of other perfons, may be discovered and rejected; and that the truth of God may be perceived, believed, loved, obeyed, and blessed.

Α

COMMENTARY

ON THE

REVELATION.

CHAP. L-VER. I, 2.

THE Revelation of Jefus Christ, which God

gave unto him, to fhew unto his fervants things which muft fhortly come to pass; and he fent and fignified it, by his angel, unto his fervant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the teftimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

In these words are contained, ift, The title of this book: "The Revelation of Jefus Chrift, which "God gave unto him, to fhew unto his fervants things which muft fhortly come to pafs." 2d, The meffenger

66

VOL. I.

A

meffenger by whom, and the perfon to whom, this revelation was firft communicated. "And he fent

" and fignified it, by his angel, unto his fervant John." And, 3d, The manner in which that perfon difcharged the truft repofed in him. "Who bare record of the word of God, and of the teftimony of Jefus Chrift, and of all things that he faw."

The title of this book plainly fhews that it is a revelation from God, through the mediation of Jefus Chrift, the only Mediator between God and man: That it is a revelation of the prophetic kind: That, though fome of the prophecies, as shall afterwards appear, comprehend events which fhall happen to the time of the diffolution of this earth, yet the firft events foretold in it were to happen very foon; and that, from these to the laft events foretold in this book, there fhall be a clofely connected chain of predictions, and of correfpondent events: And that the end of this prophecy is to communicate important discoveries to the fervants of God; to thofe, in every age and country," whom the Lord knoweth "to be his, and who name the name of Chrift, and "depart from iniquity;" to thofe who are really religious, and make it as their meat and drink to do the will of God. While the fervants of fin, the flaves of Satan, and the men of the world; fhall treat this divine revelation with neglect or contempt, and fhall reap no advantage from it, the fervants of God, in every age, fhall learn from it the important

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