A KEY TO THE Revelation of St. John, the Divine; BEING AN ANALYSIS OF THOSE PARTS OF THAT WONDERFUL BOOK, WHICH RELATE TO THE GENERAL STATE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, THROUGH ALL THE TIMES SINCE IT WAS WRITTEN, AND TO THE PECULIAR Signs OF THOSE TIMES. BY THE REV. PHILIP ALLWOOD, B.D. FELLOW OF MAGDALENE college, CAMBRIDGE. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of this Prophecy, and keep those IN TWO VOLUMES, VOL. II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR C. J. G. & F. RIVINGTON, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD, AND WATERLOO-PLACE, PALL-MALL. MDCCCXXIX. THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. CHAPTER XI. THE first, and most leading, circumstance, to be noticed in the history of that new scene of Divine dispensation, to which "the little book" so immediately relates, is—the peculiar Mean, by which it was brought to pass. And this, as will appear from the very appropriate emblems in which it is described, was no other than "The Word of GOD." Ver. 1.-And there was given to me a Reed like unto a Rod: and the Angel stood, saying: "Arise, and measure the Temple of GoD, and the altar, and them that worship therein : Ver. 2.-" But the Court, which is on the out"side of the Temple, leave out; and thou shalt "not measure it, for it is given unto the Gen "tiles: and the Holy City shall they tread "under foot forty and two months." I. It may be proper to notice, that there is here a remarkable difference between the original readings in the Wetstein and Griesbach's editions; but that both, notwithstanding, give a clear sense to the same effect ; The former has it thus, καὶ ἐδόθη μοὶ κάλαμος ὅμοιος ράβδῳ, καὶ ὁ ̓Αγγελος εἱστήκει, λέγων, &c. which has been translated as above: "And The latter edition has only these words,―kai ἐδόθη μοὶ κάλαμος ὅμοιος ῥάβδῳ, λέγων, &c. “there was given to me a reed, like unto a rod, saying," &c. According to this latter reading, the reed, or measuring-rod itself, which was given to the Prophet, is described as pointing out its own use. But this supreme Rule of life and manners being literally the HOLY SCRIPTURES, it would make very little difference, independently of other circumstances, whether their sacred doctrines and precepts were received immediately from that Divine Revelation itself, by those who were able to consult it; or faithfully transmitted through the instrumentality of the symbolical Angel, who translated and expounded them. I have, however, adhered to the former reading, as being most correspondent with our authorised version, and with the particulars of the history of the events predicted. II. The lamentable disuse of this essential "Mean of grace" is most distinctly marked in these verses; where the Prophet is roused, as it were, to the resumption of its use, and instructed, by the peculiar circumstances of the case, in what manner, and to what objects, to apply it. "And there was given to me," says St. John, as the typical representative of those, to whom this inestimable blessing should be vouchsafed, 66 a reed, like unto a rod," or rule, for the purpose of measuring; " and the Angel," whom he had so specially introduced into the scene in the last chapter, "stood, saying, ' Arise, and measure "the Temple of GOD, and the altar, and them "that worship therein."" This was to be, in future, the only rule of conduct; the only standard, by which every thing was to be estimated, which laid any claim to the reputation of sanctity and virtue. "The Temple of God,"-the sincere Church of Christ, such as, even in the worst of times, has had some existence; " and the altar," every thing relating to the sacrifices and sacred services, which she offers to GOD;-" and they that worship therein," -each member of that Church in his individual capacity;-all these, professing to be regulated solely by this standard, were here expressly enjoined to be measured by it: but it was not to be distorted from its rectilinear shape, to correspond with those irregular forms of man's invention, which could not be mea. sured by it; for "what concord hath Christ with |