Star.
London, England, 1808-05-19 00:00:00

74 THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.

ON THE PROPHECIES.

NUMBER VIII.

THE SIXTH SEAT. CONTINUED.
In my last I endeavoured to prove, with as much
brevity as was consistent with perspicuity, that the
Earthquake, announced by the opening of the Sixth
Se no -on to the overthrow of Paganism
in the Roman Empire, bir COESTANTINE and his suc-
cessors ; but describes the destruction that will be
brought upon the Kings of the earth in the great day—
the day of the wrath of the Lamb.* At that period, not
Only is the San to, become black as sackcloth, but the moon
also is to be corfounded and become as blood. This
strews, that in this day of wrath, the people,'
even the bond men and free men, are to suffer along
with their riders ; and all the splendour and pride
of the Nations to be brought to ruin, by those
bloody wars which shall precede or introduce a new
order of things. I am aware that some commentators
(the least exceptionable upon the whole) maintain
that Autichrist will be destroyed not by arms, but by
the power of truth. They have been led into this
opinion by the command given to Christians, when per-
secuted in ore city to fiee into another (Mat. x. 23,) and
net to avenge theinsolvis (Rom. xii. 9.) but to imitate
the example of CHRIST, who when he suffered threatened
not, but committed hiMself to him that judgeth righteously,
(1 Pet. ii. (23.) This however only thews that, as
Christians cannot take the sword, the antichristian
power must be destroyed by others. The dominion
of error and falsehood shall be overthrown by the
prevalence of the truth ; but by other means, evenly
VIOLENCE shall the great city Balylon be thrown down,
(Rev. xvii. 21.) In the ao the LORD'S vengeance, the
year of recompen:e, (Isa. xxxiv. 8), the iniquitous poli-
tical fabric shall be rewarded doul•le ACCORDING TO HER
OWN WORKS, and the cup of blood and desolation,
which she hathfild to others, shall be filled to her double
(Rev. xviii. 6.)
As the " Great Earthquake" refers to the world
politic, so must " the mountains, islands, dens, and rocks
of the mountains." Indeed, we find the principal term
so applied by Jeremiah (li. 25), to a kingdom, that of
Babylon : "Behold lam against thee, 0 DESTROYING
MOUNTAIN ;" and in Daniel also (ch. ii.) we find the
same team employed to denote a kingdom, even the
kingdom of THE MESSIAH. The stone which became A
the whole earth, is there employed
to intimate that the GOD of Heaven will establish A
KINGDOM, which :hell never be destroyed. If the term,
innunici•is then signifies king.ionts, islands must sig-
nify their dependencies ; and we can be at little loss
-to understand the minor expressions, dens and rod:.
of these mountains iatroduced here as paaces,l
cr places in which the kings and their people seek re.'
fuge. They are the same to which they have always'
resorted, when threatened with danger; viz. thcii
,arinits and resources of every kind, Which shall com-
pletely fail them, or he turned against them, at the
period of this dreadful commotion and earthquake,
which is afterwards, this book (xvi. 14.), called
" rue FATTLE or THAT GREAT DAY OF COD AL-

Incatrr."
That this sixth seal has no relaticm whateVer to
those events to which commentators have generally
applied it, will further appear evident by attending to
the sweeping extent of the expressions that follow ;
licaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together."
As the writing contained in a scroll, which is visible
and legible, while spread out, cannot be seen at all,l
but disappears entirely, when the scroll is roiled up, so'
the heaven politic here mentioned, vanishes from
view—lparts, passes away, and is completely annihila-
ted at the time of this great earthquake ; " and EVERY
itotairmx"—not a part only, or even the whole of
any one kingdom; but EVERY KlNCDOM—every thing
known by the name of dominion among men, " and
every island" were rtmoved.—Now we know from the
sealed book that they were to be removed, to make
room for a kingdom that shall never be destroyed (Dan.
44.) ; and that this kingdom, even the kingdom of
the .So:: OF MAN, the MESSIAH, is that which is to
break in piTe; and con:um. e all tlu.se kingdom—not at a
period at which a parcel of pagan priests should lose
their employment—but when the least shall be :lain,
and his burly destroyed, and siven to the burningPme
(Dan. vii. 11), in THE GREAT DAY of the wrath of vita
LAMR!—Wko shall le al.:: to stand? (Rev. vi. 17.)
ec Tait herd to
.yourse!ver, lest at any tine your hearts be
overcharged with surleitiri; and drunkenness, and ram of
this rfe, and :0 THAT DAV :ante upon you unawares : fbr
43 a snare shall it come on all thsm that dcudl on the face of
THE WHOr.F. Ef-RTH. Watch ye therlore and pray al-
ways, !ha?' ye may be a::oulted co:r:hy to c:ape all these
thiny that shall torn' to pass, and to STAND before THE
Sow or MAN (Luke x xi. 34—%). _
in the seveath Chapter of the Revelation, which
may either be considered as an appendix to the sixth,'
m• as a preface to the seventh seal, we are informed
of a number of particulars respecting the subjects be-
longing to the kingdom fie Gal) of Heaven :-1. That
the reason why they are not overcome by the enemies
• While ssr:ting tltt•se d:squisitiens (a work in wllkh I have
beet., at intervals, engaged for more than a dozen yeas.), I had
little or no hope that any one world otaintcin views similar to my
own respecting the import of the Sas. It: this I have been most
Uppity di3appointed. k sC7'Deaeou WOODUOVSE hiagiven an In-1
:erpretation et' these Seals, very analag.).:s to what I have offer ed,in
er Reef:a:len Sr. Joke tree. a work of
scusiderAble tor. it, aid well deserving the consideration of those
Whose atteutions are tutned to this subject.