We may suppose men for some time to have contented themselves with communicating their thoughts by speech, but there being frequent occasions to have their conceptions either perpetuated, or communicated at a distance, the way of figures was next thought of; but our method of literal writing was doubtless a long time before it was discovered, or brought to any perfection; and was, perhaps, at last, as some think, a divine revelation to Moses, when God gave him the law of ten commands.

The first and most natural way of communicating our thoughts by marks, or figures, is by tracing out the images. of things. Thus it appears that, formerly, to express the idea of a man or horse, the form of these was delineated. This is called picture writing. It was in this manner, when the Europeans first discovered America, that the Mexicans recorded their laws and history. But the inconvenience and imperfection of this sort of writing being great, men were put upon improvement, and hence hieroglyphics and symbols. By this contrivance, that writing which was but a simple painting became a pictured character. The first step towards bringing this sort of writing to perfection, was, to make the principal circumstance in the subject stand for the whole. Thus a battle (or two armies in array) was described by two hands, one holding a shield and the other a bow; a siege was signified by a scaling ladder, &c. The second, and more artful method of contraction, was by putting the instrument of the thing, whether real or metaphorical, for the thing itself. Thus an eye, eminently placed, represented God's omniscience; an eye and sceptre, a monarch; a ship and pilot, the governor of the universe, &c. The third, and still more artificial method of abridging picture writing, was, to make one thing stand for another, where any real or supposed resemblance, or analogy, existed. Thus the universe was designed by a serpent in a circle, whose variegated spots signified the stars. The Egyptians (says the Bishop of Worcester) cultivated this species of hieroglyphic writing more than any other people, while the splendor and fame of that mighty kingdom excited a veneration for it in the rest of the world. Hence it was that the learning of those times, which spread from Egypt as from its centre, took a strong tincture of the hieroglyphic spirit. It is no wonder, therefore, that the Israelites, especially, who were bred up in that country, at the very

time when this sort of learning was at its height, should carry with them this treasure, among their other spoils, into the land of Canaan.

Thus originated the symbolic language and writing. And hence it is, in condescension to the ways of men, that this kind of style is so often used by the sacred writers. Nor let any man think it degrading, in the Inspirer of the prophets, thus to condescend to speak to men in a language like this. To speak to us in any way is infinite condescension; and if we consider how ancient, general and widely diffused this symbolic style has been, and still is in the world; how necessary it is to rude nations, and how taking with the most refined; and that, though it might have had its origin, in some measure, in the fancies of men, yet that it sprung from necessity; and, on the whole, had its foundation in the nature of things; we shall not so much wonder that infinite Majesty has revealed himself in such a style, as admire the Divine Wisdom and Goodness which has vouchsafed us a Revelation that is so wonderfully contrived, that whilst, where it is necessary, the Divine intentions are veiled from the eyes of the thoughtless and wicked, every thing is sufficiently clear to answer the best of purposes, in the instruction of God's church, and for authenticating the sacred writings; so contrived, that whilst it is calculated to charm and captivate the refined, is, also, in its general texture, vastly more fitted to facilitate the reception of it among rude and savage nations, than the more refined and philosophic languages of modern times.

But, for the better understanding some of the scripture symbols, or metaphors, it may be necessary to attend a little more to the main principles on which the ancients founded the signification of theirs, and from which these are taken. There are principally four kinds of symbols, besides those which are taken from the history, and peculiar rites and institutions of the Jews.

1. Such as are single, and which are taken from the heavenly bodies, as the sun, moon, and stars. The Egyptians, Chaldeans, and others, supposed there was a sort of mystical connection between the worlds invisible, natural and political. They looked upon the visible heavens, and its luminaries, as representatives and symbols of the invisible Deity, and his angels, or ministers; and upon kings and their ministers, the nobility and superior orders in the state, as being, in the political world, the representa.

tives of the Deity and his angels, in the invisible world; and as answering to the sun, moon, and stars, in the natural world; being the inferior links in that chain which they supposed to unite the three worlds, by such a concatenation, from the supreme to the lowest, that the affections of the superior extended throughout to the inferior. Hence in the symbolic language and character, the sun was the symbol of a king or of a father, as the scene was laid, in a kingdom or family; the moon was the symbol of the next in dignity, and the stars the symbols of inferior rulers and magistrates. From these notions grew idolatry, and all the nonsense of judiciary astrology.

2. The second kind of single symbols is borrowed from the lower parts of creation, such as animals, mountains, seas, rivers, and the like. And the signification of them is founded (according to the notions which the ancients had of their natures, qualities, magnitudes, uses, &c.) upon the principle of affinity and similitude. Thus a lion, as being accounted the king of beasts; or an eagle, as the king of birds, becomes the symbol of an earthly monarch; and the scorpion, on account of his poison, and perpetual moving of his tail to strike, the symbol of an inveterate and deadly enemy. And as a collective body may be considered as a totum, or whole, and therefore one, a wild and ravenous beast becomes the symbol of a tyrannical kingdom, or of a succession of tyrants.

3. The third sort of symbols, also, which are borrowed from the arts, customs, and practices of men, are, in like manner, to be explained by analogy. Thus the habits of the body signify a person's condition, or the dispositions of the mind. Garments may be the symbols of virtues or vices, according to their quality; a girdle the symbol of strength and fortitude; and a breast-plate of courage.

4. A fourth sort of symbols are compound ones, and are to be explained by the same rule as the former. Thus a lion, simply, is the symbol of a king, but if there be added the instruments of destruction, such as nails, great teeth, &c. it becomes the symbol of a tyrant or tyranny; if there be the addition of wings, they denote rapid conquests, or great exaltation; if of horns, this compound symbol signifies that although, in some senses, this power, or tyranny, is to be considered as one, yet, in others, as not so, but as composed of as many as there are horns.

To these different kinds of symbols, common to almost all nations, we may add another.

5. There are some symbols peculiar to the sacred writings, taken from the history, rites, and customs of the Jews. Thus Egypt and Babylon are put for an idolatrous, proud, imperious, and oppressive tyranny; Jerusalem, and Zion, for the true church of God; the temple, as the place where the people met for public worship, for the visible church, or the public profession of the truth; the shutting of the temple, for the suppression of the public profession of the gospel; and, consequently, the opening of it is the symbol of liberty of conscience, whether improved or otherwise. The removal of restraints.

Thus we have briefly traced the origin of the prophetic style, and seen upon what principles the prophecies are to be explained; and, though some degree of obscurity must be expected always to attend the prophetic writings, yet, by a judicious use of the helps which are afforded us in the sacred scriptures themselves, and which may be derived from other quarters, they are far from being impenetrable. And though the several senses which some symbols are capable of, may prove some impediment, yet, perhaps, not much more than is often found in common language, in which the plainest words frequently admit of very different constructions, but which may be understood by a close attention to the subject. And this is as true of the mystical Book of Revelation as of many other prophecies; for, although I cannot pretend to explain all its mysteries, yet, seeing that it was certainly given to be understood, I have no doubt but the time will come when God will raise up men to do it, or it would never have been prefaced by that remarkable exhortation, which may well make those Christians ashamed who treat this book as useless: Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy; and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.

Let us endeavour hastily to trace the meaning of some of the principal scripture symbols.

ANGELS. Seeing that angels are the ministers of God's pleasure, hence an angel, in the prophetic style, expresses

every thing which brings a message from God, or which executes the will of God. A prophetic dream (says Lowman) is an angel. The winds, and flames of fire, are angels to us, when used by God as voices to teach us, or rods to punish us. So that God is properly said to reveal by his angel what he makes known, either by voice, by dream, by vision, or any other manner of true prophetic revelation; and to do that by an angel, which he effects, either by the instrumentality of men, or by other agents.

BABYLON, in the Revelation, is not only Rome, but comprehends the whole Antichristian church and territory. This empire of the ten-horned beast is thus denominated; first, because guilty of usurpation, idolatry, and persecution, in the same manner as old literal Babylon was; and then on account of being, by a successive devolution of power, the possessor of the pretended rights of Babylon. As Babylon, or Assyria, formerly reigned supreme, and trampled on the rest of mankind, so, in later times, have the Antichristian kingdoms, which make up the body of this beast, or which constitute this mystical polity.

BALANCE. The well known symbol of the strict observance of justice, Job, xxxi. 6. Psal. Ixii. 9. Prov. xi, 1. In Rev, vi. 5, the balances seem to be the symbol of scarcity.

BEAST. A wild beast is the symbol of a tyrannical power, or monarchy, which destroys its neighbours, or subjects, and persecutes the church of God. Dan. vii. 3, 17. Jer. xii. 9. Ezek. xxxiv. 28.

Bear. The symbol of a tyrannical power which may be supposed to resemble this animal in its strength, foolhardiness, greediness, and cruelty. The Medo-Persian monarchy is represented by this beast in Dan. vii. 5.

BIRDS, signify armies in Jer. xii, 9. Ezek. xxxii. 4. xxxix. 17. Rev. xix. 17.

Bind. To restrain from acting (Job xxviii. 11. Rev. xx. 2.) as to loose is to permit to act. Rev. ix. 14. xx. 7.

Blood, the symbol of slaughter and mortality. Isa. xxx. 3. Ezek. xiv. 19, xxxii. 6. Rev. xiv. 20. xvi. 3.

Book. As the Jewish kings, when they were crowned had the book of the law put into their hand, therefore, in allusion to this custom, to receive a book may be the symbol of the inauguration of a prince. A book_written within and without, signifies that its contents relate to a