to show Christ,) which must shortly come to pass:”  namely, events of providence which were then future,—­the evolution of the purposes of God.  It is indeed true that in the sublime scenery presented in vision to John, the Lord Jesus often appears as a very conspicuous object; but he is only one among a multiplicity of other objects, and generally as the principal agent in executing the divine decrees.  In this attitude he appears immediately on the opening of the seals of that book, which all sober expositors consider as the symbol of God’s purposes, especially of those “unvailed” in this prophetic book.  When in the sixth chapter, the “four animals” say in succession, “Come and see,” is Jesus Christ the only object to be seen?—­the exclusive object unvailed? or even always the primary object?  By no means.

Thus it is evident that at the very beginning of his career as an expositor of this sacred book, Doctor Seiss gives loose reins to his fancy; and then it is not difficult to foresee through what mazes of error the credulous reader will be conducted, who in his simplicity, follows such a reckless guide.  The hallucinations of Millenarians of old and of late have greatly discouraged the disciples of Christ, and seriously hindered them in obeying his command,—­“Search the Scriptures,” especially this precious book.  Their unscriptural error, which some might call an antiscriptural heresy, of the pre-millennial corporeal appearance of our Saviour, with its carnal concomitants, has been a temptation to not a few to look upon this part of the Bible as wholly unintelligible, contrary to its very name,—­REVELATION, The hereditary and inveterate misconception by Millenarians of the nature of the thousand years’ reign of the saints, bears a striking analogy to that of the Jews concerning the kingdom of their Messiah, and suggests a remark by that prince of divines among English Dissenters, Doctor Owen, in his “Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews.”  He says truly,—­“There are precious, useful, significant truths in the Scripture, so disposed of, so laid up, as that if we accomplish not a diligent search, we shall never set eye on them.  The common course of reading the Scriptures, nor the common help of expositors, who for the most part, go in the same track, and scarce venture one step beyond those that are gone before them, will not suffice, if we intend a discovery of these hid treasures.”  And again he says, “How hard it is to dispossess the minds of men of inveterate persuasions in religion!”