show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass," ... "to
testify these things in the churches:"--to make known beforehand, to
those styled his "witnesses," the certainty of a great apostacy,--the
rise, reign and overthrow of the Antichrist, that "when it came to pass,
they might believe," and exemplify before the world "the patience and
the faith of the saints." During that protracted period, the witnesses
could neither know their duty nor sustain their allotted trials without
these necessary instructions.

From the position of the witnessing church--"in the wilderness" during
the whole time of Antichrist's reign, which is also the position of the
apostle John when viewing in vision the "woman upon the beast;" (ch.
xvii. 3,) _that_ appears to be the _only advantageous position_ from
which to view the actors in this wonderful scene. And since few have
voluntarily "gone forth to Christ without the camp, bearing his
reproach," or submitted to wear the mourning garments of "sackcloth," it
is not at all surprising that the Apocalypse--emphatically a
_Revelation_--should continue to be, to many, a "sealed book." But on
the other hand, "blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the
words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written
therein."

As this work is intended for the instruction and edification of the
unlearned, rather than for the entertainment of the learned, words of
foreign extract are used as seldom as possible. Practical remarks and
reflections are rarely introduced; the principal aim being simply to
ascertain and present to the reader the mind of the Holy Spirit. How far
this object has been accomplished, is of course left to the judgment of
the honest inquirer. The reader, however, in forming his judgment of the
value of these Notes, may be reminded of that inspired rule in searching