holy, Lord God almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 9 And when those beasts give glory, and honour, and thanks to him that fat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that fat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and caft their crowns before the throne, faying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour, and power: for thou haft created all things, and for thy pleafure they are, and were created. After this vifion relating to the things which are, other vifions fucceed of the things which must be hereafter. (ver. 1.) The fcene is laid in heaven; and the fcenery is drawn in allufion to (Numb. I. II.) the incampment of the children of Ifrael in the wildernefs. God is God is reprefented (ver. 2, 3.) fitting on his throne, as in the tabernacle or temple, much in the fame manner as the prophet Ezekiel (I. 26, 27, 28.) hath defcribed him. Next to the tabernacle incamped the priefts and Levites; and next to the throne (ver. 4.) were four and twenty elders fitting, aufwering to the princes of the four and twenty courfes of the Jewish priests; clothed in white raiment, as emblems of their purity and fanctity; and they had on their heads crowns of gold, Chrift having made them (1 Pet. II. 9.) a royal priesthood, and (Rev. V. 10.) kings and priests unto God. Out of the throne proceeded (ver. 5.) lightnings, and thundrings, and voices, the ufual concomitants and attendents of the divine prefence: and there were feven lamps of fire burning before the throne, anfwering to the golden candleftick with feven lamps, which was before the most holy place in the tabernacle. Before the throne there was alfo (ver. 6.) a fea of glass, like unto cryftal, anfwering to the great molten fea or laver in the temple of Solomon: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, that is before and behind the throne, and on each fide of the throne, were four beafts or rather four living creatures, ((wa) reprefenting the heads of the whole congregation in the four quarters of the world, and refembling the Cherubim and Seraphim in Ezekiel's and Ifaiah's vifions, (Ezek. I. 10. X. 14. If VI. 2, 3.) or rather refembling the four standards or enfigns of the four divifions in the camp of Ifrael, according to the (8) traditionary defcription of them by Jewish writers. The firft living creature was like a lion, (ver. 7.) which was the standard of Judah with the two other tribes in the eastern divifion; and the fecond like a calf or ox, which was the ftandard of Ephraim with the two other tribes in the western divifion; and the third had a face as a man, which was the ftandard of Reuben with the two other tribes in the fouthern divifion; and the fourth was like a flying eagle, which was the standard of Dan with the two other tribes in the northern divifion and this traditionary defcription agrees alfo with the four faces of the Cherub in Ezekiel's vifions. Of thefe living crea tures and of the elders the conftant employment (ver. 8-11.) is to celebrate, in hymns of praise and thankfgiving, the great and wonderful works of creation and providence. CHAP. V. 1 ND I faw in the right hand of him that fat on the throne, a book written within and on the backfide, fealed with feven feals. 2 And I faw a strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the feals thereof? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open, and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5 And one of the elders faith unto me, Weep (8) Majores noftri dixerunt, &c. See Aben Ezra and others quoted by Mr. Mede. p. 437. VOL. II. N not: not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loofe the feven feals thereof. 6 And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beafts, and, in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb, as it had been slain, having feven horns, and feven eyes, which are the feven fpirits of God fent forth into all the earth. 7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that fat upon the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beafts, and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of faints. 9 And they fung a new fong, faying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the feals thereof: for thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And haft made us unto our God kings and priefts and we fhall reign on the earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beafts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thoufand times ten thoufand, and thoufands of thoufands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and ftrength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and fuch as are in the fea, and all that are in them, heard I, faying, Bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14 And the four beafts faid, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. Future Future events are fuppofed by St. John, as well as by Daniel and other prophets, in a beautiful figure, to be regiftered in a book, for the greater certainty of them. This book (ver. 1.) is in the right hand of God, to denote that as he alone directs the affairs of futurity, fo he alone is able to reveal them. This book, thro' the abundance of the matter, was (9) written within and on the backfide; as the roll of the book, which was fpread before Ezekiel, (II. 10.) was written within and without. It was alfo fealed, to fignify that the decrees of God are infcrutable, and fealed with feven feals, referring to fo many fignal periods of prophecy. In fhort we fhould conceive of this book, that it was fuch an one as the ancients ufed, a volume or roll of a book, or more properly a volume confifting of feven volumes, fo that the opening of one feal laid open the contents only of one volume. All creatures are challenged (ver. 2.) to open the book, and to loofe the feals thereof. But (ver. 3.) no one (des) in hea→ ven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, neither angels, nor men, nor departed fpirits, were any of them quali fied to comprehend and communicate the fecret purposes of God. St. John wept much (ver. 4.) at the fad difappointment: but who now is concerned or grieved, that he cannot understand these prophecies? However he is comforted (ver. 5.) with an affurance, that ftill there was one who had power and authority to reveal and accomplish the counfels of God. The Son of God, and he alone, was found worthy to be the great revealer and interpreter of his Father's oracles; (ver. 6, &c.) and he obtained this privilege by the merits of his fufferings and death. Whereupon the whole church, (ver. 8, &c.) and all the angels, (ver. 11, &c.) and all creatures (ver. 13, &c.) fing praifes to God and to the Lamb for fuch glo rious manifestations of divine providence. All this is by way of preface or introduction, to fhow the great dig nity, importance, and excellence of the prophecies here delivered. (9) So in Juvenal, Sat. I. 5. -fummi plena jam margine libri, CHAP. VI. AND I faw when the Lamb opened one of the feals, and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts faying, Come, and fee. 2 And I faw, and behold, a white horse; and he that fat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. As the feals are opened in order, fo the events follow in order too. The firft feal or period (ver. 1, 2.) is memorable for conqueft, and was proclaimed by the first of the four living creatures, who was like a lion, and had his ftation in the eaft. And I faw, and behold, a white horse; and he that fat on him had a bow, and a troen was given unto him, and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. This first period commenceth with Vefpafian and Titus, who from commanding (1) in the eaft were advanced to the empire; and Vefpafian for this reafon was regarded, (2) both by Romans and foreigners, as that great prince who was to come out of the east, and obtain dominion over the world. They went forth to conquer; for they made an entire conqueft of Judea, destroying Jerufalem, and carried the Jews captive into all nations. As thefe prophecies were written a few years before the deftruction of Jerufalem, they properly begin with fome allufion to that memorable event; and a fhort allufion was fufficient, our Saviour himself having inlarged fo much upon all the particulars. The bow, the white horse, and the crown are proper emblems of victory, triumph, and royalty; and the proclamation for conqueft is fitly made by a creature like a lion. This period continued during the reigns of the Flavian family and the fhort reign of Nerva, about 28 years. (1) Hujus (Vitellii) tempore Vefpafianus in oriente principatum arripuit, Aurel. Vi&tor, Epit. Cap. 8. (2) Tacit. Hift. Lib. 5. p. 217.. Edit. Lipfii. Sueton. in Vefp. Cap. 4, They |