CHAP. V. Verfe ft. A ND I faw in the right hand of him that fat on the throne, a book written within, and on the back fide, fealed with feven feals. This book was in the form of the antient rolls. Though the rolls were frequently, like this book, written within and on the back fide; yet, as they were rolled round a piece of timber and fealed at the end, though detached words were seen, as feveral words could not be feen in their regular order, it was impoffible to perceive the meaning of a fingle fentence, while the roll was wrapped round the piece of timber and fealed at the end. Let any perfon wrap a roll of paper round a piece of timber, in the way in which thefe antient rolls were wrapped, and he fhall find it impoffible for him to read a fingle fentence of it, though written on the back fide as well as within. In Ezek. ii. 9. 10. a roll of a book is faid to be written within and without. The hieroglyphic in this verfe is a very fingular and uncommon one. A book received from God is the fymbol of a revelation from God committed to writing, 1 writing, Jer. xxxvi. 2. Ezek. ii. 9. But as this book is ftill in the hand of God, and fealed with seven feals, its contents are known to none but God. The book too is written within and on the back fide, that is, it is entirely filled up. No new revelation is to be added to it. This looks like a paradoxical hieroglyphic, a complete revelation committed to writing, to which nothing is to be added; and yet known to God only. This book is fealed with seven seals. Probably thefe feals were not all fixed at the end of the roll; but every one of them at a different part of it, in the following manner: So much of the roll was wrapped round the piece of timber, and then a feal was placed upon it; fo much more, and then a fecond feal; fo much more, and then a third feal; and fo on until all the feven feals were placed upon it at proper distances; and the feventh feal was placed upon and closed up the end of the roll. When the feal, which is at the end of the roll, which, in the opening is called the first seal, is opened, and fo much of the roll is unwrapped as is contained between that one and the fecond feal, the contents of that first part of the roll may be feen and read. In like manner, the fecond is opened, and fo on to the feventh. This book is faid to be fealed with feven feals, because it is divided into feven diftinct predictions, as fhall appear in the opening of these seven seals. This This number has also a reference to the feven ages, into which the greatest part of the duration of the world is divided, as fhall afterwards appear when I confider these ages. Seven, too, the fymbol of perfection, fignifies that this book was fo perfectly fealed up, before the days of the apoftle John, that no creature could open it, and look into its contents. But what is the particular book which exactly corresponds to all the parts of this paradoxical hieroglyphic? It is the book of the prophecies of Daniel fo far as it relates to the Roman empire, under its heathen and papal heads, and to the church of Chrift; particularly chap. vii. 7.-28. and chap. xii. In these paffages are contained all the predictions, which are more fully illuftrated in the whole book of the Revelation, from the beginning of chap. vi. to the end of the book, as fhall appear as we proceed in the commentary. Hence as nothing is added to it, in this laft written revelation of God's will, it agrees to the first character of the book in this verse, that it is written within and on the back fide. It is alfo a book, for it was a written revelation from God in the days of Daniel, many hundred years, before John faw this vifion. But though it was a revelation from God committed to writing; yet it was in the days of John ftill a fealed book in the hand of God. Neither Daniel himfelf nor a ny 66 ny other man or creature knew its meaning. Daniel not only tells us that he knew not the meaning of the things which he faw and wrote in his book, but that by the divine command they were fealed up, and were to continue fo until the time of the gospel difpenfation. He thus expreffes hinfelf, chap. xii. 8, 9. "And I heard but understood not: then faid I, O my Lord, what shall be the "end of these things? And he said, go thy way "Daniel: for the words are clofed up and fealed till "the time of the end. The time of the end, which is frequently mentioned in facred writing, fignifies the fame thing with thofe expreffions, which also frequently occur in facred scripture, the last times, and the fullness of times. All these fignify the time of the gospel difpenfation, which commenced with the refurrection of Chrift from the dead, and ends with the confummation of all things, or Chrift's delivering up the mediatorial kingdom unto God the Father. This period is ftiled the laft times, the fulness of times, and the time of the end, because, though there were feveral times or difpenfations of religion, before it, fuch as firft that of Adam in paradife, fecond the patriarchical difpenfation, and third the Mofaic difpenfation; there fhall be no difpenfation of revealed religion, in this world, after it. This difpenfation is the time of the end. This book is in the right hand of him who fat on the throne. The right hand is the fymbol of wif dom dom, dexterity, and power. By this fymbol it is declared that all the things predicted in this book are dictated by the unerring wisdom, and, in spite of all oppofition, fhall be exactly accomplished by the almighty power of God. In fact, these parts of the prophecy of Daniel remained fealed up, until the time of the gospel difpenfation, when the book of the Revelation was written by John, under the infpiration of the Holy Spirit, in order to open up the fealed book of Daniel. Verse 2d. And I faw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loofe the feals thereof? An angel fignifies a meffenger of God to men, whether that meffenger is one of the celestial fpirits, one of the fons of men, or a particular event in the course of his providence. The angel mentioned here, appears to me, to have been the prophet Daniel. He was fo frequently employed as a meffenger of God to men, that he might well have been ftiled an angel. He anxiously defired to know the meaning of these fealed vifions, chap. xii. 8, 9. He fays "And I "heard, but I understood not; then faid 1, O my "Lord, what fhall be the end of these things? *And he said, go thy way Daniel; for the words *are |