"are closed up, and fealed till the time of the "end."

46

Daniel is filed a ftrong or powerful angel, because he was great and powerful at the court of the kings of Babylon, because he was powerful as an angel or meffenger of God, having, in his prophecies published to men many great and interesting events. The appellation of strong is emphatically given to him, Daniel x. 9. "And faid, O man greatly beloved, fear not, peace be unto thee, be strong, yea be strong. And when he had spoken to "me I was strengthened, and said, Let my Lord speak for thou haft ftrengthened me." He is ftiled a strong angel here, especially with refpect to the loudness of the voice, with which he made this proclamation. A loud voice is expreffive of the strength and earneftnefs of him who fpeaks, tends to rouse the attention of the hearers and can be heard by many of them and at a great distance. Accordingly thefe prophecies of Daniel, were what he defired earnestly to know, they roufed the attention of mankind; and though published many hundred years before the days of John, yet during all that time, no man was able to unfold their true meaning.

Verfes 3d, 4th.-And no man in heaven, nor in the earth; neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look

VOL. I.

U

thereon.

thereon.

And I wept

much because no man

was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

The word udes which is tranflated no man, fignifies no being or no perfon. There is no word in the original which correfponds to man. The meaning of it is, that no created being, in whatever part of the univerfe he dwells, was able to o'pen the feals, which were put upon this book, and to explain the true meaning of thefe fhort but comprehensive hints of Daniel. The apostle John was much diftreffed, at the thought that no perfon could open up the true meaning of these prophecies.

Verfes 5th, 6th, 7th.-And one of the elders faid unto me, weep not: behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the feven feals thereof. And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had been flain, having feven horns, and feven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God fent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that fat upon the throne.

While the mind of John was thus diftreffed, he was informed by one of the elders, that a particular perfon, well known by the title of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and the Root of David, had prevailed to open the book and to loofe all the feven feals. These names are both given to Chrift, Genef. xlix. 9, 10. Isaiah xi. 1,-10. Thus it was declared to John, that Jefus Chrift, fhould fully open up the meaning of thefe prophecies, under the gofpel difpenfation.

That he might not mistake the perfon, who was to unravel these myfteries, John is fhewn him by vifion, ver. 6.; of whom he received information by an audible voice, ver. 5. It is not uncommon in prophetic writings, to give two accounts of the fame perfon or thing, different in their circumstances, but exactly the fame in their fubftance. This frequently happens in the book of the Revelation. Indeed it seems to be, almoft, an effential part of the conftruction of prophetic writings. These writings are neceffarily, dark and myfterious for the reafons affigned in the commentary on chap. i. When, in fuch writings, two different defcriptions of the fame perfon or thing exactly agree in fubftance, fuch an agreement, if not a full proof, is at least a very ftrong prefumption, that the meaning which we affix to both is the right one, and the one intended. Such an agreement in fubftance, affords a proof very fimilar to that which arifes from two witneffes, having

U 2

having deponed to the fame facts, but in expreffions different from each other: Which is much ftronger evidence than that which arifes from two witneffes having deponed to a number of intricate facts, in the very famé expreffions.

John faw a lamb, as it were flain. Jefus Chrift is ftiled a lamb, John i. 29,-36. Acts viii. 3. 1 Pet. i. 19. Chrift is fo well known in Scripture by the appellation of a lamb flain for us, that this fymbol as clearly fignifies Jefus Chrift, as if his name had ftood in its place. This lamb is faid to have feven horns and seven eyes, which we are told is the hieroglyphic for the Holy Spirit. The feven eyes fignify his perfect knowledge and wisdom, and the feven horns his divine power. Thefe influences of the Holy Spirit proceeding from Chrift, and extending over all the earth, form a beautiful defcription of Chrift, now in heaven in his ftate of exaltation. It was not till he had been flain and had rifen victorious from the gravé, that he faid to his apoftles Matth. xxviii. 18, 19. "All power is given unto "me in heaven and earth, go ye, therefore, and "teach all nations." It was not till he was just about to afcend into heaven, that he faid unto them, Acts i. 8. "Ye fhall receive power after that the

Holy Ghoft is come upon you, and ye shall be "witneffes unto me, both in Jerufalem, and in all "Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." It was not until Chrift af

cended

cended unto heaven, that the apoftles, Acts ii. 4. "were all filled with the Holy Ghoft, and began "to fpeak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave "them utterance.

The Lamb ftood in the space between the throne and the four living creatures, which space was alfo between the throne and the elders. By this station he is reprefented as the Mediator between God and the Chriftian church. Both minifters and people have access to the throne of God only through the mediation of Chrift, 1 Tim. ii. 5. "For there is one "God, and one Mediator between God and men, "the man Chrift Jefus." 1 John ii. 1. "We have "an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous." Heb. vii. 25. "Wherefore he is al"fo able to fave them unto the uttermoft, that "come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to "make interceffion for them."

66

Jefus received the fealed book from God in order to open it to the Chriftian church. Hence this book is entitled chap. i. verfe 1. "The Revelation "of Jefus Chrift, which God gave unto him, to "fhew unto his fervants the things which must "fhortly come to pass."

Verfes 8th, 9th, 10th.-And when he had taken the book, the four beafts, and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb,