givings unto God, he expreffes his confident hope, and ardent defire, that the love of Chrift, in the redemption of mankind by his blood, fhall illuf trate the glory of his perfections; and that his kingdom of truth, righteousness, peace and joy fhall never be overthrown by men or devils.

Ver. 7.-Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall fee him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth fhall wail because of him: even fo. Amen.

This verfe is a citation from three predictions of the coming of Chrift recorded in Daniel vii. 13. Zechariah xii. 10. and Mat. xxiv. 30. The first of these is an early prophecy of the profperity of Chrift's kingdom in this world, after the final overthrow of the laft head of Roman government. This is evident from the whole 7th chap. of Daniel, which will fall to be explained more fully as we proceed in this book. The fecond is a prediction of the converfion of the Jews, who are here defigned they that pierced him. And the last is a prophecy of the final overthrow of the Roman empire, when Chrift's kingdom fhall come in all that glory and triumph which fhall make the period foretold in Rev. xx. 4,-6. Hence the meaning of this verfe is, that these early and dark hints delilivered by Daniel, Zechariah, ahd Matthew, con

cerning

cerning the profperity of Chrift's kingdom in this world, in a diftant period, the converfion of the Jews, and the total overthrow of papal Rome, fhall be more fully and clearly unfolded in this book. That they are fo will I hope, appear as we proceed. To these things John fays Amen, in token of his firm belief that they fhall be fo, his ardent defire that they may happen, and his full conviction of their fitnefs and propriety.

Ver. 8.I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, faith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

This book is the Revelation of Jefus Chrift. In this verse Chrift himself speaks, and tell us who he is. He is "the Lord;" in confequence of that effential fovereignty over all; which is effential to Christ as true God, that dominion with which he is vefted as mediator during the fubfiftance of the mediatorial kingdom, and until he fhall deliver up that kingdom unto God the Father, and that fupreme power by which he controuls, over-rules and fhall at laft fubdue all his enemies, and the oppofers of his kingdom. He is ftiled "The Lord" in a great multitude of paffages of scripture: But the 34th, 35th, and 36th verfes of the fecond chapter of the Acts of the Apoftles in fo ftriking a manner

apply

apply the appellation of Lord to Chrift, that I fhall infert them; For David is not afcended into the "heavens; but he faith himself, the Lord faid un

to my Lord, fit thou on my right hand, until I "makes thy foes thy footftool. Therefore let all "the house of Ifrael know affuredly, that God "hath made that fame Jefus whom ye have cruci"fied, both Lord and Chrift." This Lord, who is Jefus Chrift; faith, “I am Alpha and Omega." These two words are the names of the firft, and the last letters of the Greek alphabet, and indeed the two letters themfelves (A ) are in the origihal, and not the names of them... The Greeks represent numbers, not by the digits or figures ufed by us, and many other nations, but by the letters of their alphabet. Hence alpha and omega, which are the firft and the last of their numbers, fignify in the fymbolical language, the first and the laft. Thus Chrift, as God, is the firft and the last of beings. He was before all other beings. Of every other he could have faid, as he faid to the Jews of Abraham, John viii, 58. "Verily verily, I fay "unto you, before Abraham was, I am." He is the laft. None fhall furvive him. He is felf-existent and eternal.

“In

"He is the beginning." He created all. "the beginning was the Word, and the Word was "with God, and the Word was God. All things

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.were

were made by him: and without him was not "any thing made that was made."

He is "the ending." He will at last judge all and fix their final doom. John v. 22, 23. "For "the Father judgeth no man; but hath commit"ted all judgement unto the Son: that men should "honour the Son, even as they honour the Fa"ther."

Who is, who was, and who is to come," the fymbolical name of Jehova the incommunicable name of God; which is applied, verfe 4th, to God the Father, and in this verfe to Jefus Chrift, to fhew that he is true God, fince he exifts in all time paft, prefent and future. He is alfo called the Almighty. Though fome creatures may be filed mighty, yet not even the first and greatest of creatures can be filed Almighty. Omnipotence, like felf-existence and eternity, is an incommunicable attribute of Deity. The account given of Chrift in this verfe fo fully fhews him to be true God, that it is not poffible to exprefs Deity in more unequivocal terms, than" the first and the laft, the beginning and the ending, which is, which was, "and which is to come, the Almighty."

66

But perhaps, thofe who will not acknowledge the true divinity of Chrift, will endeavour to evade the force of this defcription, by faying, that it applies to God only and not to Jefus Christ. Let them read with attention verfes 11th,-18th of this

chapter,

chapter, especially the 17th, and 18th; and they will find, that the fame perfon who faith, "I am "Alpha and Omega, the first and the laft, the Al

mighty," faith alfo, "I am he that liveth, and "was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore.' But this last part of the defcription cannot apply to God the Father, but muft apply only to the "Word, which is God, and which was made flesh, "and dwelt among men."

As fuch is the character of Jefus, he could clearly forfee, perfectly foretell, and, in fpite of all opWhat event pofition, bring about, every event.

could escape the notice of him who is "the first "and the laft, the beginning and the ending, which "is, and which was, and which is to come?" Or what power or policy could prevent the full ac-: complishment of the predictions of him who is the Lord, and the Almighty?

Ver. 9.-I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom, and patience of Jefus Chrift, was in the idle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

John informs the feven churches in Afia of his fituation, and of the occasion of it, at the time he faw and wrote the heavenly vifions contained in

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this