down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the fun, and his feet as pillars of fire. And he had in his hand a little book open and he fet his right foot upon the fea, and his left foot on the earth. And he cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, feven thunders uttered their voices.

This chapter and the following one to verse 13th, contain an account of the fourth vifion which John faw. In the following part of this book are recorded the prophecies which were contained in that part of the book which Chrift opened, which extends from the seventh feal to the end of the roll. And this chapter is an introduction to that part of this book.

The

The angel whom John faw here, is Jefus Chrift the angel of the covenant All the lines in this hieroglyphic unite in forming the true features of his character: and they form features which can agree to no other character.

He is filed a "mighty or powerful angel." In his divine nature, Chrift is omnipotent; and in his mediatorial character, "all power in heaven and in "earth is given unto him." He comes down from heaven, "for verily the Word was made flesh, and "dwelt among us."

He is "clothed with a cloud," because the Chriftian church, the myftical body of Chrift fhall be under a thick cloud, during the long period of Papal tyranny, for 1243 years; to which this chapter is an introduction.

"A rainbow was upon his head," to fignify, that the church should not be totally drowned by the deluge which should proceed from that cloud, but that Chrift fhould remember his covenant, "that his church is built upon a rock, and that the gates of hell fhall never prevail against it."

"His face was as it were the fun." All created angels are like the ftars only, because their light or knowledge is derived from God,thecenter and fource of all intelligence and wifdom; but Chrift is like the fun, his luftre is underived, it is inherent, because he is divine. "We beheld his glory, the glory as

"of

"of the only begotten of the Father, full of " and truth."

grace

"And his feet as pillars of fire," to mark the perfect purity of his fteps, even in the most trying fituations in this world. In chap. i 15. it is faid of Christ, that "his feet are like unto fine brass, as "if they burned in a furnace ;" and in verfe 16th, "his countenance was as the fun fhineth in his "ftrength." These are two of the fymbols in this hieroglyphic.

He is faid to "cry as a lion roreth." A beast of prey is the hieroglyphic for a temporal king or kingdom. The lion is the king of the foreft; hence, it is the fymbol of Chrift in the character of the temporal governor of the world. "The king of kings "and Lord of Lords." The angel mentioned in this chapter is ftiled a strong angel, and is faid to cry with a loud voice like a lion, also, to fhew that he is the fame perfonage who in chap. v and 5, is ftiled, "The lion of the tribe of Juda," to whom the fealed book was delivered, and who opened it; and, that the little book now in his hand is the last part of that fame book.

"He had in his hand, a little book open." The word, which in our tranflation is open, is, in the original artwyμéror, which fignifies opened. By this expreffion, it is intimated that this little book had not been delivered open to this angel originally; but that it had been opened by

him,

him, before the time John saw it in his hand, in this fourth vifion. In a former vifion, chap. v. John faw a book in the hand of God, written within, and on the back fide, and fealed with feven feals he saw Jefus Chrift, ftiled the lion of the tribe of Juda, receive the book from the hand of God, and he was affured that none but Jefus could open that book; and, that he both could and would open it. In chap. vi. he informs us that Jefus opened fix of the feals of that book; and he tells us what was contained under each of thefe feals. In chap. viii. he informed us that he opened the feventh feal, but he hath not yet told us all that is contained under that feal. Hence, the little book opened in the hand of Chrift, is that part of the large book, which he received, as in chap. v. and which he had opened as in chap vi. and viii, which comprehends the whole of that part of the roll, that extends from the seventh feal to the end of the roll.

It was formerly fhewn that the book fealed with feven feals, was the prophecy concerning the rife, height, and downfal of the Roman empire under all its various forms of government, and the fufferings and triumph of the church of Chrift in this world; the outlines of which Daniel had drawn in his prophecies; but, which he was commanded to feal up to the time of the end. But many of these things have not yet

been

been revealed under the firft fix feals; whereas, they follow in their regular order in the following chapters of this book. And thefe chapters are the things which are contained in this opened book, both of which fhall appear as we proceed. Hence, this little opened book is that part of the roll,, which was unfolded by the opening of the feventh feal.

"He fet his right foot upon the fea, and his "left foot upon the earth." The fea is the fymbol for great multitudes of people, in a fluctuating and unfettled ftate, and the earth is the fymbol for the Roman empire, as was formerly fhewn. When a man walks or leaps, his right foot is placed before his left, is the firft which is lifted up; and, confequently is the first, which is put down again upon the ground. By Chrift's fetting his right foot upon the fea, and his left foot upon the earth, it is declared that the fcene of the events to which this chapter is introductory fhall be first a fluctuating and unfettled ftate, and fecondly, a fettled and regularly constituted state of the weftern world. The first of thefe was that, in which the Roman empire, overrun and overturned by the irruption of the barbarous nations, was diffolved, for a confiderable time, and the inhabitants of the western world were in a most fluctu

ating and unfettled ftate. And the fecond was that, in which the Roman empire was restored

Vol. I.

U u

and