to be indefinite; and hence, according to the conftruction of the Greek verbs, des is in the aorist. The various vifions which were made to John, he was to write exactly as they appeared to his mind. Whether he understood the real meaning of the vifions, or not, he was not to make the fmallest alteration, in his written account of them, from that appearance, which, at the time of the visions, they had to his mind. In obedience to this command, he wrote down these visions juft as they stand in this book of the Revelation; which vifions, as we proceed, fhall appear to make up the greatest part of it.

The following part of verse 19th runs thus in the original; και & εισι, και μέλλει γενέσθαι μετα ταυτα, and fhould have been thus tranflated, (as every one acquainted with the Greek language must know): "Even the things which at prefent exift, "and the things which fhall come into existence "after thefe;" that is, the vifions relate to the prefent ftate of the Chriftian church, and of the world as connected with it, and alfo to thofe events relative to both, which have not taken place yet, but which, in the course of divine providence, fhall rife into existence, in regular fucceffion, from the prefent moment to the diffolution of this earth.

Accordingly, fome of the vifions reprefent the things which exifted in the days of John, about

the

the year of Chrift, ninety five, when this vifion was made to him. Such, for instance, as the first vi

fion recorded in this which related to the feven Christian churches in Afia. The state of these churches, at that time, is delineated in the feven epiftles addreffed to them, and contained in chap. ii. and iii. The first seal alfo relates to the things which are; and all the other visions predict the various events, which, in regular fucceffion, were to happen to the church of Chrift, and the kingdoms of the world, as connected with it, to the end of this world.

chapter, verfes 12,-16. then present ftate of the

Such was the command given to John; and fuch is the great divifion of this book. As we proceed, I truft, it fhall appear, that he hath faithfully executed this command; and that this book exactly correfponds to this divifion. He is commanded, in particular, at this time, to write the mystery of the seven stars, which he saw in Christ's right hand, and the seven golden candleflicks.

Verfe 20th, 2d claufe.-The seven stars are the angels of the feven churches; and the feven candlesticks, which thou faweft, are the feven churches.

In this verse, Jefus explains the mystery, or hieroglyphical meaning, of the feven ftars, which John faw in his right hand, and of the feven candlesticks. He plainly tells him, that the feven ftars are the angels of the feven Chriftian churches in Afia, particularly enumerated in the 11th verfe; and that the feven candlesticks are the feven churches. The angels are the minifters of these churches. 'Ayyeno, the word tranflated angels, fignifies meffengers, thofe who carry a meffage from one perfon to another. It is commonly used to fignify that order of heavenly fpirits, who are employed as the meffengers of God; who, not from any thing peculiar in their nature, but from the nature of their office, are ftiled angels. Hence any perfon, or even event or thing, that is employed as an instrument to carry the meffages of God to men, is called an angel; as fhall appear in the course of this book. The peculiar and official work of a minister of the gofpel, is to deliver to the church the meffages of God. He is to preach to them, not the commandments of men, as doctrines, but only the doctrines of the gospel of Chrift, as they are taught by God, in thofe fcriptures, which "are given by infpiration of God, and are profi"table for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, "and for inftruction in righteoufnefs, that the "man of God, (or meflenger of God), may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good "works."

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"works." The gofpel fignifies good tidings, as it was originally denominated by the angel who proclaimed the birth of Chrift, and the introduction of the gospel into the world, Luke ii. 10.

The connection between the import of the word, angel, and the work of a minifter of the gospel, is very close, and must be very striking to those who are acquainted with the Greek language, the language in which the New Teftament was written. In the 2d chapter and 10th verse of Luke's gofpel history, when the angel faid, as in our translation, "I bring you good tidings," it is in the original, ayythos tvayyenouar, which, tranflated literally, is, "And the angel faid, I act the part of "a good angel, or meffenger."

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That the angels of the churches are the minifters of these churches, is further evident from the fymbol by which they are represented, even a star. In the symbolical language, a star always fignifies a minifter of religion. We fhall frequently meet with this fymbol, in this book, and in every place find that it is of the fame fignification.

In the fymbolical language, feven candlesticks fignify feven churches. We cannot err in explaining the meaning of the hieroglyphics ufed in this firft vifion, because a plain explanation of them is given by Chrift himself. Yet, as the fame fymbolical language runs through all the other visions in this book, and as the meaning of the

G 2

the symbols is not explained in every one, though it is in feveral of them, but is to be learned only from a knowledge of the fymbolical language, it will be highly proper, that I make a few explanatory obfervations on the hieroglyphics used in this

vifion.

As the fymbolical language was invented in a very early and fimple stage of civil fociety, the refemblance between the symbol, and the thing fignified, must always be obvious and striking, and never far-fetched or whimfical. Let us examine the fymbols in this vifion upon this principle. These we fhall examine with peculiar advantage, because Chrift hath told us their meaning before. hand. He hath done fo, probably for this reafon among others, that, with the more certainty, in the entry of this book, we might discover the key to the language in which it is written.

The perfonage, whom John faw, was "like unto "the Son of man ;" a name by which Chrift, in confequence of his having affumed the human nature, is well known in fcripture; a name by which he was pointed out, in the vifion which Daniel faw, chap. x. 16. " Clothed with a garment "down to the foot, and girt about the paps with "a golden girdle; his eyes were as a flame of fire, " and his feet like unto fine brafs, as if they burn❝ed in a furnace; and his voice as the found of "many waters." This is the very drefs and appea rance