was found qualified, to explain, or undertake its accomplishment. He even wept much. The opening of this book has cost tears, but its accomplishment will occasion many more.

Verse 5. One of the elders saith, weep not, &c. &c. It is true, the most mighty and powerful angels in heaven are unequal to this task, though they have performed actions of great renown-wonders of eternity! Yet Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, Gen. xlix. 9. the root of David, on whom the seven fold Spirit of Jehovah rests, Isa. xi. 1. 2. has accomplished such an arduous nterprise in the redemption of the world; by which he proved himself qualified, worthy, and willing, also to execute this mighty scheme of administration, without which the momentous designs and purposes of heaven in the death of Jesus, could not be fully attained. Therefore, dear John, weep not. This satisfied the holy seer, and now he looked about for this great and able personage, whom his eager eye had not yet espyed, because of his diminutive appearance among so many glorious objects.

Verse 6. In the midst stood a Lamb, as it had been slain, &c. &c. dgvíov, even signifies a young tender lamb. He is thus represented, because his pilgrimage on earth was very limited in comparison with that of the ancient patriarchs, whose protracted existence embraced even many centuries; but also on account of a striking resemblance between the innocent qualities of a lamb, and the perfections of his humanity, which he manifested in his mediatorial office. Our Saviour's exaltation began with his resurrection. Since that time great things have passed concerning Him in the invisible world, Heb. ii. 8. 9. In his ascension, angels, authorities, and powers were made hie subjects, 1 Pet. iii. 22. Ten days after, he sent the promise of the Father, the Holy Ghost. And here he receives his commission in a book from the throne, and commences the government of the world,

He stood in the

midst of the throne of the eternal Father, who probably sat on one side-in the midst of the four Beings of life, or in the heart of his Church-in the midst of the twenty-four elders, the representatives of all his holy martyrs and witnesses in the world of Spirits. This illustrates his excellence, dignity, and ability. As it had been slain. He yet had the marks of his sufferings and death upon him-the print of the nails and spear in his hands, feet and side, fresh as lately slain. O how can he forget his people! How can the eternal Father behold his Son and deny his mercy to the world! Why should we not have perfect confidence in him?

Having seven horns and seven eyes. Horns denote power, great ability, and in the prophetic writings, kings and kingdoms. Dan. viii. 20. 21. and vii. 24. Christ is called the horn of David, and the horn of salvation, Ps. cxxxii. 17. Luke i. 89. Eyes denote wisdom, knowledge, sagacity, foresight and providence. These eyes more particularly denote the seven Spirits of God, which Christ received without measure. Thus he is here represented, as every way qualified to open this book of God's decrees, and to administer the government of the world and the Church, by a perfect completion of the whole plan of infinite wisdom, concerning the restoration of the human family to favour, and glory. He took the book, and thus assumed the authority and government with perfect assurance, and the complaisance of the eternal Father.

Verse 6. And when he had taken the book, the four

beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

9. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art

worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed

us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred,

and tongue, and people, and nation.

10. And hast made us unto our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.

Verse 8. The four beasts and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Here the doctrine of Christ's divinity is fully established. All his economies, churches, saints, faithful ministers, martyrs, and witnesses pay him divine honours as God, and the Mediator between God and man, by way of religious worship; and all this in the presence of the eternal Father, and in the face of heaven. what stupidity, and wickedness, to deny the Lord that bought us! 2 Pet. ii. 1. To blaspheme him on earth, whom all heaven adores, is Satan-like.

0

The ancient harp, was an instrument of music with ten strings, which was not sounded by the hand, but by a certain tool, at divine service, 2 Sam. vi. 5. Ps. xxxiii. 2, and on particular occasions of great joy.

Golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers, &c. In allusion to these vials, they had golden censers in the temple at Jerusalem, in which incense, or odours, were daily burned, and the sweet smell ascended to heaven. These odours are not symbols of the prayers themselves, but of their being acceptable, regarded, and remembered before God. Neither do the elders here act the part of mediators for the praying saints; but that of divine messengers, who like the angel that was sent to Cornelius, Acts x. inform the saints on earth, by spiritual signs and tokens, that their prayers are come up for a memorial before God, and will be answered in due season. Heb. i. 14. Whenever they make such a communication to the saints, then the smoke of the sweet odours ascendeth up before God out of their hands, and the saints feel the heavenly tune of their hearts touching every fibre of sensibility. For the scene of this vision is not actually in heaven, but in the Church on earth; and it is here, where the elders kindle the fire of these odours in the hearts of saints. Ac

cording to this idea of the subject, the holy Martyrs constitute a separate spiritual priesthood, arranged into twenty-four courses, the heads of which are these elders, to whom are assigned this employment at present, among the saints on earth. O Christian! remember when you pray, that some one of these holy martyrs is kneeling by your side, to worship the same Lord and Saviour with you, and to signify to you, that your prayer is acceptable. Remember, you are praying in the congregation of angels. The whole import of this figure then is, that this royal priesthood on this occasion offered themselves, their commissions and offices, as a living sacrifice, and confessed allegiance to Jesus, the Lamb of God, upon his entering on the administration of his government.

Verse 9. And they sung a new song. The original word 'd, song, signifies a piece of poetry, a hymn put in metre, so that it can be sung like the Psalms of David, or other hymns of praise and worship. See Eph. v. 19. Col. iii. 16. in the original. This here is entitled a new song, because it was just then made on a new occasion, wher the Saviour undertook the government of the world and the Church; and because its contents were a new discovery, which the elders had only then made concerning their future appointment on earth. Of this song the prophet Isaiah has spoken, xlii. 10. and throughout the whole of that chapter. The subject of this heavenly ode is expressed in the following words: Thou art worthy. This is a deliberate and public confession of their own conviction, concerning the knowledge, ability, dignity, and power of the Lamb, to explain and execute the divine scheme of government as contained in this book; and a free acknowledgement of their allegiance to him. For this proceeding they give the annexed reason: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood. There was a time, when angels desired to look into the marvellous plan of redemption, 1 Pet. i. 12; but since the ascension of Jesus Christ,

that great and mysterious scheme of salvation has been fully exhibited, and excites the admiration and delight of heaven, The four Beings of life, and the elders knew of no one worthy and capable, of all the mighty and excellent in heaven, who had ever performed an enterprize that could inspire such confidence, except the Lamb in the redemption of mankind. The Lamb who undertook and executed that scheme, He is worthy of the throne. His blood and sufferings are the price of our redemption-a great price indeed!

Out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Here both those Beings of lives, and the elders tell us who, and from whence they are. They are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb-They are of all nations on the earth. This passage does not prove, that only the elect were redeemed, it only evinces, that these enjoyed the fruits of the redemption of Christ. Dan. iii. 4. Col. i. 23. These four words may refer to the four parts of the world.

Verse 10. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests. The learned and pious Bengelius reads here Basınɛlav, a kingdom, pro Baçıλeis, kings. The Church of Christ is now a spiritual kingdom, John xviii. 36; but in the Millennium, during the thousand years reign of Christ on earth, it will be a kingdom in every sense of the word; and then the four Beings of life will be his kingdom, for the elders say, Gasıneusoμav, we wil Ireign as kings on the earth, At present they are only priests, but then they shall be as kings and priests on earth, Rev. xx. 4. 5. 6. as a compensation for the sacrifice they made of their lives, for the sake of Christ and his doctrinę.

Verse 11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many an

gels round about the throne, and the beasts, and

the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;