12. Saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and

wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

The voice of many angels. An innumerable company. Daniel saw such a number, chap. vii. 10. Ps. lxviii. 17. They were angels and not separate spirits of men, for they do not say, that the Lamb redeemed them. Those which the Lamb has redeemed, the four Beings of life, and the elders, were nearer to the throne than they, because the saints are the heirs of salvation, and the Church is the bride of the Lamb. This innumerable company of angels is said to have encompassed the whole scene; because they are servants of God, and ministering Spirits to the Churches, and guardians to believers, whom they protect from enemies and dangers, and perform many thousand good offices. Heb. i. 14. Rev. i. 1. Acts xxvii. 24. Acts xvi. 9. 10. 2 Kings vi. 16. 17.

Verse 12. Worthy is the Lamb. Thus all the heavens testify of his qualification and worthiness of the throne, and freely acknowledge their allegiance, in order to serve under his command. These seven words of praise may allude to the seven horns and eyes of the Lamb, and to the divine purposes, which he is to accomplish by them. Thus one division after the other declares the worthiness of the Lamb, and acknowledges allegiance: first the visible Church and people of God in these four economies, and all his holy martyrs; secondly, all the hosts of heaven; and thirdly, in the next verses, the whole human race on earth, and in Hades under the earth-God and the whole Universe, Deists deviate from them all, and are the enemies of all. Luke xix. 14. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message ὀπίσω αὐτῇ λεγοντες, behind his back, (through the country) saying we will not have Him to reign over us.

Verse 13. And every creature which is in heaven, and on

the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

14. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

It would appear from this chapter, that the eternal. Father revealeth his Son in a gradual manner both in heaven and earth, and that Jesus Christ manifests himself only by his works, and the performance of marvellous enterprises; until at last the whole Universe is brought, freely to confess his superiority in every point of view, even in his manhood, and to acknowledge allegiance from a full knowledge and conviction of his worthiness, by his admirable deeds. The universal homage of all creation, animate and inanimate, as recorded in these verses, did not actually take place at the time when John beheld this vision. Neither did the Lamb really then only open the book, and undertake the government, which certainly must have happened before the destruction of Jerusalem, since that judgment is ascribed to him. All this is a prophetic vision, of the gradual extension of the Saviour's kingdom, and acknowledged authority to the end of time. John v. 23. Phil. ii. 9. 10. 11.

CHAPTER VI.

1. SEAL, ACCOMPLISHED FROM A. D. 72-to 122.

Verse 1. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and

2.

see.

And I saw, and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering

and to conquer.

When the Lord made this Revelation to St. John, the situation of the Church of Christ was peculiarly critical. Jerusalem and her temple, the former people and Church of God lay in total ruin; which in its holy records had many glorious promises not yet fulfilled. The banners of the Church had been planted in many countries, and her ministers every where met with great success, in enlisting many valiant soldiers for the service of the Lord. Jews and Gentiles were alarmed, at this rapid propagation of the Gospel; and the Christians were in full expectation of the approach of the personal kingdom of Christ on earth, which should encompass the whole world. In the midst of this full tide of prosperity, the Church of Christ was arrested by the cruel persecutions of the Roman emperors. Nero and Domitian, revived Paganism in all its abominations, and threatened Christianity with utter destruction. Idolatry was every where again vigorously supported by

the powers of this world, the self-interested views of a host of priests, and the corrupt passions of man: but the religion of Jesus was accounted foolishness, an enemy to the state and to mankind, and only maintained herself by the truth of her doctrine, and the holy lives of her disciples. When the Christians saw all their hopes thus crossed, and all their wishes frustrated, many thousands fell into doubts, perplexing temptations and fears, concerning the truth and divine origin of the Christian religion, and her final success on earth. Short-sighted reason argued thus: If Jehovah be the author of Christianity, and Jesus Christ the Son of God, then our religion must finally prevail, and all the promises concerning the welfare of Zion, will surely be accomplished; but the natural probability from the violent opposition of the world, is against us, and Paganism is victorious from the throne to the cottage. It is not impossible that we may be deceived. Man perhaps is doomed to wander in darkness, doubt and perplexity, through the valley of this world, forlorn, and ignorant of a life to come, without a true knowledge of his Maker and his God. All those miracles which we have seen, and which are preached unto us, may be the effects of superior beings, unknown to us, or from latent causes in nature, and we destined, to be the sport of an inferior Demiurgus, or a deceitful Governor of this world. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable, 1 Cor. xv. 19. O that God in whom we trust, would take pity on us, and pour light and comfort into our desponding hearts! If this book had not opened the future prospects of the Church of Christ, these and similar doubts and perplexitics would have arisen in the hearts of millions in every age, and the Church would this day as much as ever, need such a mighty support.

The principal wish and desire of the Church in those days of affliction was, to know the future prospects of Christianity in the Roman empire, and the final doom of Paganism. Both these important points were revealed,

by opening the first six seals of the heavenly roll; and thus all Christians received instruction and comfort. Each seal enclosed only those events, which should be brought about by Providence, during a determined space of fifty years; and not all the events which happened during that space of time, nor even all those which the historian would treat with principal concern. Here prophecy differs widely from profane history; it only takes, notice of those dispensations, which were intended to effect the downfall of Paganism, and the success and prosperity of the Church and disciples of Jesus. All the glorious achievements of emperors and armies, which have no tendency to further the designs of heaven, are not considered as worthy of remembrance. They are mere actions of men, in which the Church of God is not immediately concerned, and are therefore undeserving of a place in the journal of Providence.

The whole Revelation then, contains a prophetic history of the Christian religion, of Christ and his Church. And this chapter begins the evolution of a series of Divine measures, by which the mystery of God was to be accomplished at different periods in the Roman empire, in order to procure a secure dwelling-place for the Church.

Verse 1. Come and see. Come and see. The opening of these seals seems to have been attended with circumstances, peculiarly majestic. When the Lamb opened a seal, he also exhibited its centents by a hieroglyphic representation in the surrounding clouds. Here a rider on horseback passed in full view of the throne, and all its attendants, through this heavenly theatre of visions; and the first Being of life like a lion, with a tremendous voice, as the noise of thunder, called the holy seer to give particular attention, that nothing might escape his observation, which could benefit, instruct, or comfort his brethren.

Verse 2. A white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow. Expositors have differed widely in their explana

2