which Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man, performed upon earth, in fulfilling the charge he had received from his Father in redeeming the world, &c. These functions we see here completed by his coming at the last day to judge mankind, and to decree their rewards and punish

ments.

v. 8. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

Here the Almighty himself speaks: I am Alpha and Omega; Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the meaning of which in this place is explained by the subsequent words, the beginning and the end. I am, says Almighty God, the beginning and end of every thing, I am the first cause and last end of all beings. I am the source, from which every thing flows, and to which every thing must return. I created the world by my power, I govern it by my wisdom, and shall put an end to it at my pleasure. I am He who is, and who was, and who is to come,' the Almighty. See above, ver. 4.

Thus we see the two great Personages, who here preside through the whole scene of the Apocalypse, God, and Jesus Christ. They are placed in the supreme degree of eminence, and are clearly distinguished by their respective titles and attributes.

They are exhibited as the Sovereign rulers of the universe, the moderators of all human transactions. And thus is nobly ushered in the prophetic history, which begins as follows:

v. 9. 1 John your brother and your partner in tribulation, and in the kingdom, and patience in Christ Jesus, was in the Island, which is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus.

v. 10. "I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

v. 11. "Saying, what thou seest, write in at book: and send to the seven Churches which are in Asia, to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamus, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."

St. John here informs us, that he had shared in the persecution and tribulation, which were common to the Christians; that he was partner with them in being a member with them of the body of Christians, which formed the kingdom of Jesus Christ. By the orders of the Emperor Domitian, St. John, as we have seen, was put into a caldron of boiling oil at Rome, which he bore with invincible patience, and came out unhurt; after which he was banished into the Island of Patmos, in the Archipelago. There he was an exile for the word of God, for having preached the word of God in opposition to the superstitions of idolatry, and for the testimony of Jesus, or for having borne testimony to Christ, by confessing publicly his holy name, and maintaining his doctrine. He was there in spirit on the Lord's day, or Sunday, which being sanctified by the great mysteries of the resurrection of Christ and the descent of the Holy Ghost, was certainly a proper day for receiving this important revelation, which comprises the whole history of the Christian Church from her birth to her final triumphant state in heaven.

He then proceeds to describe the manner in which this History was communicated to him: And I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, what thou seest write in a book. We proved, ver. i. p. 2. that this prophecy was delivered to the Apostle by the angel of Christ, St. John Baptist: and he is the great voice like that of a trumpet, which here speaks to the apostle; for the function of the voice on this occasion is similar to that which the Baptist performed when on earth. He then announced as with the voice

of a trumpet, the coming of his divine Master: "I am the voice," says he, "of one crying in the wilderness: make straight the way of the Lord," John i. 23. In like manner he is here distinguished by the appellation of a great voice, and announces what is and what will be his Master's government and administration of his Church. Besides, we read in verse the first of chap. iv. of the Apocalypse: "The first voice which I heard, as it were, of a trumpet speaking with me, said: Come up hither, and I will shew thee the things which must be done hereafter;" which being compared to verse the eighth of chap. xxii. "After I had

heard and seen, I fell down to adore before the feet of the angel, who shewed me these things;" it plainly appears that the voice and the angel indicate the same person, viz. St. John Baptist. This observation premised, the apostle is told; What thou seest, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia, &c. He is ordered to send this book of the Apocalypse to the seven Asiatic Churches mentioned in the text, whence it was eirculated over the christian world, and transmitted down to us.

v. 12. "And I turned," continues St. John, "to see the voice that spoke with me: and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks.

v. 13. "And in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks one like to the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

v. 14. "And his head and his hairs were white, as white wool, and as snow: and his eyes were as a flame of fire.

v. 15. “And his feet like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace: and his voice as the sound of many waters.

v. 16. "And he had in his right hand seven stars. And from his mouth came out a sharp two

edged sword: and his face was as the sun shineth in his power."

St. John, in looking behind him to see the voice that spoke to him, is surprised by the appearance of a remarkable scene: Seven golden candlesticks standing, and in the midst of them a person resembling the Son of Man, or Christ, clothed with a long garment down to the feet, and girt about the breast with a golden girdle, a dress that denotes high rank and dignity; and being girt in this manner shews him to be about business, namely, the government of his Church. His head and hair were white, as white wool, and as snow; an emblem of Christ's divine existence from all eternity, whiteness of hair naturally indicating old age. And his eyes were as a flame of fire, as piercing as the flame of fire, penetrating into every thing, as he himself says: "I am He, that searcheth the reins and hearts." Apoc. ii. 23. His feet were like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace ; the feet make the extremity of the body, and appear here inflamed as brass in a glowing furnace, to shew that at the extremity or end of time, Christ will come to destroy the world by fire. His voice was as the sound of many waters; his voice sounded like the noise of many flowing waters, as ter-rible as the roaring of a tempestuous sea. Such will be his voice in denouncing sentence against the wicked at the last day. In his right hand he held seven stars, which will be explained below, ver. 20. And from his mouth came out a sharp two-edged sword, the terrible weapon which Christ will use, as we shall see hereafter, to slay Antichrist and his armies. It appears to proceed from his mouth, as ready to execute his command. It also shews in general, that Christ punishes his enemies. Lastly his face shone as bright as when the sun shineth in its full power; this is, the bright pleasing countenance which he will shew to his Saints at the last day.

Thus appears the son of man, arrayed in dignity, with the marks of his unlimited power and dominion, with the symbols of his divine and human attributes, and as the Sovereign Administrator of his. Church.

v. 17. “ And when I had seen him," continues St. John, "I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying: Fear not, I am the first and the last.

v. 18" And alive, and was dead. And behold I am living for ever and ever, and have the keys of death and of hell.”

St. John, struck at the awful appearance of his Lord, falls down at his feet as dead; but is raised up by Christ who tells him, not to fear, and adds I am the first and the last; I exist before all created beings, and shall continue to exist when time shall be no more; I am from all eternity, and shall be to all eternity. I am alive and was dead: I am the living one; life is essential to me, as God; but I died, as Man-God; and behold I am now living for ever and ever. I hold the keys of death and of hell; mine is the power of opening the graves, and raising the dead bodies; mine is the power of opening hell, and drawing thence the souls, to reunite them to their bodies: and thus I am He that shall resuscitate all mankind, and shall be their Judge.

v. 19. "Write therefore the things which thou hast seen, and which are, and which must be done hereafter."

Our Saviour here orders St. John to write the scene he has already seen, and the things which are, or which have just now been dictated to him; and to write also the things which must be done hereafter, that is, the history, that will presently` be given him, of the events which will happen in the Christian Church.

E

† In the Greek text, “the Living-one.”.