either for addition or alteration. Observe, 4. It was a sealed book, yea, sealed with seven seals, denoting the matters that are therein contained to be most divine and excellent, secret and mysterious, certain and unalterable, and the knowledge of them impossible without the help and favour of special revelation. 2 I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look there5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. on. Observe, 1. Here is a proclamation made by an extraordinary angel, like an herald or officer, inquiring who was worthy, either in regard of authority, or in respect of ability, to open this book, and unloose the seals, that is, to disclose the secret counsels of God, and to make them known unto the sons of men; implying, that every angel in heaven is not worthy or meet to be the expositor of God's mind and mysteries unto man. Observe, 2. The great silence which there was in heaven upon this proclamation, amounting to an absolute and preremptory denial, that not any one, either in heaven or earth, or under the earth; not any angel in heaven, nor any saint living upon earth; not any dead saint under the earth, nor any devil or infernal spirit; was either worthy to open the book, or able to foresee or foretell the least event concerning the church, farther than revealed to them. Learn hence, That neither angels nor devils do understand the mysterious counsels of God, or can reveal future things to man, any farther than as God is pleased to reveal the same unto them. Observe, 3. St. John's great and bitter lamentation, because no person was found worthy to open the book, and reveal unto the church the secret counsels of God concerning her, I wept much; fearing, no doubt, lest the church of God should be deprived of the benefit and comfort of this revelation. Such as are the true members of the church are greatly afflicted with all the providential dispensations of God which do befall her; but nothing goes so near them, as to have the mind and will of God hidden and concealed from her. Observe, 4. A seasonable consolation given to St. John one of the elders that were about the throne said to him, Weep not, for care is taken for the opening and revealing of the book. Christ, who is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Son of David, as man, and the root of David, as God, is found worthy, in regard of the divinity of his person, and the prevalency of his merits, to open unto the church all the mysteries of God, which are meet and convenient for her to understand and know. Quest. Why is Christ called the Lion of the tribe of Judah? Answ. In allusion to Jacob's blessing, Gen. xlix. where Judah is called a lion's whelp, denoting the dignity and superiority of that tribe above the rest. Now Christ descended of this tribe, and is called a lion, in regard of his kingly power and strength, in regard of his stoutness and courage, in regard of his mildness and clemency, and true nobleness of spirit, to them that submit and yield unto him, and in respect of his vigilancy and watchfulness over his church; all which are the known properties of the lion; and as that creature is the king of beasts, so is Christ King of kings, and Lord of lords, the only potentate; dominion and fear are with him. Quest. But how could Christ be called David's root, when we know that David did not spring from him, but he from David, according to the flesh ? Answ. In a natural sense, David was the root of Christ; but in a spiritual sense, Christ was the root of David. David, as man, was the root of Christ : Christ, as Mediator and Godman, was the root of David. Thus he was both David's lord, and David's son, Psal. cx. 1. 6 And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven God sent forth into all the earth. eyes, which are the seven Spirits of 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 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. : Observe here, 1. That St. John had a vision of Christ in the former verse, under the representation of a ìion: here he is represented under the form and figure of a lamb, as wounded, bloody, sacrificed, and slain as bearing upon him the signs and scars, the marks and tokens, of his by-past death his appearing as a lamb slain, denoted his death; his stand, denoted his resurrection. There stood a Lamb, as it had been slain, it is added-having seven horns, the strength of a beast lying in its horns; this expression of seven horns denotes that omnipotent power which Christ has in himself, and that fulness of power which he does exert and put forth on all occasions in defence of his church. It follows, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God: these represent the Holy Spirit of God in its manifold graces given by Christ unto the church, as his agent and advocate upon earth; so that here in the text and context are all the three Persons in the Holy Trinity, whose divinity we believe, and in whom we trust; God the Father upon the throne, with a book in his hand : Christ the Lamb in the midst of the throne, opening the book: and the Seven Spirits, or Holy Ghost, distinct from the two former. Observe, 2. The office, which Christ, as Mediator God-man, performs; he goes to the throne, and takes the book out of the Father's hand, that is, he received power from God to open the book of mysteries, and to execute them: Christ sat upon the throne as God, but went to the throne for the book, as God-man; this power was due unto him as the reward of his sufferings. Observe, 3. The joyful acclamations accompanied with the profoundest adorations which were deservedly given by the holy inhabitants of heaven to Jesus Christ, as the only person worthy to take the book and open the seals: They fell down before the Lamb, saying, Thou art worthy, for Note here, Divine worship given to Christ thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us. the Lamb, which proves his deity; they sing an hymn of divine praise to the blessed Redeemer, with harps, and golden vials in their hands,-a new song; that is, a most excellent song, setting forth the benefits, and extolling the praises of the Lord celebration of those benefits and blessings, the Redeemer. Observe, 4. The church's which by the death of Christ she had received, namely, 1. They were redeemed unto God out of every kindred and tongue, people and nation; which shows the universal extent of the gospel church scattered over the face of the whole earth in and among all the nations of the world. 2. They were by him made kings and priests unto God, to reign on earth; that is, spiritual kings and priests unto God, to reign over sin, Satan, and the world, trampling their spiritual enemies under their feet, not expecting an earthly dominion. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels 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; 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. 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. Observe here, 1. The office of the holy angels in heaven declared; they stand round about the throne of God continually, as nobles and chief ministers of state attend upon a prince, waiting his pleasure, and expecting his commands. Observe, 2 The numberless number of them, Thousands of Blessing, and glory, and renown, To him that on the throne sits down, A CHAP. VI. ND 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 see. 2 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. The former chapter acquainted us with Christ's receiving of the sealed book; this with the opening of it seal by seal. Christ reveals unto St. John the deep counsels of God, which were hidden and secret: the only-begotten Son, that lay in the bosom of the Father, he hath revealed them; he only received authority, and he only was endued with ability to reveal them. Note, 1. The preparation made for St. John's vision of the seals; he standing afar off with profound reverence, heard a voice like thunder proceeding out of the mouth of one of the four beasts, who performed the office of a public crier, saying, Come and see. It is dangerous searching into God's secrets, and prying into his hidden councils, until we have a call and commission, a command and invitation, from God himself so to do ; thus had St. John here; one said unto him, Come near, and see. Note, 2. The vision itself, I beheld a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown, &c. the gospel, so called in regard of the divinity By the white horse is generally understood and spotless purity of its doctrine: the rider upon this horse is Christ, who rode swiftly in the ministry of the apostles, and other faithful teachers in the first ages of christiand he rode with a bow in his hand, anity; and a crown on his head with a bow, that is, with threatenings and terrors denounced against his enemies before they were inflicted upon them, as the bow is first held in the hand, then the arrow prepared upon the string, and at last shot forth and with a crown, denoting that royal state of kingly dignity and honour to which Christ, the Lamb that was slain, was now exalted; and thus he rode on conquering and to conquer, until he had consummated his victories in a glorious triumph over his enemies, namely, in the conversion of some, and destruction of others; thus the opening of the first seal gave the church a very encouraging and comfortable prospect of the victories, successes and triumphs, of Christ, notwithstanding the rage, subtilty, and power, of all his enemies: Christ rode on with a bow in his hand, and with a crown on his head, conquering and to conquer, until his arrows were sharp in the hearts of his crucifiers; and will thus ride on till the people fall under him, and all his enemies become his footstool. 3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another and there was given unto him a great sword. The second seal opened did represent to St. John's visionary view a red horse, of a bloody colour; denoting first, the dreadful execution of God's wrath upon the Jews, embroiling the land with wars, divisions, bloodshed, unpeaceable tumults, killing and ruining one another, to which purpose he apprehended that he saw a sword in his hand that rode upon this horse, signifying the great slaughter which would be committed by the Jews upon one another. Others, secondly, by this red horse understand the bloody Roman emperors, Nero, Trajan, &c. and the persecution which the primitive church underwent in their days. Eusebius relates, that so fierce was their rage against the poor christians, that a man might see cities full of dead bodies, old and young, men and women, cast out naked, without any reverence of persons, or regard to sex. From hence we may learn, What little reason the christian church has to think strange of the fiery trial, as if some strange things happened to them: when as we see all the rage and cruelty, all the blood and violence, which the christian church has fallen under in the several ages of it, have been from the beginning revealed and prophetically foretold. 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo, a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a pen ny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. The third seal opened, sets forth the great calamity which should befall the church by famine, which some understand literally, others figuratively and mystically. 1. A literal famine in Judea, seems here to be horse, with a balance to weigh food in his prefigured by a person riding on a black hand: famine discolours the face of men, and makes them look black, sad, and dismal; accordingly it is represented by a black horse; and the rider having a pair of scales in his hand to weigh corn by the pound, and not to measure it by the bushel, imports the great scarcity that there should be in bread; and St. John heard a voice, saying, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny. The Roman penny was the ordinary wages for a day's work to a labourer, so that the quantity of bread was but sufficient to keep persons alive for one day. Famine is a very sore and terrible judgment, it consumes a people by piecemeal other judgments cut off suddenly, but this is a lingering and languishing death. Lord! help us in the midst of our fulness, when we eat the fat, and drink the sweet, to remember how righteously thou mayst cut us short of our abused mercies. How is it that we have not long ago sinned away our plenty, who have so often sinned with our plenty ? 2. Others understand the famine, here represented by the black horse, to be meant of a spiritual famine, a scarcity of the word of God, which fell out in the time of the ten persecutions, when the storm fell upon the bishops and most useful ministers in the church, when many bright and burning lamps were extinguished, others hid under a bushel a dismal, gloomy day, when the church of God did eat her spiritual bread by weight, when all the spiritual food men could get to keep their souls alive from day to day could be but sufficient for that end. : 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse; and his name that sat on him was Death, and hell followed with him and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. The fourth seal opened represents a pale horse, (pestilence,) with death riding upon it; and hell, that is, the grave, followed it: denoting, say some, all the calamities of sword, pestilence, and famine, which Christ, (St. Mark xiii.) foretold should come upon the Jews, and cause an universal devastation of their city and nation, and as universal a destruction of their persons. Note here, 1. How death is represented as sitting upon a pale horse; by a horse, for his strength, there is no resisting of him; for his swiftness, it is always posting towards us; for his office and use, which is to cut off, and carry away; and by a pale horse, for its ghastliness. Death has a grim and ghastly countenance, that strikes terror into all hearts, and paleness into all faces. Note, 2. As terrible as death was, it must and did receive power before it could destroy and kill: I beheld pale horse, and he that sat on him was death, and hell followed with him and power was given to them. Learn thence, That all the executioners of God's wrath and vengeance, sword, pestilence, and famine, death of all kinds, do act by commission, yea, they all come forth with limited commission; power was given to them. Others conceive, that by this pale horse the persecution of the primitive church was represented under the Pagan emperors, who made her face look pale like death, by the loss of a vast quantity of blood and spirits, when the church was mowed down like a meadow, and sprang as fast. 9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held : 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also, and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be ful filled. Here we have the fifth seal opened; under which Christ represents to St. John the condition of those precious souls of the holy martyrs who died for the testimony of Christ, by the bloody hands of tyrants; the design whereof is to support and encourage all that were to come after in the same bloody path. Observe here, 1. The vision which St. John saw, namely, the souls of the martyrs. But how could they be seen? Answ. Not by the external senses, being immaterial substances, but in spirit they were seen by him; he had a spiritual representation of them made to his mind. Observe, 2. The place where he saw them, under the altar; that is, lying at the foot of the altar, as sacrifices slain, and presented unto God. Where note, That however men look upon the death of the martyrs, yet in God's account they die as sacrifices: and their blood is no other than a drinkoffering poured out to God, which he highly prizeth, and graciously accepteth. Observe, 3. The cause of their sufferings and death described, it was for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held; as one of the martyrs in the Marian days held up his Bible at the stake, saying, "This is that hath brought me hither." They die not as malefactors, but as martyrs, giving a threefold testimony of the truth, a lip-testimony, a life-testimony, and a death or blood-testimony: they held the profession of their faith faster than they held their own lives. Observe, 4. What St. John heard, a loud cry, saying, How long? Note, 1. That souls can speak audibly, to the ears of men; note, 2. That they have sense of sufferings when they are in glory : it doth not imply that souls there are in a restless state, or that they want true satisfaction and repose when they are out of the body; much less, 3. doth this cry suppose that they carried with them to heaven any angry resentments, or revengebut this cry supposes in them a vehement ful dispositions, towards their murderers: zeal for the glory of God, a flagrant desire that God would clear their innocency, and make known his justice among men, that he would abolish the kingdom of Satan, and consummate the kingdom of Christ, making all his enemies to become his footstool; so that they pray for what Christ waits in glory, Heb. x. 13. all the revenge here desired was only a vindication of God's holiness and truth, which he himself had promised. Observe, 5. The gracious answer which God gave to the cry of these |