I am the first and the last, as he had before said, Chap. i. v. 17. I am prior to 'all mankind, they die and return to dust, but I am living for ever and ever. I am the first founder of the new Church on earth, and I shall be the last and eternal reward of the same.

V. 14. Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb*: that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.

V. 15. Without are dogs, and sorcerers, and unchaste, and murderers, and servers of idols, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie. Christ continues to speak, and pronounces Blessed those Christians that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb by suffering martyrdom, or by preserving themselves clean from the filth of sin, and by the observance of his commands. These will be entitled to be admitted through the gates into the city, that is, into the mansions of Christian heavenly Jerusalem; where they will have a right to the tree of life, to eat the fruit of immortality. But all those others will be excluded from this heavenly city, who, after the nature of snarling dogs, calumniate and slander their neighbour; also all sorcerers, unchaste, murderers, idolaters, and those that love and make lies, or impostors and teachers of false doctrine.

V. 16. I Jesus have sent my Angel, to testify to, you these things in the churches Jesus Christ here speaks and says: I have sent my Angel, John the Baptist, to deliver to you, John the Apostle, this my Revelation, and to give testimony to it; that you may transmit it in an authentic manner to the seven churches of Asia, and they to others.-Christ continues,

V. 16. I am the root and stock of David, the bright and morning star. I am the root and stock or stem that spring from David: I am that Son of David, of whom it was said: The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his Father, and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end, Luke i. 32, 33. To me then were decreed all power and dominion: and from me flow the divine

* In the Greek, that observe his commandments.

blessings to all nations, both of redemption and future immortality. These are my rights. I am also the bright and morning star; the true morning star that shines so bright above all other stars, and that enlighteneth every man that comes into the world, John i. 9. I am that star, the Orient, that enlighteneth them who sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, Luke i. 78, 79. I am the bright morning star, that guides mankind to the gate of Heaven. I am the way, the truth, and the life, John xiv. 6.-Christ continues,

V. 17. And the Spirit and the bride say: Come. And he that heareth, let him say: Come. And he that thirsteth, let him come: and he that will, let him take the water of life freely. The Spirit or Holy Ghost, who directs the Church, and the Bride of Christ or the Church herself, cry to me, saying: Come, hasten the general judgment, put an end to the labours of your servants, and admit them into the heavenly city. Whoever heareth this cry of the Holy Spirit and the Church, let him also say: Come; let every one join in the same request, because it is for the ultimate and greatest blessing. And if any one thirsteth after the water of life, after the glory which I give, let him come and meet me, let him hasten to me in fervour and sanctity. And he that will, let him take the water of life freely; he that desires to drink of the water of life, and will take the pains to come at it, may have it freely or gratis, without money, without any other, price but faith and good works, both which proceed from the gratuitous gift of my grace: for without me you can do nothing, John xv. 5: When I crown your merits, I crown my own gifts.--The same invitation to eternal beatitude, which alone will satisfy all our desires, Almighty God formerly gave by his prophet Isaiah: All you that thirst, come to the waters; and you that have no money, make haste, buy, and eat: come ye, buy wine and milk without money, and with out any price, lv. 1.

V. 18. For I testify to every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book.

V. 19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book. Christ had said just before, v. 16, that he had sent his Angel to give testimony to this prophecy; and therefore he here denounces a severe punishment upon all those who shall presume to add any thing to, or detract from, this Prophecy of the Apocalypse. Hence it appears, with what respect and caution it ought to be read and handled. And indeed whoever hast studied the Apocalypse with attention, must have observed the precision of it to be such, that a word cannot be added or retrenched without danger of derogating from the sense. He that gives testimony of these things, saith: Surely, I come quickly: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Christ here gives testimony of these things, that is, he bears witness and gives his sanction to all that is written in this Prophecy; and then concluding, proclaims for the third time: Surely, I come quickly. I shall certainly come soon, for good and all, to judge the whole body of mankind at the last day, and to recompense the just and punish the wicked. St. John answers his divine Master: Be it so, O Lord Jesus; come, and grant us, your servants, the favour of enjoying you for all eternity.

V. 20.

CHAPTER XV.

Reflections on the seven Ages of the Christian Church.

THUS have we taken a view of the whole prophetic history of the Apocalypse. We have travelled through the whole tract of duration, which reaches from the rise of Christianity to the fixed/state of eternity, after the close of all time. We have seen the most remarkable transactions that take place in the Christian Church during that whole period. And thus we are arrived at last to enjoy a full view of the plan of economy which Christ, the supreme governor, observes in the administration of his Church. This plan appears truly grand and admirable. It consists of three parts, contained under the seals, the trumpets, and the vials. The trumpets exhibit to us the painful trials he thinks fit to subject his people to. The vials describe the punishments which he inflicts on their enemies. The nature, therefore, of both these parts of his conduct towards his Church, is sufficiently clear: but that of the seals, it must be allowed, is not so obvious, and may require some elucidation. In the prelude to the seals the Lamb was introduced, all power was given him, the period of his sovereignty was opened, and his reign commenced. This clue leads us to the understanding of the general tendency of the seals. In them we see Christ proceed to the work of forming and establishing his kingdom or Church, which he carries on through all ages. But as every prince who undertakes to conquer to himself a new kingdom, must necessarily encounter many enemies and obstacles, so here we see enemies rise up against Christ, the prince of the Christian kingdom, and oppose his undertaking. Thus, in the first seal, Christ sets out upon his conquests to form his kingdom upon

earth. The second seal shows us the rise of a body of heretics, the Arians, Christ's own subjects, who rebel against him, and attempt to wrest from him part of his kingdom. The third seal opens to us the scene of the subversion of pagan Rome, with its empire, which is the triumph of Christ over that mighty idolatrous power, and the establishment of his kingdom in its place. In the fourth seal we see again the rise of another powerful enemy of Christ, namely, the Mahometan or Antichristian empire, which deprives him of some part of his dominions for a time. The fifth seal exhibits to us the martyrs of the fifth age, who are told that vengeance will in due time be taken on their persecutors, for the spilling of their blood: and in the mean time they are clothed with the robe of beatitude. This shows Christ's œconomy with regard to these, his faithful and valiant soldiers. Under the sixth seal we see dreadful prodigies and signs, and the heavens and the earth in confusion. By these, Christ, the bountiful king, alarms the impious and rebellious part of his people, and tries by terror to bring them back to their allegiance and duty, and to reform them into good subjects before he comes to judge them. The seventh seal opens the scene in which he completes his work, by taking possession of the whole earth, and putting an end to all other power. In consequence of this he is acknowledged universal Lord and master of the world, and receives the applanses and acclamations of the heavenly choirs, who sing: The Kingdom of this world is become our Lord's and his Christ's, and he shall reign for ever and ever, Apoc. xi. 15. Thus then we see described in the seals, the series of Christ's operations for the formation and establishment of that kingdom which was promised him upon earth. I beheld, says Daniel, and lo, me like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the Ancient of days: and they presented him before him. And he gave him power, and glory, and a kingdom: and all people, tribes, and tongues, shall serve him: his power is an everlasting power, that shall not be taken away: and his kingdom, that shall not be destroyed, vii. 13, 14. Such, in fine, is the abstract of the history that is writ