Then let us look carefully at this glorious order of Seraphims, incomprehensibly called beasts. "The first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle." This description is the same as of the Cherubims in Ezekiel (i. 10), and the explanation of it is found in the ancient tradition, that the standard of the tribe of Judah carried a lion; of Ephraim, an ox; of Reuben, a man; and of Dan, an eagle. God, therefore, sat upon Cherubim, bearing the forms of these animals to signify that he was the Leader of the battalions of Israel. And so I think the same were made to represent the inspired penmen, signifying that He is still the Leader of the battalions of the Church. And "the lion of the tribe of Judah in the next chapter evidences this meaning. This subject is so fully gone into both in Isaiah and in Ezekiel, here I only refer you to them.

The fire of the living Word was taken from between the Cherubims because the sacred writings were laid up there. (Ezek. x. 2; Deut. xxxi. 26.)

The shewbread in the tabernacle, which meant bread of faces, also explains to us this vision; it symbolized the bread of life. There were twelve loaves representing the twelve tribes; they were square and had four faces, and most likely the same as the four standards. They were placed fresh every Sabbath-day upon the

golden table in the holy place; and the seven branch candlesticks, and the seven lamps, were so placed as to throw light upon the symbolic bread (1 Kings vii. 48, 49), and the whole was a beautiful emblem of the light of the Spirit by the Church throwing light upon the inspired Word; for what is the Bible but bread of faces? See this explained, John vi. 33, 48, 58, 63: "Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom." (1 Cor. i. 30.) As the Author of the Bible, He was made unto us wisdom, and hence He could say, "I am that bread of life; I am the light of the world." The Bible is bread of faces, our light, our life, and our strength. It was given in dense night in human metaphor, and it is for the Church by the light of the Spirit to feed the people; or they, like David, will break through restriction, and eat that which was lawful for the priests only. The Seraphims and the Cherubims might represent four Jewish teachers; and the shining ones of the Apocalypse the four Evangelists. As when God revealed to Zechariah the spiritual temple that was to rise upon the ruin that surrounded him, He showed him four carpenters (i. 20) : they have the same meaning, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; by their writings the spiritual temple is to rise; they witnessed the dying testament of our Lord and Saviour; they were the trustees of our title deeds to heaven, the builders of the Word, that tells us of

our life in Him, the delineators of the spiritual temple. The importance of the Sacred Volume tells us it would be thus represented in the court of heaven, with the Church, as seen in this vision; and who of all the inspired penmen could be more fitting representatives than the writers of the four Gospels? Hence the vision. of chariots in the sixth chapter of Zechariah. They signified the chariots of ministers, ambassadors; they are seen to fall into the ranks of the priesthood. An increase of aid and power is all that is intended. "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth more labourers into his harvest."

"And the four shining ones"-for it grieves me to call them beasts-" had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within; and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those glorious ones give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat upon the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,"-this is precisely the description of the Seraphim (Isa. vi. 3)—" The four-and-twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." This is creation "in the

Spirit," material nature in the kingdom of God, in the spiritual world. Creation's ascription of praise and glory to God.

One of the standards of the four tribes was 66 the lion of the tribe of Judah," and I think this is sufficient apology here for not calling them beasts.

CHAPTER V.

"AND I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals." This book is the volume of time-the history of the world; and the seven seals are the seals of the seven dispensations: "I will show thee things which must be hereafter;" and this vision is one of the seven dispensations drawn by the Divine hand. "I am God, and there is none like me; declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isa. xlvi. 9.)

"And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon." This verse is very expressive of the Apostle's desire to know the times and seasons of the world's history; and the thoughts