that had occupied John in the isolated isle of Patmos would force themselves again upon his mind when none was found worthy to break the seals. This breaking the seven seals does not at all affect my theory that a sketch of the seven Churches of the world was given in the seven Churches of Asia. This vision of the seals is a distinct one; the panorama of time again given. I have shown you the same brief outline given in Ezekiel, but it was given through “the Son of man;" He had then prevailed to open the seals, and look thereon, as He had then redeemed souls. The efficacy of His work operated from the foundation of the world; although "the Light of the World" did not give forth His clearness before as after His ascension.

"And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David." Notice this form of expression. David was of the tribe of Juda, but Christ was not of that house, but the Root of it; and it will be seen that the Lion of the tribe of Juda referred to the foregoing chapter, where I have shown you the lion, the calf, the face of a man, and the flying eagle represented the battalions of Israel. "The Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." This was the result of His glorious work when it was completed, and He had entered within the vail. "I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four shining ones, and

in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." These seven horns are the power of the ascended Lamb during the seven dispensations. "All power is given unto me."

I think if there is anything truly touching, and grand, and solemn, in the Bible, it is this, Christ receiving from His Father the knowledge of the result of His great work, or rather, the permission to give it to His Church. All heaven was moved in adoration, in awe, in glorious ascription of praise, because He had been found worthy to do so, not only because His work was then finished, but because it was all-prevailing before the throne, even to the disclosure of that which the Father only had known before. Was there bound up in that sealed book the truth, that all fallen nature was recovered? I believe there was. Oh what an amazing disclosure! what a glorious reward! "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied." And yet those who deny that the lost may yet be recovered, would rob their Redeemer of that honour, and soul satisfaction, and glory, and triumph, which in this chapter is seen to fill heaven with thanksgiving, and songs of never-ending victory; for the triumphant jubilee of the whole is expressive of this. Read carefully the chapter, and heaven's grand triumph will be more realized, than by my extracts.

“And He came and took the book out of the right

hand of Him that sat upon the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four shining ones and four-andtwenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 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; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." This was the promise of Christ to His disciples while he was yet with them. (Luke xxii. 29, 30.) Kings and priests everywhere in this book mean degrees in the order of priesthood.

"And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the shining ones and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 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. And the four shining ones said, Amen. And the fourand-twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever." This is precisely the train of worshippers seen by Isaiah, when these seraphims, the representatives of the inspired penmen, were revealed to him (vi. 1, 2) to notify an increase of the Word, and to anoint him the human author of it.

CHAPTER VI.

"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 shining ones saying, Come and 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." (Rev. vi. 1, 2.) Here, again, we are fairly introduced to the first dispensation of the world's history. This is the horse of royalty and of victory, as seen in xix. 11, 12. The Redeemer, the slain Lamb, went forth from everlasting, conquering, and to conquer; and then was given to Him the crown of victory.

"And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second shining one say, Come and see. 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." This was the war-horse of the crucifixion conflict. See its root,

"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the wine-press alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine

anger, and trample them in my fury." (Isa. lxiii. 1-3.) This slaughter was the work of the sword given to him that sat upon the red horse; the "great sword" was the Word, the weapon of warfare and of conquest," I came not to send peace, but a sword." (Matt. x. 34.) It is true the crucifixion in the seven Churches is placed in the third dispensation, and rightly so; but this war-horse came forth from the Jewish dispensation; it was the Jewish Church that delivered Christ to the Gentiles to be crucified, and thus the red horse is represented in the historic page under the second seal.

It will be seen that this vision is partly rooted, too, upon the vision of chariots in the 6th of Zechariah; they foretold ambassadors, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the same as the shining ones. It is true, in Zechariah, the white horse of the conqueror Christ is not given, because that vision was one of the future, and this of time; the last horses too, differ; different phases or epochs of history are given, but the roots