shines remarkably a most beautiful green, like that of emeralds. This Rainbow, with its bright green colour, denotes the Covenant of reconciliation and peace, which God made with man after the deluge.

V.4. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats, four and twenty Ancients sitting, clothed in white garments, and on their heads crowns of gold.

Round the Throne of God appear sitting four and twenty Ancients, representing the Saints that preceded the age of christianity, and for that reason called Ancients. They are clothed in white, to express the immortal glory they possess in heaven; and their crowns of gold show their royal dignity; God admitting them to sit as judges with him. In the same manner it was said, that Christ makes his saints kings, Apoc. i. 6.— See p. 4.

V. 5. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, and voices, and thunders: and there were seven lamps burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. The lightnings, loud voices, and thunders, which come from the throne of God, announce alarms and severe hardships, such as persecutions dissentions, calamities, &c. by which he tries the fidelity of his servants on earth. And the seven Spirits of God, who appear under the form of burning lamps, are seven angels, as before-mentioned, Apoc. 1. 4. standing ready to execute the Divine commands.

V. 6. And in the sight of the throne was as it were a sea of glass like to Crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.

V.7. And the first living creature was like a lion; and the second living creature like a calf: and the third living creature having the face, as it were, of a man: and the fourth living creature was like an eagle flying.

V: 8. And the four living creatures had each of them six wings; and round about*, and within, they are full of eyes.

* In the Greek, six wings about him; and within, &c.

The extensive sea of glass here described, transparent as Crystal, represents what may be called the floor of heaven. Before the throne of God and round it stand four living creatures of an extraordinary shape, which denote the four great prophets, Isaiah, Jeremy, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Their bodies are described full of eyes both before and behind, an emblem of their prophetic sight, that penetrates into all ages, past, present, and to come. And they being also fuil of eyes within, indicates that their extensive knowledge arises from an interior Divine Inspiration. They have each six wings, in the same manner as the Seraphims appeared to the prophet Isaiah, Isai. vi. 2. Two wings serve to cover their face, two their feet, out of respect for the Deity; and the two others serve to fly, that is, figuratively express their expeditious readines to carry and deliver the Divine instructions and messages.

Some have imagined these four symbolical living creatures to represent the four Evangelists, but we think, improperly; as St. John was still living, and there present in person. Besides, the scene exhibited here to St. John represents the times and persons that existed before the age of Christianity. The first living creature is here said to resemble a lion, the king of beasts; because the prophet Isaiah, represented by it, was descended of the royal race of David. The second living creature resembles a calf, and represents the prophet Jeremy, in his character of a priest; the calf, which was the principal victim in Jewish sacrifices, being on that account the emblem of priesthood. The third living creature, exhibiting Ezekiel, has the countenance of a man; because God, in speaking to that prophet, always addresses him by the name of son of man. The fourth living creature, denoting Daniel, resembles a flying eagle, on account of the sublime oracles of this prophet, who soars to the highest object, and views the succession of all the great Empires that were to rise up in the world to the end of time. Probably these four principal prophets are to be understood to represent all the prophets of the old law.

V. 8. And they, the four living creatures, rested not

C

day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.

V. 9. And when those living creatures gave* glory and honour, and benediction to him, that sitteth on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

V. 10. The four and twenty ancients fell down before him that sitteth on the throne, and adored him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

V. 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory, and honour, and power: because thou hast created all things, and for thy will they were†, and have been created.

The Almighty being seated on his throne, in the splendor of his majesty, with the marks of his supreme power, surrounded with the august choir of the ancient Saints and Prophets; these Prophets, represented by the four living creatures, are constantly employed in offering their homage to him and singing his praises. They cry out day and night, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, &c. repeating three times Holy, probably in honour of the Blessed Trinity; and for the same reason they give to God three different kinds of praise, glory, honour, and benediction, or thanksgiving. And whenever the four living creatures sing these praises, the four and twenty Ancients are ready to join their homage, by falling down before Him that sitteth on the throne, and adoring Him that liveth for ever and ever; and in token of their acknowledging all their happiness and pre-eminence to be his gift, they cast down their crowns before the throne; and thus they conclude their homage: Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory, honour, and power: because thou hast created all things, and for thy will they are, and have been created; that is, we acknowledge thy power, O Lord, because by thy Omnipotence thou hast created all things; honour is due to thee, because by thy will they are, or continue

*In the Greek, shall give, &c.—the four and twenty ancients will fall down, &c.

In the Greek, they are.

to exist; glory is due to thee, because they were created to serve to thy glory.

Apoc. Chap. V. v. 1. And I saw, says St. John, in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within and without, sealed with seven seals.

The Book, which Almighty God holds in his right hand, contains the detail of his administration of the Christian Church; the length of which detail is marked by the book being written both within and without. It is sealed up, as containing the Divine Counsels impenetrable to human sagacity; and the seven seals indicate that the whole is divided into seven parts, each of which is unfolded and made known at the opening of each respective seal.

V. 2. And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice: who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

V. 3. And no man was able, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, to open the book, nor to look on it.

A strong angel cries with a loud voice, to be heard over the whole creation, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? But there is not found a creature, either in heaven, or on earth, or elsewhere, worthy to do this function, or even to look on the book, the eyes not being here permitted to view the repository of the Divine dispensations, which, the book being yet sealed up, are kept concealed from human understanding.

V. 4. And I wept much, continued St. John, because no man was found worthy to open the book,* nor to see it.

V. 5. And one of the Ancients said to me, Weep not; because the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

St. John, mortified and weeping, because no one was found worthy to open the book, is told by one of the four and twenty Ancients to cease weeping; for that the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to

*The Greek text here adds, and to read it.

open the book, &c. Christ the Messiah, who is born of the tribe of Juda, and who is the root that springs from the royal race of David, is, on account of his achievements, styled the Lion of that tribe, conformably to Jacob's prophecy: Judah is a lion's whelp, Gen. xlix. 9. He, the Messiah, David's descendant, like a valiant Lion, conquered Satan, Death, and the World. He put a stop to Satan's power, by breaking down the empire of idolatry; he discharged the great functions he under-, took to perform on earth; he reconciled man to his Eternal Father; he raised himself from Death; he established his new law, notwithstanding the most obstinate opposition from the World; and he founded his Church at the expense of his blood. By these victories he is here proclaimed to have merited to open the book, that contains the account of the Divine dispensations to that Church.- Accordingly,

V. 6. And I saw, says St. John: and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the ancients, a Lamb standing as it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes; which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.

V. 7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne.

We had just now seen Christ represented as a strong and valiant Lion subduing his enemies; here we see him in the humble character of a Lamb, which appears as it were slain, that is, newly sacrificed and immolated for the redemption of the world. But the Lamb is standing, that is, though he has been slain, he is resuscitated to life, and recovered all his strength and vigour : And he is seen placed in the midst of the throne, which bespeaks his divine origin and person. This Lamb has seven horns, signifying the seven particular different Powers which he exercises in the seven successive ages of the Christian Church: And to show his wisdom and vigilance, he has also seven eyes, denoting the seven Spirits of God above mentioned, Apoc. 1. 4. & iv. 5. or angels, who are always ready to execute the commands of God and the Lamb, and to carry their messages over the whole earth. The number seven here used, cor