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.

9. And when those beasts give glory, and honor, and thanks, to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

10. 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,

11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

THE series of Apocalyptic visions which continue throughout the book under various symbolic representations, have their commencement with this chapter.

The Prophet had been receiving from Christ himself warning and encouragement, which he was to address to the Seven Churches of Asia.

But a new scene now opens; a door is opened in heaven, and he is called to come up and behold for himself the things which must be hereafter. He is no longer a hearer only, but he is exalted to a more eminent position, from which he beholds the vast developments of Providence, as they unfold themselves in the history of the Church and the governments of earth.

This chapter appears to be intended as a programme of the disclosures which are to follow, and to settle and establish certain principles which will more or less apply to the current of events, as they are sketched in the successive pictorial scenes.

The first object which arrests the Prophet's attention, is the throne which was set in heaven; and one sat on the throne. The throne always implies power and dominion. The scenes which follow are not to be set down as the mere offspring of chance, or the result of accidental circumstances. The throne is set in heaven, and under the controlling authe

rity of him that sat on it, will the providential dispensations of the future be governed.

And that the purposes of those events may be understood, a rainbow was seen encircling the throne, of surpassing beauty and brightness, even like unto an emerald. This bow is the standing emblem of mercy and security.

Such was its purpose when given to Noah. When he cast his eyes upon the beautiful arch, as it spanned the heavens above him, all fears of another flood were dissipated, and he felt an assurance of safety.

This seems to be the purpose for which the rainbow surrounds the throne. Many of the future scenes will be of a kind which will shake heaven and earth. The Church will tremble under the shocks of the conflicts which she will be called to maintain with principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Amidst these lightnings and thunders and voices which proceed out of the throne, anxiety and fear will often assail the people of God; but when they look upon the bow that surrounds the throne, they will know that God is in it, and their faith will rise superior to all fear.

The seven lamps of fire that were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God, imply the constant presence of such agents as are prepared and qualified to perform promptly and efficiently the commands of the Most High ; who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire :* they burn with ardent zeal to hasten to the scene of danger, and surround with an invisible but an impregnable power the Church of God. So the old Prophet was surrounded in Dothan when his enemies sought his destruction.

And before the throne there was spread out a sea of glass, like unto crystal. The sea is used in Scripture to signify disorder and commotion, agitated and tossed by storms which cause it to cast up mire and dirt. Essentially and totally different is this from the sea which was seen before the throne.

*Heb. 1.: 9.

This figure, so transcendently beautiful, of such transparent purity, is designed to express the perfect order and harmony with which the Almighty accomplishes all the works of his providential dispensations. To man, and even to the righteous, these often appear dark, mysterious, and hard; but the sea of glass, clear as a crystal, tells us there is nothing dark, nothing doubtful with God. He sees the infinite variety of. earthly interests exactly as they exist; not a sparrow falls without his notice. He sees through all nature and all time, with the same unerring certainty that the eye of man can penetrate and look through a sheet of the finest glass. The omniscience of God directs the exercise of his power over and through all nature, moral and physical, and detects every open and latent principle and action throughout the universe, with the certainty and truth of his own perfections; the sea of glass is God's omniscience.

Another feature in the programme, is the presence of four and twenty elders, seated round about the throne, clothed in white raiment, and having on their heads crowns of gold. These, by their presence, express the well understood purpose of God, to bring in his ancient people the Jews.

They are seated round about the throne, showing that they are not forgotten, but are retained in heaven's purpose, until the time shall come, the appointed time, when they shall embrace the Messiahship and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The white robe is the emblem of their righteousness; for they were righteous to the extent of their dispensation. The crown of gold signifies the honor in which they are held in the gracious purposes of God towards Israel. They are kings and priests of the Jewish dispensation, and are dear to God as the children of his ancient friend Abraham.

Their presence here answers the question so feelingly asked and confidently answered by St. Paul: I say, then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid. God hath not cast away his people, whom he foreknew.

The ardent attachment of the Apostle to his Jewish kins

men, is seen whenever he has occasion to speak about them, and he dwells with special interest upon their restoration to the divine favor and ultimate union with the Gentile Church!

They are at present the branches that have been broken off, but are to be grafted again into the olive tree. He notifies the Gentile Church, which was disposed to boast itself of the superior favor of God, that blindness in part is happened to Israel; and that in consequence of this they have stumbled, but have not fallen from the favor and promise of God; but this partial blindness will be removed when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and then all Israel shall be saved.*

In this vision now before the Prophet, the argument of the Apostle is brought out into practical view. The description of honor and power from the four beasts, is the fulness of the Gentiles; and when this shout of praise from the whole Gentile Church goes up to him that sat upon the throne, then the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat upon the throne, and unite in the worship of him who created all things, and for whose pleasure they are and were created.

This act expresses the submission of the Jews to Christ, and is an acknowledgment of his power and divinity, in the words used by the evangelist St. John,-chap 1, ver. 3: All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The next inquiry is, What are the four beasts described as being in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne? These are intended to represent the four grand divisions of the earth.

In the visions of Daniel, the great kingdoms of the world are represented by different kinds of wild beasts ; as will be seen by reference to the book of Daniel; also in the Revela

* Rom. xi.

tions the symbol of political power, or a kingdom, is a beast -chap. 13.

The beasts described by Daniel, as well as those in the Revelations, are local, and signify some particular or individual kingdom; but the four beasts of this opening vision of the Apocalypse, are, as before said, the four grand divisions of the earth, comprehending and embracing a great number and variety of kingdoms. The reasons for this opinion are as follows:-A new religion is introduced into the world,—a system of moral government which is to extend its influence over the whole world, and to embrace all governments, kingdoms, and dominions of men.

The door which is opened in heaven, is the introduction of this new economy of heaven amongst men, which is represented by the throne, and the one who sat upon it is Christ, who directs, rules, and controls all the agencies and influences of this economy of grace, by his Spirit: And, lo! I am with you always, even unto the end.

It is important to notice that all the four beasts are not represented as holding an equally near position to the throne. Of some it is said they are in the midst of the throne, and of others they were round about the throne.

This description of positions aptly illustrates those portions of the earth where the throne of Christianity is established, and distinguishes them from the distant regions which have only a small portion of Christian light shed upon them.

The first will be readily understood to be Europe and America, the latter Africa and Asia. Christianity has her seat in the midst of the two former; her brightest manifestations, and her greatest power, are displayed here; whilst the other continents, and the isles of the sea, which are round about the throne, at a greater moral distance from it, only see Christianity in the glimmering light of the Bible and Missionary societies. But the vision shows that Christianity is for all the world: not like the Jewish religion, limited to that