presented themselves to them, with those which before, and especially lately, had tended to excite only apprehension and dismay. For this purpose, he seems to avail himself of the plain declarations of St. Paul, as of" one of the four-andtwenty Elders." That holy Apostle had written to this effect,-that those, who, during the predominance of Jewish or Pagan superstition, "would live godlily in Christ Jesus, should suffer persecution";" and that they should," through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of GOD" so as to become, and to remain, the dutiful subjects of his dominion. But " the kingdom of God" had now obtained a visible establishment in the world: it had triumphed gloriously over all the opposition of its pagan adversaries: and, therefore, the particular afflictions, under which the Church had hitherto laboured, had necessarily ceased. All this is finely illustrated in the emblematical imagery now under consideration. As if anxious to discover, whether the Prophet had fully understood the scene, which had just been exhibited to his view, "one of the Elders" is represented as asking him-" Who are these that

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are arrayed in the white robes? And whence "come they?" And upon the Prophet's referring to him for an answer,-" These are they," said he, "who are come out of the great tribulation, "and have washed their robes, and made them

u 2 Tim. iii. 12.

* Acts xiv. 22.

"white in the blood of the LAMB." The period of their probation, by means of the implacable enmity of heathenism, was now past; and, through the merits of their Redeemer, they had been enabled" to hold fast the profession of their faith," and to escape the pollution that was in the world.

"Therefore," continues the sacred interpreter, they are before the Throne" they are now exalted to be the visible and established Church of the Most High: their profession is now as public, and as generally diffused, as it is salutary and holy; and, as their multitude is composed of " all people, nations, and languages," so "they serve him day and night in his temple,”—there is no interval of time, and, assuredly, no Christian sabbath, during which, according to the apparent diurnal revolution of the sun, the prayers and praises of sincere devotion are not ascending to "the throne of Grace," from successive portions of this collective body.

"And HE that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them." So, among the repeated assurances of Christ himself to his disciples, to the same effect, we find these in particular-" If a man "love me, he will keep my words: and my Father " will love him," (he had before said, " and I will " love him,") and "We will come unto him, and "make our abode with him." "And I will pray

Heb. iv. 14. and x. 23.

• Heb. iv. 15, 16.

"the Father, and he shall give you another

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Comforter, that he may abide with you for

ever; even the Spirit of Truth." So intimate and continual is the presence of GoD with his Church!

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more." They shall no longer labour under those privations which they have hitherto undergone but they shall have in future the enjoyment of" the means of grace;" eating professedly of" that living Bread, which cometh down from heaven";" and drinking professedly of that "living Water," which floweth from " the Rock of ages"."

e

"Neither shall the Sun strike upon them, nor any heat." They shall not again be exposed to the scorching rays of imperial despotism under pagan influence; nor to any of those "fiery trials," to which they had before been compelled to submit.

Such, it is intimated, shall be their happy state, "because the LAMB, who is in the midst of the Throne," HE who is emphatically called "The Way, the Truth, and the Life," shall feed them; " and shall lead them unto living fountains of

a John xiv. 15–25.

b John vi. 32-35.

• See Introduction, Sect. V. vi. page 67.

a Isaiah xxvi. 4. Marginal translation, compared with 1 Cor. x. 4.

e Introduction, Sect. V. v. page 51.

f John xiv. 6.

waters "." He will not only communicate to them such portions of his heavenly grace, as may be sufficient for the support of their spiritual life; but, by his holy word and ordinances, he will conduct them to the attainment of the purest and most refreshing consolations which they are capable of imbibing.

"And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes." He will graciously remove all those peculiar causes of sorrow, by which they had been so generally oppressed; thus turning their heaviness into joy, and their mourning into thanksgiving.

Such were the glorious and happy prospects, which were now opened before the visible Church of Christ, in consequence of this great Revolution in the affairs of the world! It is not from any deficiency in mercy, loving-kindness, and truth, on the part of GOD, that they have not been permanently realized, by the great mass of the Chris

* Parallel with this is that beautiful passage in the 23d Psalm ; "JEHOVAH is my Shepherd: I shall not want.

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

"He leadeth me beside the still waters."

The allusion is evidently made to the constitution, and characteristic duties of the Christian Hierarchy; and He, who is here called "THE LAMB who is in the midst of the Throne,” is by St. Peter distinguished by the title of "THE CHIEF SHEPHERD.” V.1—4. Nay, “THE LAMB OF GOD" himself has condescended to designate himself as "THE GOOD SHEPHERD." Compare John i. 29. 36. with John x. 11. 14. Hence, the Ministers of his Church, in their several orders, are only as Undershepherds, and Tenders of the flock.

tian community, during the militant state of the Church upon earth. But, why they were soon obscured; and why they were permitted, for ages, to be, in a great measure, withdrawn, will appear very manifestly, and very awfully, from some subsequent parts of this prophecy.

CHAPTER VIII.

Ver. 1. And when he opened the SEVENTH SEAL, there was silence in the Heaven, about the space of half-an-hour.

SUCH is the perpetual mutability of human affairs, that even the glorious and happy scene, described in the last chapter, was very soon to be changed for the worse.

Upon the opening of the SEVENTH and LAST SEAL of this wonderful volume of Revelation, there ensued an awful pause, as it were, in the administration of the affairs of the world; and a state of the most anxious suspense. It was, therefore, upon the death of Constantine, which happened in the year 337, that the period comprehended under this SEAL had its commencement: for then the next great change took place.

The imagery, contained under the five first Seals, taken collectively ", had represented the

b Rev. vi. 9-11. pages 203, &c.