Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, which is, and which is to come."

The rest of the chapter cannot be better told than by repeating the language of the inspired writer. "And when the living creatures"—or the "general assembly of the church of the first born"—thus "give glory, and honour, and thanks"-to the Lord God Almighty; "to Him that sitteth on the throne, and liveth for ever and ever;"—while they are thus employed, "the four and twenty elders, the spirits of just men MADE PERFECT," fall down before Him that sitteth 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 the glory, and the honour, and the power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

I would here only make one further observation, and that is, that the above interpretation, with regard to the elders and four living creatures, constituting the redeemed church in heaven, appears confirmed by the language they use in the song of praise given in the succeeding chapter, and which it seems impossible they could otherwise employ. In ch. v. ver. 8, it is said "that the four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song,"-not merely praising God for his perfections and for creation, as

in the above description, but they praise him for redemption, and for redeeming them-" And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the Book, and to loose 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.”

CHAPTER III.

THE

EXALTATION OF CHRIST IN HEAVEN;

THE COMMITTAL OF THE

CHURCH'S CONCERNS INTO HIS HANDS;

AND THE

WORSHIP PAID TO HIM BY ITS BLESSED
INHABITANTS.

Symbol of the Book-A master symbol-Its seven seals-Their general meaning-Form of the books of the ancients-Importance of the contents of the seven-sealed book—Coming forward of Christ as the slain Lamb-In what sense he opens the seals-Extent of time they represent―The study of them important— Worship of the living creatures—The prayers of the Saints-New Song of heaven-Future honour of the Saints-Song of the Angels-And of the whole Creation-Divinity of Christ.

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CHAPTER III.

THE

EXALTATION OF CHRIST;

AND

THE WORSHIP PAID TO HIM.

THE Apostle having represented the throne and majesty of the Lord God Almighty to our view; and having described that that throne was encircled by the redeemed church, consisting both of the bodied and disembodied spirits of just men, he goes on to

say,

"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.” (v. 1.)

The mention of a book in the right hand of God, seated on his throne in heaven, implies that such a symbol must be understood as intended to convey to our minds a register, wherein things are written of God's counsels and purposes, respecting what was to "happen hereafter." At the same time it is very evident, from the subsequent predictions in the Revelation, that, as a symbol, it is highly significant; not referring to an indiscriminate relation of events, or to a literal book; but having relation to a certain class of