the Revelation," he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." By Christ therefore opening the seals, we ought assuredly to understand, not that he disclosed to view what they contain, but that He brings to pass the events which they represent. To this effect Watts speaks in the following lines:

"Eternal Father, who shall look

Into thy secret will?

Who but the Son shall take that book,

And open every seal?

HE SHALL FULFIL THY GREAT DECREES,
The Son deserves it well;

Lo, in his hand the sovereign keys

Of heaven, and death, and hell!”

All this is thus expressed by the Apostle :

"And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures, 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. 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 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, 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." (v. 6—10.)

In all this there must be an express and intense significancy that God the Father should deliver up to Christ the immediate agency of the events

CALINOWA

EXALTATION OF CHRIST.

decreed in the writings of this book; and that too
the character of the slain Lamb-of our atoning
sacrifice; and that He should thus deliver only the
events of this "book," proves, in the first place, that
it contains events that must concern his church as
long as that church exists on earth, and not merely
extend, as they are generally considered, only over
the three first centuries; for it cannot be supposed,
that what He thus held in his right hand, and what
was thus solemnly delivered to Christ, could only
concern a sixth portion of the period of the Chris-
tian era-a portion, in the course of which no change
marking a prophetical period was apparent. In the
second place, this shows the deep concern which
God has in all the concerns of His church; and it
affords the deepest condemnation to the infidelity of
the present age on the one hand, and to the indiffe-
rence of His professing people on the other.

In the commission first given to the Apostle, he was ordered to write the things which he saw, even the things which were present; and likewise THE THINGS WHICH WERE ΤΟ BE HEREAFTER.* After the things present were disposed of, the same voice," the first voice which he heard," then called him up to heaven, and said, “Come up hither, and I will shew you the things which must be hereafter;" and now, in a series of the most splendid visions, these future things are embodied in the contents of the symbol of the book, represented to be in the

* Ch. i. v. 19.

66

right hand of the Lord God Almighty-a book which, in the presence of the whole assembled inhaTM bitants of heaven, is taken by Christ, as being alone worthy to have possession thereof, and to open its seven seals. 'The things which were to be hereafter," are therefore assuredly involved in its contents; and hence I think we may with certainty infer, that, unsatisfactory as in general the interpretation has been, there is to be derived from their study, lessons and information of unutterable importance-particularly to us who are living so near their close, when the evidence becomes so much stronger, and the events so much more striking and marvellous.

The importance of the events embodied in the seven-sealed book is infinitely exalted by what immediately transpired on Jesus Christ, the allatoning Lamb, taking it from the right hand of "HIM that sat upon the throne." In the first instance, it is said, the entire company of disembodied spirits, "the general assembly of the church of the first-born in heaven;" and with them the risen saints, "the spirits of just men made perfect," in humble adoration prostrated themselves "before the Lamb; having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints." From this latter expression, it would appear that there is a much greater connection, and a deeper interest existing, between

"The saints on earth, and all the dead,"

than is generally supposed; the prayers which they

offer to God the Father, through the merits and intercession of Christ, being represented as sweet odours in golden vials in the hands of the whole redeemed Church. From this being told us, it would likewise appear, that the church triumphant must of necessity be intimately acquainted with what is going forward in the church militant; and that the vial which hides the eternal world from our view, is in reality very thin and the reflection is most pleasing. It likewise shews us in what light God regards the prayers of his saints; and how very precious they must be in his sight, thus to be offered with the adoration of the heavenly world, to " Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood."

Further on the fulfilment of the divine decrees being thus committed to Christ, they again, "having every one of them harps," raise their harmonious voices in the accents of praise. But their song was not, according to the language used, as related in the last chapter, directed to God the Father, in celebration of His glorious perfections, and His wonders in the works of creation. They sung a new song!- -a song in praise of the Son, saying, "THOU art worthy to take the book, and open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God," (thus, according to an observation previously made, identifying themselves as the ransomed church), "by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation."

They then express the degree of honour to which

they are already exalted: "And hast made us unto our God, KINGS AND PRIESTS;" that is, the whole of the church now in heaven, the whole of the righteous dead, are possessed of this high distinction-this is their present state.

They finish their song, however, with celebrating the still higher destiny that awaits them; a destiny which we are fully prepared to expect is in reserve for all the Lord's people, from what is promised in Daniel. There, after a description is given of the four great successive kingdoms which were to appear in the world, the announcement is made that "the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." And again it is added, that " the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."* Accordingly, in anticipation of this happy state of things, and in confirmation of this glorious promise, the church in heaven, whilst they are extolling the praises of their Saviour, exultingly exclaim, "And we shall reign on the earth." And it is another proof that both the four and twenty elders, and the four living creatures, represent the saints in glory; for it is language that we have no authority whatever in any part of the Bible to say could be used by angels, or by any but the saved of Adam's race.

See Diss. p. 265–270.