shall guard against the error of believing that these two, though distinct, are separate in their essence; that is to say, there must be a revelation gathering up into one, and claiming for Messiah all those actings of the Father for reducing the world into the possession of the Son; to the end it may be seen, that though the absolute Godhead be the originator and designer of this transference, the actor and executor thereof is not the absolute Godhead of the Father, but that same Godhead acting in the Son; or to give the matter in the simple and true language of Scripture, that it might be manifest that the Father doth nothing without the Son. 66 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do; for whatsoever he seeth the Father do, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth; and he will shew him greater things than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will; for the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father that sent him" (John V. 19-24). O my God, I give thee thanks that thou hast taught me the mystery of God and the Father, and of the Son and of Christ, and that I am able to testify of the Father and of the Son. This is my purpose and my delight in these expositions, O God; in these expositions of the revelation of Jesus Christ my Lord. I see that this book is but the knitting up of many threads into one glorious tissue for adorning the person of my Lord. I see that it is but the gathering of many flowers, by God's own hand planted, by God's own hand culled from the garden of heaven, to wreathe one glorious chaplet for the brows of him who erewhile was crowned with thorns. O cold age of the world! O degenerate age of the church! which discerneth not, which feeleth and acknowledgeth not, the grandeur and the excellency of this undertaking of God, by one book of wisdom to condense the spirit of all prophetic books of wisdom; by one mighty act of Divine wisdom to write Jesus Christ the doer, the possessor of Godhead's mind and purpose, the inheritor and upholder of creation's fulness.

"And his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace." This carries us to the last vision of Daniel contained in the xth, xith, and xiith chapters, of which vision the revealer is thus described, x. 5: "Behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz, his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude." Of this vision three of the principal features are embodied in the vision before us to wit, the girdle of fine gold, the eyes like lamps of fire, and the feet like polished brass. It is only a novice in the study of the Apocalypse, who will consider these coincidences as accidental; and the question therefore occurs, what purpose doth such a coincidence serve? This purpose it serveth, of teaching us that the Divine Person who revealed that glorious vision, is the same who standeth before the seer of the Apocalypse; in other words, that he who shewed himself to, and in the Prophets spake, is the same who became man of the virgin's substance, and died upon the cross. Or to express it again in the pure language of revelation, "of his fulness did they all receive." Moreover, this coincidence doth instruct us, that the Person who watched over the Jewish church, is the same who watcheth over the Christian church, for that vision is expressly given to teach Daniel what shall befal his people in the latter days: also that it is the same Jesus who hath determined the times before appointed: for hear what is said of him, in the seventh verse of the xiith chapter, “And I heard the man clothed in linen which was upon the waters of the rivers, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished, to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." In one word it proveth to us, that Christ and he only is the revealer of the secrets of God; as it is written, "The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath revealed him."

What confirms this conclusion derived from the reference to the Prophet Daniel, is this peculiarity of that vision, or rather of the revelation connected with it, for

there is first a vision, and then a revelation of it by the person seen: of which revelation the object is, to teach the things which should befal the Jewish people in the latter days; but the source of the revelation whence it was derived is very remarkable, being thus expressed (Dan. x. 21), "I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth." It is not unusual in the Scriptures to represent God's remembrance of things past, and purpose of things future, as written in a book (Psal. xl. 7; lvi. 8; Isa. lv. 6; Mal. iii. 16): and in the viith chapter of Daniel, to which our attention has already been twice directed in this vision, it is thus said in ver. 7; "The judgment was set, and the books were opened." But no where do I find in the Prophets, except in this place, an expression such as this, "I will shew thee that which is noted in the writing of truth." And while the use of it stamps this vision as most important and most certain, it doth teach us that the person who ushered in the vision, is the keeper and the opener of the Scripture of truth;-in other words, is the occupier of the bosom of God, and the revealer of the secret things thereof unto the church, counsellor at once from God and to God's creatures. And seeing that this person's official characteristics of golden girdle, eyes of fire, and feet of polished brass, are all put upon the Son of Man in the vision before us, we know that Christ was the fountain where Daniel drank up his wisdom; that Christ was the glorious one whose aspect turned the vigour of Daniel into corruption, and took away his strength; whose voice of his words when he heard them, laid his faculties into a deep sleep, until some one of the ministers who waited upon his glory helped the prophet out of his entranced fear, and expounded to him those words of the Scripture of truth.

There is yet another peculiarity of this vision, which is, that the glorious personage who makes it known, doth when the revelation is finished perform an action (xii. 7) which is interpreted, Rev. x. 5, 6, to signifyhis taking possession of the terraqueous globe, and his proclaiming the end of time, and the beginning of the eternal age. Now it is remarkable that in that place he appeareth with a little open book in his one hand; even that same writing of truth into which he gave Daniel some insight, but afterwards, xii. 9, commanded it to be closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Y

When this time of the end is come, when the seven thunders have uttered their voices; or rather, while they are doing it, behold this same person, with his face as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire (Rev. x. 1; Dan. x. 6), appears to John with that book now opened, and commandeth him to eat it, and then to give it forth, which also John hath done, in the chapters of the Apocalypse following the x th, where this vision occurreth. This remark casteth another light upon that part of the Apocalypse, shewing it to be the expansion and opening of the last vision of Daniel, containing the particulars of the time, times, and a half, of the one thousand two hundred and ninety days, and of the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. Of this remark we shall make use in the proper place. Meanwhile we put it forth, to shew what wonderful, what Divine wisdom there is in the Apocalypse, which our blind guides do glory to be ignorant of; and, lest their ignorance should be exposed, religiously and sanctimoniously, and with great affectation of humility would prevent the people from exploring for themselves, or listening to those who, like me, are bold enough to face the obloquy and contempt of an infidel church, in daring to interpret it.

Having thus gathered to our Lord that glory which is given to him by the appropriation of those symbols, peculiar to Daniel's revealer of the Scripture of truth, we now come to explain the substance of the symbols themselves : "His eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace." To the interpretation of these, and the other symbols contained in this vision we have a great help in the seven epistles or charges, which the personage clothed upon with these emblems doth send to the angels of the several churches. For there is this remarkable rule observed, that each of these charges hath its signature, as we would say; or superscription, as the ancients would have said; that is, the designation of the person from whom it comes ;—this most important part of the epistle, written in terms derived from the emblems with which the Son of Man is clothed upon in the vision, or from the words which are put into his mouth. I mean to say, that taking the first chapter from the 12th verse, where the vision begins, in

cluding always the 8th, which we have shewn reason to believe is the Person's annunciation of himself; taking these eight verses, the 8th, and from the 13th to the 18th inclusive, which contain the portraiture by form and word, of the inditer of the letters, you have the materials out of which the seven superscriptions of the letters, the seven designations of the inditer, are taken. That vignette, or emblazonment, which stands at the head of the seven writings, is referred to in them all for terms and figures by which the writer pleases to designate himself. To the church of Ephesus he takes this designation: "These things saith he who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, and walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks." To the angel of the church of Pergamos: "These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges." And to the angel of the church of Thyatira: "These things saith he which hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass." And so in the other four, not but that there are additional words thrown in, further as it were to illustrate and explain the character of the Universal Bishop, but that the substance, and in general the very words, of the seven signatures or superscriptions by which Christ pleaseth to designate himself, are taken from the picture and from the words issuing out of the mouth of the pictured person. Now, while I observe, in passing, what a stamp of dignity and importance is thus put upon the emblematic imagery of this book, and justify myself to all wise men who tremble at the word of God, in that minuteness with which I am going into these emblems; I do draw the particular and patient attention of those who are minded to study this prophecy, to the fact stated above, as a great help to the interpretation of the symbols. For, doubtless, it is not without a meaning, and a most significant end, that to each of these churches he selecteth such a designation of himself. And therefore, by studying what be the peculiarities of these several churches, we shall be led to discover the reason why this or that symbol, rather than another, is chosen to designate himself in writing to that church; and thus a very great light will be cast upon the meaning of the symbol itself.

Now to return from this general observation, and to apply