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AN EXPOSITION

OF THE

BOOK OF REVELATION.

LECTURE FIRST.

THE TITLE AND INSCRIPTION.

REVELATION, Chap. i. 1-8:-"The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2. Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 4. John to the Seven Churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his father; to him be glory, and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall

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wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

THIS Section, with which the Book of the Revelation opens, is strictly introductory, and may be divided into three parts:—namely, First, the Title, accompanied by a commendation of the prophecy to our attention;Second, the Address or Inscription of the book, "to the Seven Churches in Asia," with the usual salutation; and Third, a Doxology to the Saviour.

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I. The Title of the book is, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ," ver. 1. A Revelation means an unveiling, disclosing, or making known of some matter; which accordingly is stated to be the design of this book, and the reason of its being so entitled, in the words immediately following-" which God gave unto him, ro SHEW unto his servants things which must shortly come "to pass." Where, then, at the very outset, I would say, we have a clear warrant for undertaking to expound the things contained in this portion of Scripture, and for endeavouring to call the attention of all to them: and the more necessary to press at this time, because of the prevailing opinion that this book is utterly unintelligible; so that the attempt to explain it, or even to examine its contents, is generally regarded as an indication of a spirit of curiosity and restless speculation, which will not be satisfied with the sober contemplation of those parts of Scripture which are plain and practical. Whence this impression had its origin we need not here stop to inquire-to trace to their source the causes which

have conspired to deter from the study of the Revelation. Suffice it to say, that all arguments against it are at once met by an appeal to the TITLE. For it would surely be extraordinary that the book of the Bible, which of all others is most mysterious, should have a title which characterizes it as plain and intelligible "The REVELATION!" accompanied moreover by the explanation, the end for which this revelation was given by God-" to shew to his servants things which must shortly come to pass." (A.)*

But if there be in the title alone sufficient to commend this prophecy to our attention, what shall we say of the more express commendation which follows"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the "words of this prophecy, and keep those things which 66 are written therein; for the time is at hand:" ver. 3. Does this say that it is our duty to read this book? It says more it promises a reward for the study of it. It pronounces the reader "blessed;" and how blessed? I think the passage itself informs us, and in words which show how practical is the matter of this book-I mean the words, "and keep those things which are written therein:" that is, in " shewing" and disclosing the "things to come" there are afforded in the course of this prophecy developments of the enemy's devices, and warnings consequent thereon, which, if heeded and steadily contemplated, would so instruct the believer as to preserve him from the evils which it predicts, and

* These letters refer to the Appendix of Notes at the end of the Work.

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