LECTURE ELEVENTH.

THE VISION OF THE SEALED BOOK.

REVELATION, Chap. v.-" And 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. 2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, 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. 7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and 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 saints. 9. 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; 10. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12. Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14. And the four beasts said, Amen: And the four-and-twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever."

IMPORTANT as is the chapter last considered in its bearing on the prophecies of this book to which it forms the opening, that on which we now enter is even more so, inasmuch as to the act of which it treats the vision preceding is but subservient—the ENTHRONED ONE being there presented to view only on account of the Book which he here holds in his right hand; and the "Elders" and "Living Creatures" being then also introduced to be in readiness as it were for the part they have to bear, and the announcement they are to make, when as here described "The Lamb comes and takes the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne."

The one question then here is-What is "the Book" (or Roll, according to Eastern custom) which is here taken by the Lamb, and which he alone is entitled to open? A point on which there is a great variety of opinions among commentators. Some holding that it represents the Holy Scriptures: some, either Testament singly some, the Apocalypse, or the part which

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contains the Seals: others, the Book of God's Decrees with respect to mankind at large, or the Jews, or the Christian Church, &c., &c. The context, however, I think, will be found here again to be sufficiently explanatory, and to determine the scope of the vision to be the institution of Christ to His Kingdom: parallel to that of Daniel, ch. vii. 13, 14, when "the Son of Man" is seen "coming with the clouds of Heaven" (the character of his second coming), and brought before "the Ancient of Days," from whom he receives "a dominion, and "glory, and kingdom, that all people, nations, and lan'guages should serve him"-" the kingdom and dominion under the whole Heaven," ver. 27: and "The Book," or roll, to be (so to speak) the title-deed of man's inheritance; containing also the account of its yet future redemption by Him as His purchased possession; according to that passage in Ephesians, i. 14, where, speaking of the "Spirit of promise," the Apostle says, "which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession." Observe-He speaks of the inheritance as "purchased," but not yet "redeemed,"—not yet recovered out of the hands of the usurper; and I believe that the sealed book is the record of the acts of Christ in effecting this-in ridding the earth of all usurped authority, and establishing His kingdom when his own time arrives: which is also the scope of the book of the Revelation, considered as disclosing the contents of this roll according as its seals are opened the book of the Lord's Second Advent, and solely occupied with the account of the last great crisis,

the history of the day of Christ's power in the several acts of his subduing all enemies, and finally establishing His kingdom in the world. (D.)

The full pooof of this is of course afforded by the sequel; but even here in this chapter we have some evidence of it;-and

I. First, what the subject-matter of the sealed book is we may gather from the language of those who are witnesses to the taking of it-the anticipations to which they give utterance on that occasion: see again verses, 9, 10-"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 66 we shall reign on the earth." In the first part of the ascription of praise they acknowledge His worthiness to take the book, namely, on account of his having been "slain," and having "redeemed them to God;" but the contents of the book, and the reason that Christ's taking it, and prevailing to open it, occasions such joy in their minds—as also why such grief was experienced by the Apostle at the thought of its remaining unopened-we gather from the closing words of the passage, where they say, "Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.' The ground of this joy and the subject of the book, I conclude, are one and the same. They rejoice in the certainty that the glory which they anticipate is about to be realized on the opening of the book, and hence we

must infer that the subject of the book is that glory-is the kingdom of Christ; that kingdom in which these his saints, the elect out of the nations, shall sit down with him in his throne and reign with Him. But,

II. Secondly, another proof that this is the subject of the book we have (verses 11-14), in the further ascription of praise given by the angels that surround the throne, and joined in by all creation. "And I heard "the voice of many angels round about the throne.... "saying with a loud voice: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, "and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the "earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, "and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, "and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that "sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever "and ever. And the four Beasts said, Amen: and the "four-and-twenty Elders fell down and worshipped "Him that liveth for ever and ever." They see him take the book, and then they say, "Worthy is the Lamb to receive POWER, HONOUR, GLORY, &c." as though his taking of the book and receiving of these were one and the same thing: which is further confirmed by the fact that every creature in Heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, is heard to join this Doxology-as they will actually do in that day when "all things shall be subjected to him;" the vision thus anticipating the results and objects of his kingdom, in order further to determine the subject