10 of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, thou Holy One and true, dost thou not judge and avenge 11 our blood upon them that dwell upon the earth? And there was given to them, to every one, a white robe; and it was said to them, that they should rest yet for a time, till their fellow-servants also and their brethren should be fulfilled, who should be killed even as they

were.

12 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as 18 sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And

V. 10. And they cried-This cry did not begin now, but under the first Roman persecution. The Romans themselves had already avenged the martyrs slain by the Jews on the whole nation: How long-They knew their blood would be avenged; but not immediately, as is now shewn them. O LordThe Greek word properly signifies, the master of a family. It is, therefore, beautifully used by these, who are peculiarly of the household of God; thou Holy One and true-Both the holiness and truth of God require him to execute judgment and vengeance; dost thou not judge and avenge our blood-There is uo impure affection in heaven. Therefore this desire of theirs is pure, and suitable to the will of God. The martyrs are concerned for the praise of their master, of his holiness and truth. And the praise is given him, chap. xix. 2, where the prayer of the martyrs is changed into a thanksgiving. Thou Holy One and true; how long dost thou not judge and avenge our blood.

True and right are thy judgments:
he hath judged the great whore:

and hath avenged the blood of his servants.

V. 11. And there was given to every one a white robe-An emblem of innocence, joy, and victory, in token of honour and favourable acceptance; and it was said to them-They were told how long. They were not left in that uncertainty: that they should rest-Should cease from crying. They rested from pain before: a time-This word has a peculiar meaning in this book, to denote which we may retain the original word, Chronos. Here are two classes of martyrs specified, the former killed under heathen Rome, the latter under papal Rome. The former are commanded to rest, till the latter are added to them. There were many of the former in the days of John: the first-fruits of the latter died in the thirteenth century. Now a time, or chronos, is 1111 years. This chronos began A. C. 98, and continued till the year 1209; or, from Trajan's persecution, to the first crusade against the Waldenses; tillIt is not said, immediately after this time is expired, vengeance shall be executed; but only, that immediately after this time, their brethren and fellowservants will come to them. This event will precede the other, and there will be some space between.

V. 12. And I saw-This sixth seal seems particularly to point out God's judgment on the wicked departed. St. John saw how the end of the world was even set before those unhappy spirits. This representation might be made to them, without any thing of it being perceived upon earth. The like representation is made in heaven, chap. xi. 13. And there was a great earthquake, or shaking, not of the earth only, but the heavens. This is a farther description of the representation made to those unhappy souls.

V. 13. And the stars fell to, or towards, the earth-Yea, and so they surely will, let astronomers fix their magnitude as they please: as a fig-tree casteth its untimely figs, when it is shaken by a mighty wind-How sublimely is the violence of that shaking expressed by this comparison!

the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig-tree casteth its untimely figs, when it is shaken by a mighty wind: 14 And the heavens departed as a book that is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their 15 places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the chief captains, and the rich, and the mighty, and every slave, and every free-man, hid themselves in the 16 caves, and in the rocks of the mountains: And said to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the 17 wrath of the Lamb; For the great day of his wrath is come; and who is able to stand?

CHAP. VII. 1. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds, that the wind should not blow upon the 2 carth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another

V. 14. And the heavens departed as a book that is rolled together-When the Scripture compares some very great with a little thing, the majesty and omnipotence of God, before whom great things are little, is highly exalted. Every mountain and island-What a mountain is to the land, that an island is to the

sea.

V. 15. And the kings of the earth-They who had been so in their day, and the great men, and the chief captains-The generals and nobles, hid themselves -So far as in them lay; in the rocks of the mountains-There are also rocks on the plains. But they were rocks on high, which they besought to fall upon them.

V. 16. To the mountains and the rocks-Which were tottering already, ver. 12, hide us from the face of him-Which is against the ungodly, Ps. xxxiv. 17.

CHAP. VII. Ver. 1. And after these things-What follows is a preparation for the seventh seal, which is the weightiest of all. It is connected with the sixth by the particle and; whereas what is added, ver. 9, stands free and unconnected: I saw four angels-Probably evil ones. They have their employ with the four first trumpets, as have other evil angels with the three last, namely, the angel of the abyss, the four bound in the river Euphrates, and Satan himself. These four angels would willingly have brought on all the calamities that follow without delay. But they were restrained till the servants of God were sealed, and till the seven angels were ready to sound: even as the angel of the abyss was not let loose, or the angels in the Euphrates unbound, neither Satan cast to the earth, till the fifth, sixth, and seventh angels severally sounded; standing on the four corners of the earth-East, west, south, north. In this order proceed the four first trumpets; holding the four winds-Which else might have softened the fiery heat under the first, second, and third trumpet, that the wind should not blow upon the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree-It seems that these expressions betoken the several quarters of the world: that the earth signifies that to the east of Patmos, Asia, which was nearest to St. John, and where the trumpet of the first angel had its accomplishment. Europe swims in the sea over against this; and is accordingly termed by the prophets, The Islands. The third part, Afric, seems to be meant, chap. viii. 7, 8, 10, by the streams of water, or the trees, which grow plentifully by them.

t

V. 2. And I saw another-A good angel, ascending from the East-The
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angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the 3 sea, Saying, Hurt ye not the earth, neither the sea, neither the trees, till we have sealed the servants of 4 our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of them that were sealed: a hundred forty-four thousand were sealed out of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5 Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand, of the 6 tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Napthali were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of 7 Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Issachar 8 were sealed twelve thousand, Of the tribe of Zebulon were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

9

After these things I saw, and behold a great multitude,

plagues begin in the East: so does the sealing: having the seal of the only living and true God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels-Who were hasting to execute their charge; to whom it was given to hurt the earth· · and the sea-First, and afterwards the trees.

V. 3. Hurt not the earth till we—Other angels were joined in commission with him; have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads-Secured the servants of God, of the twelve tribes, from the impending calamities; whereby they shall be as clearly distinguished from the rest, as if they were visibly marked on their foreheads.

V. 4. Of the children of Israel—To these will afterwards be joined a multitude out of all nations. But it may be observed, this is not the number of all the Israelites who are saved from Abraham or Moses to the end of all things; but only of those who were secured from the plagues which were then ready to fall on the earth. It seems as if this book had, in many places, a special view to the people of Israel.

V. 5. Judah is mentioned first, in respect of the kingdom, and of the Messiah sprung therefrom.

V. 7. After the Levitical ceremonies were abolished, Levi was again on a level with his brethren.

V. 8. Of the tribe of Joseph-Or Ephraim, perhaps not mentioned by name, as having been with Dan, the most idolatrous of all the tribes. It is farther observable of Dan, that it was very early reduced to a single family; which family itself seems to have been cut off in war, before the time of Ezra. For in the Chronicles, where the posterity of the patriarchs is recited, Dan is wholly.

omitted.

V. 9. A great multitude-Of those who had happily finished their course. Such multitudes are afterwards described, and still higher degrees of glory which they attain, after a sharp fight and magnificent victory, chap. xiv. 1, xy. 2, xix. 1, xx. 4. There is an inconceivable variety in the degrees of reward in the other world. Let not any slothful one say, If I get to heaven at all, I will be content: such an one may let heaven go altogether. In

which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and people, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in 10 their hands, And they cry with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sitteth on the throne, and to 11 the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped 12 God, saying, Amen: the blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the honour, and the power, and the strength, be to our God for ever and ever. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these that are clothed in white robes? and whence are 14 they come? And I said to him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they who come out of great affliction, and they have washed their robes, and made worldly things, men are ambitious to get as high as they can. Christians have a far more noble ambition. The difference between the very highest and the lowest state in the world, is nothing to the smallest difference between the degrees of glory. But who has time to think of this? Who is at all concerned about it? Standing before the throne-In the full vision of God, and palms in their hands-Tokens of joy and victory.

V. 10. Salvation to our God-Who hath saved us from all evil, into all the happiness of heaven. The salvation for which they praise God, is described ver. 15; that for which they praise the Lamb, ver. 14; and both in the 16th and 17th verses.

V. 11. And all the angels stood-In waiting, round about the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures—That is, the living creatures next the throne, the elders round these, and the angels round them both; and they fell on their faces-So do the elders, once only, chap. xi. 16. The heavenly ceremonial has its fixed order and measure.

V. 12. Amen-With this word all the angels confirm the words of the great multitude. But they likewise carry the praise much higher, the blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the honour, and the power, and the strength, be unto our God for ever and ever-Before the Lamb began to open the seven seals, a seven-fold hymn of praise was brought him by many angels, chap. v. 12. Now he is upon opening the last seal, and the seven angels are going to receive seven trumpets, in order to make the kingdoms of the world subject to God, all the angels give seven-fold praise to God.

V. 13. And one of the elders-What stands, ver. 13-17, might have immediately followed the tenth verse; but that the praise of the angels, which was at the same time with that of the great multitude, came in between: answered He answered St. John's desire to know, not any words that he spoke. V. 14. My lord-Or, my master; a common term of respect. So Zechariah likewise bespeaks the angel, chap. i, 9, iv. 4, vi. 4. Thou knowest-That is,

I know not, but thou dost: These are they-Not martyrs; for these are not such a multitude as uo man can number. But as all the augels appear here, so do all the souls of the righteous, who had lived from the beginning of the world; who come-He does not say, Who did come, but who come now also: to whom likewise pertain all who will come hereafter, out of great affliction— Of various kinds, wisely and graciously allotted by God to all his children, and have washed their robes-From all guilt, and made them white-In all holiness, by the blood of the Lamb-Which not only cleanses, but adorns us also.

15 them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth upon the throne 16 shall have his tent over them; They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more: neither shall the sun 17 light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them, and will lead them to living fountains of water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

CHAP. VIII. 1. And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about half an 2 hour. And I saw the seven angels who stood before

V. 15. Therefore-Because they came out of great affliction, and have washed their robes in his blood, are they before the throne-It seems, even nearer than the angels, and serve him day and night-Speaking after the manner of men, that is, continually, in his temple-Which is in heaven, and he shall have his tent over them-Shall spread his glory over them as a covering.

V. 16. Neither shall the sun light on them—For God is there their sun, no? any Painful heat, or inclemency of seasons.

V. 17. For the Lamb will feed them-With eternal peace and joy, so that they shall hunger no more, and will lead them to living fountains of waterThe comforts of the Holy Spirit, so that they shall thirst no more. Neither shall they grieve any more: for God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

CHAP. VIII. Ver. 1. And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven-Such a silence is mentioned but in this one place. It was uncommon, and highly observable: for praise is sounding in heaven day and night. In particular, immediately before this silence, all the angels, and before them the innumerable multitude, had been crying with a loud voice: and now, all is still at once; there is an universal pause. Hereby the seventh seal is very remarkably distinguished from the six preceding. This silence before God shews, that those who were round about him were expecting, with the deepest reverence, the great things which the Divine Majesty would farther open and order. Immediately after, the seven trumpets are heard, and a sound more august than ever. Silence is only a preparation: the grand point is, the sounding the trumpets to the praise of God. About half an hour -To St. John, in the vision, it might seem a common half hour.

V. 2. And I saw―The seven trumpets belong to the seventh seal, as do the seven phials to the seventh trumpet. This should be carefully remembered, that we may not confound together the times which follow each other. And yet it may be observed, in general, concerning the times of the incidents mentioned in this book, It is not a certain rule, that every part of the text is fully accomplished, before the completion of the following part begins. All things mentioned in the epistles, are not fully accomplished before the seals are opened neither are all things mentioned under the seals fulfilled, before the trumpets begin. Nor yet is the seventh trumpet wholly past, before the phials are poured out. Only the beginning of each part goes before the beginning of the following. Thus the epistles begin before the seals, the seals before the trumpets, the trumpets before the phials. One epistle begins before another, one seal before another, one trumpet especially before another, one phial before another. Yet sometimes what begins later than another thing, ends sooner; and what begins earlier than another thing, ends later