ever, and they have no rest day or night, who worshipped the wild beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth 12 the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

13

14

And I heard a voice out of heaven, saying, Write: From henceforth happy are the dead who die in the Lord yea, (saith the Spirit,) that they may rest from their labours. Their works follow them.

And I looked, and, behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having a golden crown 15 on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap; for the time to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth 16 is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud, thrust in his sickle upon the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in 18 heaven; and he also had a sharp sickle. And another

V. 12. Here is the patience of the saints—Seen; in suffering all things rather than receive this mark; who keep the commandments of God-The character of all true saints, and particularly the great command, to believe in Jesus.

V. 13. And I heard a voice-This is most seasonably heard, when the beast is in his highest power and fury; out of heaven-Probably from a departed saint: Write-He was at first commanded to write the whole book. Whenever this is repeated, it denotes something peculiarly observable. Happy are the dead-(From henceforth particularly,) 1. Because they escape the approaching calamities. 2. Because they already enjoy so near an approach to glory; who die in the Lord-In the faith of the Lord Jesus; for they rest-No pain, no purgatory follows; but pure, unmixed happiness: from their labours-And the more laborious their life was, the sweeter is their rest. How different is this state from that of those, ver. 11, who have no rest day or night! Reader, which wilt thou choose? Their works—Each one's peculiar works, follow— Or accompany them; that is, the fruit of their works. Their works do not go before, to procure them admittance into the mansions of joy; but they follow them when admitted.

V. 14. In the following verses, under the emblem of an harvest and a vintage, are signified two general visitations: first, many good men are taken from the earth by the harvest; then many sinners, during the vintage. The latter is altogether a penal visitation; the former seems to be altogether gracious. Here is no reference in either to the day of judgment, but to a season which cannot be far off. And I saw a white cloud-An emblem of mercy; and on the cloud sat one like a son of man-Au augel in a human shape, sent by Christ, the Lord both of the vintage and the harvest, having a golden crown on his head-In token of his high dignity, and a sharp sickle in his hand-The sharper the welcomer to the righteous.

V. 15. And another angel came out of the temple, (which is in heaven,) ver. 17. Out of which came the judgments of God in the appointed seasons.

V. 16. Crying-By the command of God, Thrust in thy sickle, for the harvest is ripe-This implies an high degree of holiness in those good men, and an earnest desire to be with God.

V. 18. And another angel from the altar-Of burnt-offering; from whence

angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in ti y sickle, and lop off the clusters of the 19 vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle upon the earth, and lopped off the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press 20 of the wrath of God And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, even to the horses' bridles, one thousand six hundred furlongs.

CHAP. XV. 1. And I saw another sign in heaven great and wonderful, seven angels having the seven last 2 plagues; for by them the wrath of God is fulfilled. And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that gained the victory over the wild beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, standing 3 at the sea of glass, and having the harps of God. And

the martyrs had cried for vengeance: who had power over fire-As the angel of the waters, chap. xvi. 5, had over water; cried, saying, Lop off the clusters of the vine of the earth-All the wicked are considered as constituting one body.

V. 20. And the wine-press was trodden-By the Son of God, chap. xix. 13, without the city-Jerusalem. They to whom St. John writes, when a man said, The city, immediately understood this: and blood came out of the winepress, even to the horses' bridles-So deep, at its first flowing from the winepress; one thousand six hundred furlongs-So far: at least two hundred miles, through the whole land of Palestine.

CHAP. XV. Ver. 1. And I saw seven-Holy angels, having the seven last plagues-Before they had the phials, which were as instruments whereby those plagues were to be conveyed. They are termed, The last, because by them the wrath of God is fulfilled. Hitherto God has borne his enemies with much long-suffering, but now his wrath goes forth to the uttermost, pouring plagues' on the earth from one end to the other, and round its whole circumference. But even after these plagues, the holy wrath of God against his other enemies does not cease, chap. xx. 15.

V. 2. The song was sung, while the angels were coming out with their plagues, who are therefore mentioned before and after it, ver. 1, 6. And saw, as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire-It was before clear as crystal, chap. iv. 6, but now mingled with fire, which devours the adversaries. And them that gained, or were gaining, the victory over the wild beast-More of whom were yet to come. The mark of the beast, the mark of his name, and the number of his name, seem to mean here nearly the same thing. Standing at the sea of glass-Which was before the throne, having the harps of God-Given by him, and appropriated to his praise.

V. 3. And they sing the song of Moses-So called, partly from its near agreement with the words of that song which he sung after passing the Red Sea, Exod. xv. 11, and of that which he taught the children of Israel a little before his death, Deut. xxxii. 3, 4: but chiefly because Moses was the minister and representative of the Jewish church, as Christ is of the church universal. Therefore it is also termed, the song of the Lamb. It consists of six parts, which answer each other:--

they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are thy works, Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are thy 4 ways, O King of the nations! Who would not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art gracious for all the nations shall come and worship before thee: for thy judgments are made manifest. 5 And after these things I looked, and the temple of the 6 tabernacle of the testimony was open in heaven; And the seven angels that had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in pure white linen, and having their 7 breasts girt with golden girdles. And one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden phials 8 full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever.

1. Great and wonderful are thy works, Lord God Almighty:

3. Just and true are thy ways, O King of the nations:

5. Who would not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?

And the

We know and acknowledge, that all thy works, in and toward all the creatures, are great and wonderful: that thy ways with all the children of men, good and evil, are just and true: For thou only art gracious-And this grace is the spring of all those wonderful works, even of his destroying the enemies of his people. Accordingly, in the cxxxvith Psalm, that clause, for his mercy endureth for ever, is subjoined to the thanksgiving, for his works of vengeance, as well as for his delivering the righteous. For all the nations shall come and worship before thee-They shall serve thee as their king with joyful reverence. This is a glorious testimony of the future conversion of all the heathens. The Christians are now a little flock; they who do not worship God, an immense multitude. But all the nations shall come, from all parts of the earth, to worship him, and glorify his name. For thy judgments are made manifest—And then the inhabitants of the earth will at length learn to fear him.

V. 5. After these things, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony-The holiest of all, was opened-Disclosing a new theatre, for the coming forth of the judgments of God, now inade manifest.

V. 6. And the seven angels come out of the temple-As having received their instructions from the oracle of God himself. St. John saw them in heaven (ver. 1) before they went into the temple. They appeared in habits like those the high-priest wore, when he went into the most holy place, to consult the oracle. In this was the visible testimony of God's presence. Clothed in pure white linen-Linen is the habit of service and attendance; pure-Unspotted, unsullied; white-Or bright and shining, which implies much more than bare innocence; and having their breasts girt with golden girdles-In token of their high dignity and glorious rest.

V. 7. And one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels-After they were come out of the temple, seven golden phials-Or bowls. The Greek word signifies vessels broader at the top than at the bottom. Full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever—A circumstance which adds greatly to the dreadfulness of his wrath.,

V. 9. And the temple was filled with smoke-The cloud of glory was the visible manifestation of God's presence in the tabernacle and temple. It was a sign of protection at erecting the tabernacle, and at the dedication of the temple. But in the judgment of Korah, the glory of the Lord appeared,

temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and none could go into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

CHAP. XVI. 1. And I heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go, pour out the 2 seven phials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went and poured out his phial upon the earth, and there came a grievous ulcer on the men that had the mark of the wild beast, and that worshipped his image. 3 And the second poured out his phial upon the sea, and it became blood, as the blood of a dead man, and every liv4 ing soul in the sea died. And the third poured out his phial on the rivers and fountains of water, and they 5 became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Righteous art thou, who art, and who wast, the 6 Gracious One; because thou hast judged thus. For they

when he and his companions were swallowed up by the earth. So proper is the emblem of smoke from the glory of God, or from the cloud of glory, to express the execution of judgment, as well as to be a sign of favour. Both proceed from the power of God, and in both he is glorified; and none-Not even of those who ordinarily stood before God, could go into the temple-That is, into the inmost part of it, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled-Which did not take up a long time, like the seven trumpets, but swiftly followed each other.

CHAP. XVI. Ver. 1. Pour out the seven phials-The epistles to the seven churches are divided into three and four: the seven seals, and so the trumpets and phials, into four and three. The trumpets gradually, and in a long tract of time, overthrow the kingdoms of the world: the phials destroy chiefly the beast and his followers, with a swift and impetuous force. The four affect the earth, the sea, the rivers, the sun; the rest fall elsewhere, and are much more terrible.

V. 2. And the first went-So the second, third, &c. without adding angel, to denote the utmost swiftness; of which this is also a token, that there is no period of time mentioned in the pouring out of each phial. They have a great resemblance to the plagues of Egypt, which the Hebrews generally suppose to have been a month distant from each other. Perhaps so may the phials! but they are all yet to come. And poured out his phial upon the earth -Literally taken, and there came a grievous ulcer-As in Egypt, Exod ix. 10, 11, on the men who had the mark of the wild beast-All of them, and them only. All these plagues seem to be described in proper, not figurat ve words. V. 3. The second poured out his phial upon the sea-As opposed to the dry land, and it became blood as of a dead man-Thick, congealed, and putrid; and every living soul-Men, beast, and fishes, whether on or in the sea, died.

V. 4. The third poured out his phial on the rivers and fountains of water. Which were over all the earth, and they became blood-So that none could drink thereof.

V. 5. The Gracious One——So he is styled, when his judgments are abroad; and that with a peculiar propriety. In the beginning of the book he is termed The Almighty. In the time of his patience, he is praised for his power, which otherwise might then be less regarded. In the time of his taking vengeance. for his mercy. Of his power there could then be no doubt.

have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast 7 given them blood to drink. They are worthy. And I heard another from the altar, saying, Yea, Lord God Almighty; 8 true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth poured out his phial upon the sun; and it was given him 9 to scorch the men with fire. And the men were scorched exceedingly, and blasphemed the name of God, who had power over these plagues; but they repented not to give 10 him glory. And the fifth poured out his phial upon the throne of the wild beast; and his kingdom was darkened. 11 And they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed

the God of heaven, because of their pains, and because 12 of their ulcers, and repented not of their works. And the sixth poured out his phial upon the great river Euphra tes, and the water of it was dried up, that the way of the

V. 6. Thou hast given them blood to drink—Men do not drink out of the sea, but out of fountains and rivers. Therefore this is fitly added here. They are worthy Is subjoined with a beautiful abruptness.

V. 7. Yea-Answering the angel of the waters, and affirming of God's judgments in general, what he had said of one particular judgment.

V. s. The fourth poured out his phial upon the sun-Which was likewise affected by the fourth trumpet. There is also a plain resemblance between the first, second, and third phials, and the first, second, and third trumpets. And it was given him-The angel, to scorch the men-Who had the mark of the beast, with fire-As well as with the beams of the sun. So these four phials affected earth, water, fire, and air.

V. 9. And the men blasphemed God who had power over these plagues-They could not but acknowledge the hand of God, yet did they harden themselves against him.

V. 10. The four phials are closely connected together, the fifth concerns the throne of the beast, the sixth the Mahometans, the seventh chiefly the heathens. The four first phials and the four first trumpets go round the whole earth: the three last phials and the last trumpets go lengthways over the earth in a straight line.

The fifth poured out his phial upon the throne of the wild beast-It is not said, on the beast and his throne. Perhaps the See will then be vacant: And his kingdom was darkened-With a lasting, not transient darkness. However, the beast as yet has his kingdom. Afterward the woman sits upon the beast, and then it is said, the wild beast is not, ch. xvii. 3, 7, 8.

V. 11. And they-His followe.s, gnawed their tongues-Out of furious impatience, because of their pains, and because of their ulcers-Now mentioned together, and in the plural number, to signify that they were greatly heightened and multiplied.

V. 12. And the sixth poured out his phial upon the great river Euphrates— Affected also by the sixth trumpet: And the water of it—And of all the rivers that flow into it, was dried up-The far greater part of the Turkish empire lies on this side the Euphrates. The Romish and Mahometan affairs ran nearly parallel to each other for several ages. In the seventh century was Mahomet himself, and a little before him Boniface III. with his universal bishoprick. In the eleventh both the Turks and Gregory VII. carried all before them. In the year 1300, Boniface appeared with his two swords at the newlyerected jubilee. In the self-same year arose the Ottoman Port: yea, and on the same day. And here the phial, poured out on the throne of the beast, is immediately followed by that poured out on the Euphrates, that the way for