been handed to him by uncertain tradition: but that he saw and heard them. He faw all the vifions, and he heard all the explications of them which were made by the angels. He was as fully perfuaded of the reality of the impreffions made upon his mind by the vifions which are reprefented in this book, as he could have been if he had actually seen them with his bodily eyes, and actually heard with his bodily ears the information given by the angels. The nature of the impreffions made upon the mind, and of the manner in which the ideas are excited in it by prophetic vifions, was formerly explained. Let it only be obferved here, that the impreffions made, and the ideas excited in the mind in these ways, are as real, ftrong, and diftinct, as thofe are which are excited in the mind by vifible or audible objects, through the ordinary channels of the eyes and ears; and they are of the fame kind too. Confequently, the perfon who is confcious of these impreffions and ideas, is as much an eye and ear witness of what he attefts from fuch perceptions, as the man is who attefts what he faw and heard. John therefore is to be regarded as an eye and ear witness of all the things which he relates in this book. This affertion farther implies, that without altering the vifions or declarations in any respect, John, with the most faithful fimplicity, related

them

them exactly as they had been communicated to his mind.

again before

On this occafion John fell down the angel, in order to worship him. And he was again prevented by the angel; who told him that he was not the object of religious worship, for he was a fervant of God as well as he, and engaged in a work fimilar to that in which he and all the other prophets had been employed, even in communicating the will of God to mankind, and teftifying of Jefus; and that he was a fellow-fervant of them who keep the fayings of this book. Like them, he believed and candidly received divine revelation, confidently trufted to the accomplishment of these predictions, and therefore obeyed the will of God. The angel again directs John to worship God only. Those who worship angels, not only idolatroufly rob God of his prerogative; but also seem to know better what is due to angels than they do themfelves. This whole matter was fully explained in the commentary on chap. xix. 20. to which the reader is referred.

Verse 10th. And he faith unto me, Seal not the fayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

John is commanded not to feal the fayings of the prophecy of this book, In the last chapter of

the

the prophecies of Daniel, that prophet is commanded to feal his book, verfe 4th, "But thou O Daniel "fhut up the words, and feal the book even to the "time of the end:" and verfe 9th, "And he faid, "Go thy way Daniel: for the words are clofed up "and fealed till the time of the end." It was thus fignified in the fymbolical language that the hints given by Daniel of the Papal hierarchy, of the wilderness state of the Chriftian church, and of the millennian state of it, were defignedly fo fhort and obfcure, that this part of his prophecies was as a fealed book, and should continue fo to the time of the end; that is, to the last or gospel times, when a prophet fhould be fent to explain and illuftrate thefe hints. Accordingly, that prophecy of Daniel is reprefented as a fealed book in chap. v. 1. of this book, and Christ enables John by vifions to open up and explain it in the prophecies of this book. Hence, when it is faid to John in this verse,"Seal not the fayings of the prophecy of this "book," it is declared in the fymbolical language, that no fucceeding prophet fhall be fent to unfold the mysteries of this book, as John hath done those of the prophecy of Daniel; that it is left open for the inspection and study of all; and that it may be understood by the candid, intelligent, and ftudious, under the ordinary bleffing of God, without any aid from prophetic infpiration.

In

In the clofe of the verse this reafon is affigned for leaving it open, " for the time is at hand." And it is the very strongest reafon for not fealing up a prophecy. The time of the accomplishment of its first predictions was at hand when John wrote this book,and they were actually fulfilled accordingly. And as it contains a clofe chain of prophecies from the days of John to the end of the world, the time is at hand in every age for the accomplishment of fome or other of its predictions. Those per-. fons who live in the time in which the predicted events fhall happen, are most deeply interested in the prophecy of them; it is therefore fit that it fhould be left open to them, "because the time is at "hand." Dark prophecies are beft understood when the events have taken place, and the predictions can be compared with the events. prophecies are best understood when the time is at hand, it is certainly highly proper that in that case they should be left open for the inspection of all.

As

For near 1700 years, events predicted in this book have been happening. Hence, we enjoy every advantage for understanding all the predictions which foretel events previous to the prefent day, which can be derived from the events themfelves as explanatory of what is dark in the predictions. Those men act very prepofteroufly indeed, who, by defpifing this book, seal it up when not only is the time at hand, but with respect to far

I

the

P

the greatest part of it, the time is paft. Neither present nor past events will of themselves explain the full meaning of the predictions which refer to them. They explain the predictions to those perfons only, who with candour, judgement, and diligence, study the meaning of the predictions, obferve prefent events, and from authentic hiftory make themselves acquainted with thofe which are past. He who does not understand the great outlines of prophecy at least, however accurately he obferves prefent events or knows paft ones, can never fay whether or not they agree to the predictions. And on the other hand, though he hath acquired a tolerable knowledge of the meaning of the predic tion, he cannot say that it hath been accomplished in the present or in former times, unless he hath searched the hiftory of the times which are paft, and obferved with accuracy the events which take place in the world around him. Before we can make a juft comparison of any two objects, we must have a distinct knowledge of them both.

Verse 11th-He that is unjuft, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy ftill: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous ftill: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

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