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"And whofoever will, let him take the water "of life freely." The gospel of Jesus clofes with this extenfive and gracious invitation and exhortation with which it was at firft opened, and which runs through every part of that fyftem of truth and grace. The angel who announced the birth of Chrift to the shepherds of Bethlehem, faid unto them: "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which fhall be to all people." Isaiah fays, "Ho every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money come ye, buy "and eat, yea come and buy wine and milk without money and without price." Jefus complain. ed thus of infidel men, "Ye will not come to me that ye may have life." And he fays, "If any "man will do the will of God, he fhall know of "the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether "I speak of myself." And commiffioning his apoftles to preach the gospel, he faid unto them, "Go ye unto all the world, and preach the gospel "to every creature." The plain import of all these paffages, which are exactly parallel to the one now under our view is, that the gofpel is a system of religion and a scheme of falvation intended for all men, that it is freely offered to all men, and that it is want of will which hinders any of these men to whom it is actually offered to embrace it. They will not come unto the light, left their evil deeds

fhould

fhould be reproved. Let every man who inclines to do it embrace that true religion which is reprefented by the water of life. Is is offered to him, not for any merit of his own, but freely; or as the Greek word (Sopear) fignifies, as a gift. If he does. not embrace it, he fhall have nothing to blame for his bad conduct but his own obftinate will.

Verfes 18th, 19th.-For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man fhall add unto these things, God fhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man fhall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God `shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

This book being finished, these verses contain a folemn and awful threatening against every man who fhall knowingly and intentionally add to or take from the things which are contained in it. This threatening, founded in the very nature of inspired scripture, is placed with peculiar fitness in. the end of the book which clofes the canon of facred fcripture. It is a folemn intimation that the facred canon is clofed, and a warning to men not

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to be impofed upon by any later writings which may lay claim to inspiration. It is also a folemn and awful warning given to every man who reads and hears inspired fcripture, not intentionally to add any thing as the word of God which is not con tained in fcripture, nor to take away from it any thing which is contained in that facred record. One can scarce fuppofe a higher degree of impiety and wickedness than a deliberate intention in any respect to corrupt these writings, which are infpir, ed, and which we believe to be fo. If any man does fo, both the nature of the thing, and the exprefs denunciation of God, declare that he fhall be deprived of all the bleffings promised in this book, and exposed to all the plagues which are denounced in it.

Under, I trust, a juft impreffion of this awful threatening, of the facred nature of truth, and of the dignity of divine revelation, I have not knowingly and intentionally added to nor taken from the things contained in this book in the commentary which I have written upon it. If therefore any thing is faid in this commentary which gives offence to any individual or any fociety of men, it was faid, not to give them offence; but because I believe it is faid in the prophecies of this book, and therefore I durft not take it away. It was faid, because I truft I fear God more than man, and defire the praife of God more than the praise

of man. If in any thing I have erred, I have erred neither intentionally through negligence; nor, if I know my own heart, through prejudice. Unfettered by fyftem or interest, I began and proceeded all along with a fincere defire and fervent prayer to God that I might clearly discover the truth, and fairly communicate it when difcovered. If in any thing I have erred without intention or negligence, a gracious God will not impute fuch error as a fault. And I fhall always with gratitude and pleasure discover and correct any fuch error, who or whatever fhall be the inftrument under divine providence of leading me to perceive it.

Verse 20th. He which teftifieth these things faith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even fo come Lord Jesus.

Jefus declares that he will come quickly in the accomplishment of all the events predicted in this book. The first of them shall happen foon after the prediction, and none of them shall be delayed a moment beyond the time which is fixed for them in the prophecy. The church gives her Amen to this, and re-echoes, Even fo come Lord Jefus. The church of Chrift fhall welcome every difpenfation of divine providence as the fittest and beft. Even though at particular times clouds and darkness may appear around the Governor of

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the world, the Chriftian ever refts fatisfied that justice and judgement are the habitation of his throne, and that mercy and truth, ever go before his face.

Verfe 21ft.-The grace of our Lord Jefus Christ be with you all. Amen.

With this apoftolic benediction and prayer. John clofes this book, and with it the canon of infpired fcripture. With it the apostle Paul clofes the greatest part of his epiftles. It is the most comprehenfive prayer which can be conceived. The grace of Chrift fignifies the free favour of Chrift; and confequently comprehends under it all thofe gracious divine bleffings, which are conveyed to men, in the gofpel of Jefus from God, through the mediation of Chrift and the influence of the Holy Spirit. He prays for all these free and inestimable bleffings to them all; to all the feven churches then in Afia, to all the churches of Christ in every country and age, and especially to every true Christian as an individual. Amen. So let it be. By this word he clofes his prayer, and expreffes his affent to the truth of it, and his fincere defire that its requeft may be. granted by the Hearer of prayer.

FIN I S.