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SERMO N.

REV. v. 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."

THIS chapter begins thus, " 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." The glorious person here represented on the throne is, in my humble opinion, God the Father. The throne is not the throne of judgment; for although he has prepared his throne for judgment, Psalm ix. 7; yet he is not seated upon that as yet, for the judgment day is not arrived; besides, the throne of judgment is given up to our blessed Immanuel; "for the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." Nor is a throne of grace here intended; for Christ himself is the throne of grace; "Grace is poured into thy lips, therefore God hath blessed thee for ever." "It pleased the Father that in him

should all fulness dwell;" that we might receive out of his fulness grace for grace, John i. 16. God has treasured up all grace in him, and no where else, for there is salvation in no other name.

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In the ark of Christ's body is every spiritual blessing deposited, as the hidden manna was laid up in the ark of the covenant; he is our sanctuary, our glorious throne, and our propitiation. As the law, and the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, were laid up in the ark under the mercy-seat, so in Christ is the magnified law laid up; thy law is within my heart.” Aaron's blooming rod, which prefigured the church in gospel times, which is called a royal priesthood, 1 Peter ii. 9; and the rod of an almond tree, Jer. i. 11; together with the golden pot of manna, which prefigured the comfortable grace of life, are all in their spiritual signification to be found and enjoyed in Christ Jesus. The ark of the testament is now opened in heaven; and " To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone;" which is the witness of God's Spirit.

Thus the ark, with all its mysterious treasures, is now to be found in heaven; and blessed be God it is opened in the church, and poor sinners are led to see that the ark with all its contents, and the mercy-seat thereon, prefigured the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our throne of grace, our propitiation, and our only mercy-seat. It was on him that the sentence of the law was executed; it was of

him that Justice got an infinite satisfaction; "Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne; mercy and truth shall go before thy face," Psalm lxxxix. 14.

The Saviour, as a throne of grace, was shewed in an obscure manner by the prophet Isaiah, where he is represented under the name Eliakim: "It shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah; and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand, and he shall be a Father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder: so he shall open and none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house," Isaiah xxii. 20-24. In the above text In the above text you have Christ represented as the everlasting father of his people; he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; secondly, as a glorious throne to the household of faith; thirdly, as a nail fastened in a sure place, that every vessel of mercy may hang their hopes and expectations on him for time and eternity; and fourthly, you have him held forth as a sovereign, having the keys of David; which are now found, not in the hand of Eliakim, but in the hand of Christ; "Write these things, saith he [Christ] that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David; he that openeth and no man

shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth." Thus it appears, that not a throne of judgment nor a throne of grace is intended here, but rather a throne of glory, upon which God the Father sat.

Of the book that he had in his right hand, which is said to be written within, and on the backside, sealed with seven seals, I shall treat from the words of my text, where the Saviour is said to take the book.

In the second verse, a strong angel with a loud voice is making proclamation, “Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof?" Whosoever he be that can take this book had need of infinite wisdom to open the seals and disclose the divine mysteries; he had need be a friend to sinners, to dispense the blessings of it to them; he had need of an omnipotent power, to execute the vengeance it contains; for he that opens it must reward the just, judge the wicked, and destroy the world; and he had need of omniscience, to search the heart and try the reins of men, to know how and where to apply them. For this wonderful book contains all things that shall come to pass in the world and church, till the mystery of God be finished, and time be no more.

"And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon." No man in heaven, not Christ himself if he is no more than man, neither the spirits of just men made perfect, nor any of the saints in a militant state, were able to open the bock;

nor no man on earth; either saint or sinner, wise or unwise, noble or ignoble, learned or illiterate; neither was any under the earth; either damned souls, or damned devils, able to open this book, loose its seals, or look into its contents.

"And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon." John saw the need of a mediator, a prophet, and an advocate; one to undertake as a mediator, make known the mysteries as a prophet, and plead the cause of the just as an advocate; and he saw no man in heaven, earth, or hell, that was worthy of either of these offices, or able for such an undertaking. He must be equal to God that does it, or he cannot transact with God for us; and he must be man also, or he cannot under

take for man. In short, he must be God's equal,

and man's fellow, that takes the book. Christ can do it, for he "thought it no robbery to be equal with God;" therefore he can transact with God; and as he is man's fellow, he can transact for man, and sympathise with him, especially as he is anointed with the oil of gladness above all his fellows, Psalm xlv. 7; who were to have fellowship with him, by being joined to him, and made of one spirit with him, 1 Cor. vi. 17.

"And one of the elders said unto me, weep not behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." Here you have the terrible and powerful majesty of the