who flourished in the beginning of the third century, speaks of John's returning from Patmos to Ephesus after the death of the tyraut, by whom he is supposed to mean the Emperor just mentioned.

As the first thing toward a right interpretation of this book is, a correct conception of the imagery employed, to that object we shall pay a primary attention. Much of this scenery is borrowed from the temple, and the dress in which the Son of God here appears, seems to be that of the Jewish High Priest; but his person infinitely more glorious. His countenance as the sun; his locks white as snow when irradiated by the sun-his eyes darting ethereal flames, and his feet shining like smelting brass in the furnace. Here the prophet saw seven candlesticks or lampburners, not joined together in the manner of the candelabrum or chandelier in the tabernacle (described Exod. xxv. 31, &c.), but, as it should seem, distinct; for the Christian churches are not all united in one form, as was the Jewish, nor dependant upon one tabernacle or temple; but alone on Him who" walketh in the midst" or before the front of them, as we understand it, to furnish or superintend their light.

These lamps were not illumined in the ordinary manner, with wicks and oil, but by stars, siguifying the angels, ministers, and messengers of these churches, which the great High Priest holds in his hand : not separately, as we conceive, but in the form of either a cluster, or perhaps a kind of orrery, such as some have supposed was placed on the top of Solomon's celebrated pillars-Jachin and Boaz. This vision,

while it was intended to animate and encourage, was for the moment overpowering. The beloved apostle fell at the Saviour's feet as dead. Instantly, however, he stretched forth his right hand to communicate a touch, like that which, during his abode on earth, could cure the sick and raise the dead. "Fear not (said

he), I am the first and the last-be that liveth and was dead!"-" This word, Fear not (says Dr. Woodhouse) is the comforting assurance to the Virgin, to Zachsrias, to the shepherds, and to the women at the sepulchre, under similar impres sions."

Mr.

We must here pause a moment, and attend to the directions given to the prophet to write.-"Write the things which thos hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." Lowman and Dr. Woodhouse divide these matters of record into two classes,-1. The things which John had seen and was now seeing, he classes with things that are, dividing the whole into things present and things future; but Mr. Fuller has a thought peculiar to himself, and which we think, like most of his conceptions, merits our particular attention. He considers these predictions as having a retrospective view from the ascension of Christ, and including two great objects which most other expositors omit-namely, the progress of the gospel from that period, and the destruction of Jerusalem, with all its attendant horrors.

"Surely (says Mr. Fuller) it must appear singular, that in a prophetic descrip tion of the success of the gospel in the early ages, the most glorious part of it should be left out; and that, in a like description of the wars between the Jews and Romans, the most terrible part should be omitted." The reason given by Mr. Lowman for its being omitted, is, The destruction of Jerusalem being past, can hardly be supposed to be denoted by a prediction of a judgment to come." "Doubtless it is in general true (continues Mr. Fuller) that prophecies are predictions of things to come; in some instances, however, they may refer to events, the beginnings of which are already ac complished. There is a remarkable instance of this in the prophecies of Daniel, concerning the four monarchies. He speaks

CHAP. II. Ver. 1. Unto the angel, &c.-Dr. Jennings says, Next to the chief ruler of the synagogue, was an officer who offered public prayers, and was therefore called their angel.-Jew. Antiq. book 11. chap. ii. Candlesticks-See chap. i. 12.

Ver. 2. Which say they are apostles.-It appears by this verse, that some of the false teachers which troubled the church in the first ages, pretended to be apostles. These the church of Ephesus could not endure.

[Epistle to the]

and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also bate.

7 He that hath an ear, let him

[Church of Smyrna.

hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

of his seeing them all rise up out of the sea (Dan. vii. 1-3); yet, at the time of the vision, the first of them, namely, Babylon, had risen and reigned, and was near its

end;

for it was in the first year of Belshazzar, who was its last king. And why should not the apostle, in like manner, begin the prophecy with the commencement of the Christian dispensation, though he wrote above sixty years after it? This makes the sealed book to contain a perfect system of New Testament prophecy, from the ascension of Christ to the end of all things."

Of this suggestion, which appears to us perfectly correct, we shall avail ourselves in explaining the visions of the seals; in the mean time, we must return to the Epistles to the seven churches. Many commentators conceive these also to be prophetic of the seven stages of the Christian church at large. But for this we perceive no foundation; and we are happy to find that Bp. Newton, and the most respect

able expositors since his time, are of the same opinion. "But it doth not appear (says the learned prelate) that there are, or were to be, seven periods of the church, neither more nor less; and no two men can agree in assigning the same periods. There are likewise in these epistles several innate characters, which are peculiar to the church of that age, and cannot be so well applied to the church of any other age. Besides other arguments, there is also this plain reason; the last state of the church is described in this very book as most glorious of all; but in the last state in these Epistles, that of Laodicea, the church is represented as wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.' But though these Epistles have rather a literal than a mystical meaning, yet they contain excellent moral precepts and exhortations, commendations and reproofs, promises and threatenings, which may be

of use and instruction to the church in

all ages."

Ver. 4. Left thy first love.-Woodh. "former love;" i. e. declined from their former zeal and affection. See Acts xix. 10-12, 17-20.

Ver. 5. Remove thy candlestick-i. e. take away their privileges.

Ver. 6. Nicolaitans.-See Dictionary of all Religions, in Nicolaitans. The ancient Fathers describe these as equally erroneous in doctrine, and impure in morals.

Ver. 9. Which say they are Jews.-See Gal. vi. 12-16. These Jews were found to take a very active part in persecuting Polycarp and his fellow Christians.

Ver. 10. Ten days-i. e. perhaps many days. See Gen. xxxi. 7, 41; Lev. xxvi. 26; ) Sam, i. 8; Eccies. vii. 7. But some think the persecution here referred to lasted ten years-a day for a year; but we are not sure of this. See on chap. vi. 11.

CHAP. II.

[to the Spirit of God.

churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (C)

(C) Ver. 1-11. Epistles to the Churches of Ephesus and Smyrna.-These Epistles are all addressed to the angels of the several churches; by whom we are to understand their respective ministers, pastors, or bishops, who are to be considered as their representatives also, through whom the respective churches are themselves addressed. Of these the church of Ephesus is the first; to which is addressed both commendation and reproof. Alluding to the character in which Jesus appears as the true light, guide and defender of his churches, he says, "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience;" and particularly commends them for rejecting false prophets and impostors. Especially are they recommended for hating "the deeds of the Nicolaitanes," which (says the Lord) I also hate. What these deeds were, it is not easy to ascertain. Ecclesiastical historians charge them with a criminal licentiousness, in holding a community of wives. They boasted, as their founder, one of the first seven deacons, Nicolas, the pro'selyte of Antioch: but" whether he countenanced such conduct, or whether they abused his name to sanction it, is not now easily to be ascertained. Nor is it quite certain that he is the person whom they claimed as their founder, since Nicolas was a common name among the Greeks."

It is probable that all these churches had been planted by St. Paul: this is clear, at least as to the church at Ephesus, in which city he was severely persecuted by Demetrius and his craftsmen, as we have already seen on Acts xix. 24, &c. Persecution is generally friendly to piety in the subjects of such persecution; but after that subsided, it seems that the Ephesians lost" their first love;" that is, abated in the fervour of their piety and zeal; and therefore are they exhorted to "repent, and do their first works."

Ephesus was the chief city of proconsular Asia, and was at that time immensely rich, and devoted to luxury and idolatry. "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" was their cry; and the chief cause of their alarm was, lest their favourite "goddess should be despised, and her maguificence destroyed."

But, alas! how frail and uncertain are all terrestrial things! This mighty city is now reduced to about fifteen poor cottages, inhabited by Turks (who call it Aisulick); and this flourishing church was, in 1816, reduced to three individual Christians, one only of whom could read; and who knew nothing of St. Paul, but by his name in the Calendar.-(See Orient. Lit. No. 1548.)

Each of these addresses finishes with 1 promise on perseverance; and the promise here is "To him that overcometh will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Of this tree we shall have a fuller account, chap xxii. 2. Life and immortality are the sur reward of victory in the Christian contest

The next address is to the church Smyrna, of which no other mention is made in the New Testament; our Scripture knowledge of it is, therefore, solely confined to this account. The church at Smyrna was, at this time, in the midst of tribulation and poverty, arising, most pr bably, from the persecution they had en dured. They were, however, rich in grace; and though they are taught to expect far ther persecution, they are assured also d support and final victory. There were, notwithstanding, among these pious Christians, some who belonged to the synagogue of Satan; some, indeed, who boasted of being Abraham's seed, but were not the children of his faith. It is predicted, "The devi shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten," that is, many days." Nearly seventy years after the visions of the Apocalypse, a heavy persecution broke out in this city; and their Bishop, Polycarp, signalized himself, by the courage and fortitude with which he suffered, in an extreme old age. When threatened with the most terrible deaths, and urged to pity his own grey hairs, he nobly replied, "Eighty and six years have I served Christ, and be has never done me any wrong: how, then, can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?" And when, in particular, he was threatened with the flames by which, indeed, he suffered, he retorted-" Thou threatenest

Ver. 11. He that hath an ear.-See Note on Matt. si. 15. The second death-i. e. final and everlasting death. See chap. xx. 14; xxi. 8. Not

being hurt by this death, implies also that, on the contrary, they should enjoy everlasting life.

[Church of Thyatira. the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other

burden.

25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

28 And I will give him the morning star.

29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (D)

(D) Ver. 12-29. Epistles to the Churches of Pergamos and Thyatira.-Pergamos is described by Pliny the elder, as the most famous city of Asia, having been adorned and enriched by a long succession of Attalian kings, and now become the residence of a Roman consul. Wealth and luxury

of course fitted it for a " throne of Satan,' as might be expected of a Pagan metropolis. The city is now called Bergamo, and is said to contain about 15,000 inhabitants; Greeks, Armenians, Jews, &c. about 2000; but all the rest Turks. Most of the churches are turned into mosques, but there remains one for the Greeks, and another for the Armenians. Here, formerly, Esculapius was worshipped under the form of a serpent, which gives the greater propriety to its being called the

Ver. 21. I gave her space.-Woodh. "time." Ver. 22. Into a bed-Namely, of deep affliction. Ver. 23. I will kill-Literally, "slay with death" -a Hebraism, like Gen. ii. 17; or perhaps "death" may here intend the pestilence, as in chap. vi. 8, and elsewhere.

Ver. 24. Unto you I say, and-Doddr. "even"unto the rest-But some copies omit the copulative; and so Woodhouse, who includes in a parenthesis the words (which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak"), which renders the sense much clearer: and at the word burden, where we have a full stop, he places only a semicolon, which connects the sentence with the next verse.

As to

the burden here intended, Doddridge, and most others, understand thereby, the doctrines and precepts they had already received: hut Lord Barrington (father to the late venerable Bishop of Dur

ham) supposed it to refer to the apostolic decree recorded in Acts xv. 28, 29; and we think there is much probability in this conjecture.

Ver. 25. But-Woodh. "Only "-that which t (already) hold fast till I come-that is, either in have-the doctrines and precepts which we have

death or judgment.

Ver. 27. And he shall rule them.- This verse, ex cept the last clause, is an evident quotation from Psalm ii. 9; and is, as such, inclosed in a paren. thesis, both by Doddridge and Woodhouse-verse connecting with verse 27, as follows: "I will give him power over the nations: (........) even as [

have received of my Father."

Ver. 28. I will give him the morning star-i. e. I will be his light; for Christ assumes this title to bim

self, chap. xxi. 16.