*

as a reed. It is not, as some Romish writers have ventured to call it, "a Lesbian rule," or "rule of lead." No, it is a Rod of iron †, which cannot be bent or broken, but will break all its foes in pieces, like a potter's vessel. With it St. John is commanded to measure the Sanctuary and the Altar, and those who worship there. Properly speaking, the Reed itself gives the command. The original words are ‡, A reed was given me saying, Rise, and measure the Sanctuary. The Reed speaks. It is inspired. The Spirit is in it. It is the Word of God. And it measures the Church: that is, the Canon of Scripture is the Rule of Faith.

The outer Court and Holy City is given to the Gentiles, and is not to be measured, but to be cast out. Here, we must observe, that, as the word Jew

* Albert Pighius and others, quoted in "Sequel to Letters on the Church of Rome," Letter IV. p. 84.

Haymo ad loc. In Virgâ rectitudo Scripturæ intelligitur.Berengaudus ad Rev. ii. 27. Virga ferrea Evangelium figurat quâ omnis error destructus est.

† Rev. xi. 1. ἐδόθη μοι κάλαμος λέγων is the reading of the best MSS. There are many such expressions in the Apocalypse. They have, by some, been called barbarisms! But they are above rules theirs is the Grammar of Inspiration. What can be more sublime than the phrase ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ipxóμevos, (Rev. i. 4,) showing the unchangeableness—the indeclinability of the Deity? This is observed by Arethas. Wherever the reader meets in the Apocalypse with a phrase which seems a solecism, let him take it for granted, that it contains some great and solemn truths, and that the singularity of the phrase is designed to call his attention to them.

R

*

in the Apocalypse is never to be interpreted literally, but always figuratively; that is, it signifies a true Confessor of the Faith, one who is a Jew inwardly †, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile ‡, a sincere Christian; so the word Gentile § is to be understood in a figurative sense, as a nominal Christiana member of the Christian Church, in word, but not in deed. This Vision, then, represents a mixed and corrupt state of the Visible Church on earth: it leads us to expect, what we see, that some parts of the field of the Church will be overgrown with tares -some parts of its floor be nearly covered with chaff.

But it also teaches us, that a separation of the grain and chaff will one day be made. And how will it be effected ||? By the Word of God. The Reed of Scripture measures the Church. Scripture is the fan by which Christ will throughly purge His floor **. His own Words will be like Angels, by which He will separate the Tares from the Wheat at the Day of Harvest ††.

Let us pause here to observe, that at first sight the transition from the four Angels bound at the Eu

* See Vitringa, Anacr. p. 79. 137. 303. 451. 454. + Rom. ii. 29. ‡ John i. 47. § See Heidegger, Myster. Bab. ii. 90. 0vn sunt Christiani uxo, hypocritæ, zizania.

|| Bede ad loc. Hi qui nomine tenus Ecclesiæ junguntur, et nec altari nec sanctis sanctorum appropinquant, a regulá Evangelii projecti gentibus sociantur. Omnis enim gloria filiæ Regum ab intus. Ps. xlv. 14.

** Matth. iii. 12. Luke iii. 17.

+ Matth. xiii. 41.

phrates to the Open Book, seemed abrupt. And what connexion, we were tempted to ask, could the Open Book have with the Seven Thunders, and they with the Reed? We have now endeavoured to show that all these transitions are very natural. One of these emblems suggests the others. The loosing of the Gospel introduced the History of the Gospel. The Gospel is a Book open to all; and the words of the Seven Thunders, who sound in the New Testament, were sealed by Christ through St. John. It was placed in his hands. The Word of God so sealed is the Rule of Faith-it is the measuring Reed of the Church.

We now proceed to observe, that the same Word of God, which is the Rule of Faith and the Rod of His Power, is the Testimony of God to the World in the Two Testaments; and therefore next appears to us in THE TWO WITNESSES.

And further: the ignominious treatment which the Word of God would receive from an ungrateful World is predicted in the Vision before us, by the mournful garb of the Two Witnesses. They preach in Sackcloth. This appears to be another catchword, to connect this Vision with the Sixth Seal, when the Sun (that is, Christ) becomes black as sackcloth t.

Let us also observe, how beautiful is the next

* See above, Lect. IV. p. 126.-Haymo in loc. Bene Ecclesia in duobus Testibus figuratur propter duo Testamenta.

† Rev. vi. 12.

transition from the Two Witnesses to the Two OLIVE TREES. The Word of God, which is the measuring Reed of Faith, and the iron Rod of Right, and God's Witness to Men, is also the channel of Oil; that is, of Grace, and Light, and Peace to the Church, and by the Church to all. The Two Witnesses are the Two Olive Trees which feed the Two CANDLESTICKS of the Church with living oil, and so illumine the Tabernacle of the World *.

Next, we remark that these Olive Trees and these Candlesticks are only two; that is, God has revealed Himself under the Law and under the Gospel. They entwine their branches together in a loving embrace t. No other Religion, consigned to written Documents, is from God: no third Witness is to be expected from Him.

Thus all these symbols follow in natural sequence, and teach divine truths.

To proceed.

The Two Witnesses, we read, have divine Power. If any one despises them, fire cometh out of their Mouth, and consumes their enemies. They can shut heaven, like Elias, and exclude all who reject them. The dews of divine grace are withheld from all who scorn them. The heavens are brass, the earth is iron to their foes ‡. The Waters of

* For further illustration of this exposition, see the authorities cited by Bishop Andrewes, ctrà Bellarmine, c. xi. p. 238 and 259. + See XXXIX Articles, Art. vii. Deut. xxviii. 23. § Aquinas, p. 331. Aqua doctrinæ convertitur malis in san

salvation become blood to revilers or scoffers of Scripture. To them the blessing is a Bane; the Scripture a Scourge; Preaching a Plague; the Word a Woe.

We see more of their History in this Vision. The BEAST *, it is said, which comes forth from the abyss, will make war with them, and overcome them, and destroy them. Here is a prophetic anticipation, like many others in the Apocalypse. As yet we have heard nothing of the Beast in this Book. But he had been described by the prophet

guinem, id est in peccatum, quia ex hoc quod ipsi audacter prædicabunt, mali fient pejores et in eos crudeliores.

* Rev. xi. 7, rò Onpiov, the Beast. This use of the Article is very frequent with the Writer of the Apocalypse. It is a proof of his Inspiration and of Scripture-Unity; for it indicates the object (not yet described by himself, but either described already in Scripture by some other inspired Writer, or to be described hereafter by himself) as already visible to the eye of the Writer, and brings all times into one Present. Bishop Middleton (on the Greek Article, p. 636) has noted several places in the Apocalypse where the use of the Article seemed to him anomalous. All these may, I conceive, be explained on one principle. They are examples of what I would call the prophetic use of the Article. Thus, Rev. iv. 4, in many MSS. εἶδον τοὺς εἴκοσι τέσσαρας πρεσβυτέρους, who had not been mentioned, but are described hereafter. Thus again, as ai nтà ßpovraì, x. 3, the Thunders, of which more hereafter; so xi. 8, Tóλews The μeyáλns, to be described afterwards; xi. 12, iv rỷ vεpéλŋ, the cloud of Christ's glory. See xiv. 14. So xix. 20, siç rǹy Xiμvny, the lake of fire, to be described afterward in xx. 10. 14, 15. xxi. 8. Lastly, xii. 14, δύο πτέρυγες τοῦ ἀετοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου, i. e. of Christ (ep. Deut. xxxii. 11. Exod. xix. 14); intimating that the idea, not familiar to the reader, has been long before the mind of the Writer.