his name, that is, the names of God and the Lamb expreffed in one name, as both are one God: and thus they will carry an honourable and diftinctive mark of their having been the devoted fervants of God and the Lamb. We may obferve, that in this and other places of the Apocalypfe, where St. John names together God and the Lamb, he always proceeds to speak of them in the fingular number, to fhew the unity of Godhead.

V. 5. "And night fhall be no more: and they fhall not need the light of the lamp, nor the light of the fun, because the Lord God fhall enlighten them, and they shall reign for ever and ever." We faw above, xxi. 23 & 25, nearly the fame things applied to the city, which are here promised to the inhabitants, who will never more be troubled with the viciffitude of day and night, but will be cheered with perpetual day. Nor will they want a fun, a lamp, or any other created light; because the Almighty himfelf will enlighten them with the glory and luftre of his divinity, and they will reign with him in an ocean of happiness for ever and ever.

Thus we have feen a full defcription of the heavenly Jerufalem, that is, of the triumphant ftate of the Chriftian Church, which when once begun will laft for evermore. The faints here will be filled with all those gratifications that can footh and make happy the foul and body. Both these component parts of the human individual, as they concurred to advance the glory of God in the world, fo they will have both their respective objects of delight and happinefs. But it must here be obferved that, though our explication has been moft literal, we cannot pretend to determine how far the prophet's glorious defcription of the heavenly city is to be understood in the literal, how far in the allegorical fenfe. We are certain that the happinefs of the faints will be complete, but it is not allowed to man to investigate the particulars of that future ftate; for " eye

hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Cor. ii. 9.To return to the text, St. John fays:

v. 6." And he faid to me: "Thefe words are moft faithful and true." Here is the feal put to the whole preceding account of the heavenly Jerufalem: The angel gives teftimony that it is moft faithful and true, or that it will certainly take place, as God's word and promife cannot fail. This conclufion is always fubjoined to thofe parts of the prophecy which treat of the ultimate ftate of man, namely, a happy eternity. Then is added,

v. 6. "And the Lord God of the fpirits of the prophets fent his angel to fhew his fervants the things which muft be done fhortly." That is, God who infpires the prophets or is the author of all prophecy, has vouchfafed to fend his angel, St. John the Baptift, to fignify the preceding prophecy of the Apocalypfe to his fervants, agreeably to what was notified in the very beginning of it, c. I. v. 1. Here then seems to terminate the prophetical hiftory of the Chriftian Church. We have feen her defcribed, in her rife, in her progrefs, and in the principal events that related to her. The whole courfe of her exiftence and tranfactions was aptly divided into feven ages, the laft of which fhews her triumphing in heaven, and crowned with immortal glory.

CHAPTER XIV.

Conclufion of the Apocalypfe.

THE remaining part of the Apocalypfe contains

feveral useful admonitions which claim our attention, and with them the book concludes.

Apoc. Chap. XXII. V. 7. "Behold I come quickly, Bleffed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy

of this book." Here Chrift himself speaks: Behold I come quickly, to execute the things delivered in this prophecy therefore bleffed is he who keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book, or who attends to what is contained in this book, and takes warning and inftruction from the important events therein defcribed. The fame admonition had been given at the beginning, c. I. v. 3.; a repeated argument of the extraordinary usefulness of this book.

v. 8. "And I John, who have heard and seen these things." Here St. John fpeaks: I John am the person that heard and faw all these things; by which declaration he gives teftimony of having received from the angel the whole preceding prophecy. And then he proceeds,

v. 8. "And after I had heard and feen, I fell down to adore before the feet of the angel, who shewed me these things:

v. 9. "And he faid to me: See thou do not: for I am thy fellow-fervant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them that keep the words' of the prophecy of this book. Adore God." St John offers, as he had done before, xix. 10. his homage of gratitude to the angel, St. John Baptift, who had fhewn him thefe things. The angel refufes it, and tells him to offer his adoration and thanks to God, who is the author and giver of this prophecy. The angel furthermore plainly infinuates, that he has no title to the apoftle's thanks, nor is he of a nature fuperior to the apostle; for he tells him, he is his fellow-fervant, having been formerly fo on earth; and, the fellow-fervant of his brethren the prophets, that is, of the minifters of Chrift's Church; and, fellow-fervant of them that keep the words of the prophecy of this book, that is, of all the faithful Chriftians from the beginning of Chrift's Church to the end of time.

hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Cor. ii. 9. To return to the text, St. John fays:

v. 6. "And he faid to me: "Thefe words are moft faithful and true." Here is the feal put to the whole preceding account of the heavenly Jerufalem: The angel gives teftimony that it is moft faithful and true, or that it will certainly take place, as God's word and promife cannot fail. This conclufion is always fubjoined to those parts of the prophecy which treat of the ultimate ftate of man, namely, a happy eternity. Then is added,

v. 6. "And the Lord God of the fpirits of the prophets fent his angel to fhew his fervants the things which muft be done fhortly." That is, God who infpires the prophets or is the author of all prophecy, has vouchfafed to fend his angel, St. John the Baptift, to fignify the preceding prophecy of the Apocalypfe to his fervants, agreeably to what was notified in the very beginning of it, c. 1. v. 1. Here then seems to terminate the prophetical hiftory of the Chriftian Church. We have seen her described, in her rife, in her progrefs, and in the principal events that related to her. The whole courfe of her exiftence and tranfactions was aptly divided into feven ages, the laft of which fhews her triumphing in heaven, and crowned with immortal glory.

CHAPTER XIV.

Conclufion of the Apocalypfe.

THE remaining part of the Apocalypfe contains

feveral useful admonitions which claim our attention, and with them the book concludes.

Apoc. Chap. XXII. V. 7. "Behold I come quickly, Bleffed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy

of this book." Here Chrift himself speaks: Behold I come quickly, to execute the things delivered in this prophecy therefore bleffed is he who keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book, or who attends to what is contained in this book, and takes warning and inftruction from the important events therein defcribed. The fame admonition had been given at the beginning, c. 1. v. 3.; a repeated argument of the extraordinary usefulness of this book.

v. 8. "And I John, who have heard and feen these things." Here St. John fpeaks: I John am the person that heard and faw all these things; by which declaration he gives teftimony of having received from the angel the whole preceding prophecy. And then he proceeds,

v. 8. And after I had heard and feen, I fell down to adore before the feet of the angel, who shewed me these things:

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v. 9. "And he faid to me: See thou do not: for I am thy fellow-fervant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them that keep the words' of the prophecy of this book. Adore God." St John offers, as he had done before, xix. 10. his homage of gratitude to the angel, St. John Baptift, who had shewn him thefe things. The angel refuses it, and tells him to offer his adoration and thanks to God, who is the author and giver of this prophecy. The angel furthermore plainly infinuates, that he has no title to the apoftle's thanks, nor is he of a nature fuperior to the apoftle; for he tells him, he is his fellow-fervant, having been formerly fo on earth; and, the fellow-fervant of his brethren the prophets, that is, of the minifters of Chrift's Church; and, fellow-fervant of them that keep the words of the prophecy of this book, that is, of all the faithful Chriftians from the beginning of Chrift's Church to the end of time.