and you that have no money, make hafte, buy, and eat: come ye, buy wine and milk without money, and without any price," lv. I. v. 18." For 1 teftify to every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man fhall add to these things, God fhall add unto him the plagues written in this book. v. 19. "And if any man fhall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God fhall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book." Christ had faid juft before, v. 16. that he had fent his angel to give teftimony to this prophecy; and therefore he here denounces a fevere punishment upon all thofe, who fhall prefume. to add any thing to, or detract from, this prophecy of the Apocalypfe. Hence it appears, with what refpect and caution it ought to be read and handled. And indeed whoever has ftudied the Apocalypfe with attention, must have obferved the precifion of it to be fuch, that a word cannot be added or retrenched without danger of derogating from the fenfe. v. 20. "He that gives teftimony of these things, faith: Surely, I come quickly: Amen. Come, Lord Jefus. Chrift here gives teftimony of these things, that is, he bears witnefs and gives his fanction to all that is written in this prophecy: and then conclud ing proclaims for the third time: Surely, I come quickly. I fhall certainly come foon, for good and all, to judge the whole body of mankind at the laft day, and to recompenfe the juft and punish the wicked. St. John answers his divine mafter: Be it fo, O Lord Jefus come, and grant us, your fervants, the faour of enjoying you for all eternity. To me then were decreed all power and dominion: and from me flow the divine bleffings to all nations, both of redemption and future immortality. These are my rights. I am alfo the bright and morning ftar; the true morning ftar that fhines fo bright above all other stars, and that enlighteneth every man that comes into the world," John'i. 9. "I am that ftar, the Orient, that enlighteneth them who fit in darkness, and in the fhadow of death," Luke i. 78, 79. I am the bright morning ftar, that guides mankind to the gate of heaven. "I am the way, the truth, and the life," John xiv. 6.—Christ conti nues, v. 17. " And the fpirit and the bride fay: Come. And he that heareth, let him fay: Come. And he that thirfteth, let him come: and he that will, let him take the water of life freely." The Spirit or Holy Ghoft, who directs the Church, and the bride of Chrift or the Church herfelf, cry to me, faying: Come, haften the general judgment, put an end to the labours of your fervants, and admit them into the heavenly city. Whoever heareth this cry of the holy Spirit and the Church, let him alfo fay: Come; let every one join in the fame requeft, because it is for the ultimate and greatest bleffing. And if any one thirfteth after the water of life, after the glory which I give, let him come and meet me, let him haften to me in fervour and fanctity. And he that will, let him take the water of life freely; he that defires to drink of the water of life and will take the pains to come at it, may have it freely or gratis, without money, without any other price but faith and good works, both which proceed from the gratuitous gift of my grace: for "without me you can do nothing," John xv. 5.: When I crown your merits, I crown my own gifts.-The fame invitation to eternal beatitude, which alone will fatisfy all our defires, almighty God formerly gave by his prophet Ifaiah: "All you that thirft, come to the waters: and you that have no money, make hafte, buy, and eat: come ye, buy wine and milk without money, and without any price," lv. I. v. 18. For I teftify to every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man fhall add to these things, God fhall add unto him the plagues written in this book. V. 19. "And if any man fhall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God fhall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book." Chrift had faid juft before, v. 16. that he had fent his angel to give teftimony to this prophecy; and therefore he here denounces a fevere punishment upon all thofe, who fhall prefume. to add any thing to, or detract from, this prophecy of the Apocalypfe. Hence it appears, with what respect and caution it ought to be read and handled. And indeed whoever has ftudied the Apocalypfe with attention, must have obferved the precifion of it to be fuch, that a word cannot be added or retrenched without danger of derogating from the fenfe. v. 20. "He that gives teftimony of these things, faith: Surely, I come quickly: Amen. Come, Lord Jefus. Chrift here gives teftimony of these things, that is, he bears witnefs and gives his fanction to all that is written in this prophecy: and then concluding proclaims for the third time: Surely, I come quickly. I fhall certainly come foon, for good and all, to judge the whole body of mankind at the laft day, and to recompenfe the juft and punish the wicked. St. John answers his divine mafter: Be it fo, O Lord Jefus come, and grant us, your fervants, the fa-. our of enjoying you for all eternity. CHAPTER XV. Reflections on the Seven Ages of the Chriftian Church. THUS have we taken a view of the whole prophetic hiftory of the Apocalypfe. We have travelled through the whole tract of duration, which reaches from the rife of Chriftianity to the fixed ftate of eternity after the clofe of all time. We have feen the most remarkable tranfactions, that take place in the Christian Church during that whole period. And thus we are arrived at last to enjoy a full view of the plan of œconomy which Chrift, the fupreme governor, obferves in the adminiftration of his Church. This plan appears truly grand and admirable. It confifts of three parts, contained under the feals, the trumpets, and the vials. The trumpets exhibit to us the painful trials he thinks fit to fubject his people to. The vials defcribe the punishments which he inflicts on their enemies. The nature therefore of both these parts of his conduct towards his Church is fufficiently clear: but that of the feals, it must be allowed, is not fo obvious, and may require fome elucidation. In the prelude to the feals the Lamb was introduced, all power was given him, the period of his fovereignty was opened, and his reign commenced. This clue leads us to the understanding of the general tendency of the feals. In them we fee Chrift proceed to the work of forming and establishing his kingdom or Church, which he carries on through all ages. But as every prince, who undertakes to conquer to himself a new kingdom, muft neceffarily encounter many enemies and obftacles; fo here we fee enemies rife up against Christ, the prince of the Chriftian kingdom, and oppofe his undertaking. Thus, in the firft feal Chrift fets out upon his conquefts to form his kingdom upon earth. The fecond feal fhews us the rife of a body of here tics, the Arians, Chrift's own fubjects, who rebel against him, and attempt to wreft from him part of his kingdom. The third feal opens to us the fcene of the fubverfion of pagan Rome with its empire, which is the triumph of Chrift over that mighty idolatrous power and the eftablishment of his kingdom in its place. In the fourth feal we fee again the rife of another powerful enemy of Chrift, namely, the Mahometan or Antichriftian empire, which deprives him of fome part of his dominions for a time. The fifth feal exhibits to us the martyrs of the fifth age, who are told that vengeance will in due time be taken on their perfecutors, for the spilling of their blood: and in the mean time they are clothed with the robe of beatitude. This fhews Chrift's economy with regard to these his faithful and valiant foldiers. Under the fixth feal we fee dreadful prodigies and figns, and the heavens and the earth in confufion. By these Christ, the bountiful King, alarms the impious and rebellious part of his people, and tries by terror to bring them back to their allegiance and duty, and to reform them into good fubjects, before he comes to judge them. The feventh feal opens the fcene, in which he completes his work by taking poffeffion of the whole earth, and putting an end to all other power. In confequence of this he is acknowledged univerfal Lord and Mafter of the world, and receives the applaufes and acclamations of the heavenly choirs, who fing: "The kingdom of this world is become our Lord's and his Christ's, and he fhall reign for ever and ever," Apoc. xi. 15. Thus then we fee defcribed in the feals the feries of Chrift's operations for the formation and establishment of that kingdom which was promised him upon earth. "I beheld," fays Daniel, "and lo one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the ancient of days and they prefented him before him. And he gave him power, and glory, and a kingdom: and |