tion, or, in the aggregate, representing the dispensation itself; or it may be put for the twelve patriarchs and the twelve apostles, as a figure of the elements both of the old and new dispensations, as it was also promised to the apostles, Matt. xix. 28, and Luke xxii. 30, that they should sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. That is, the leading elements of truth in the Old and New Testaments are to be virtually the judges in matters of doctrine pertaining to the mystery of redemption. The elements of the new covenant being associated with those of the old from the beginning, although not equally developed to human understanding; as the principles of mercy, as well as of justice, have always been constituents of the divine character. In all the provisions, dispensations, and revelations of God, they have been manifested; although the manner, in which the elements of mercy have been reconciled with those of justice, is developed only in the Gospel.

We incline however to the opinion, that these twenty-four elders represent the patriarchs and prophets, or especially the elements of the old dispensation, first, on account of their appellation of elders, or presbyters, pre-eminently the elements of the gospel occupying, as we may say, the rank of juniors; secondly, because the present scene, as we have suggested, is one antecedent to gospel revelation; and thirdly, because, when the elements of the old and new dispensations are supposed to co-operate, they are represented, as we shall notice hereafter, by the number 144, or twelve multiplied into twelve. The twenty-four tribunals, therefore, around the throne of the Supreme Judge, may be said to symbolize something equivalent to the law and the testimony. The twenty-four elders are the triers, by which all doctrines are to be tried, as it is said, Is. viii. 20, "If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." 122. Sitting, clothed in white.'-These elders were seen upon their tribunals of judgment—not idle, but occupied with the performance of their respective functions. So the process of this trial may be said to be in perpetual operation. Doctrines and principles are now tried and to be tried by the standard of the law and of the testimony, and the truth is and has been continually elicited. Truth and error are to grow together until the harvest ; but the fields are already white unto the harvest, and the reapers are already engaged. The wheat-the truth-is being gathered in, and the tares-the errors are being separated for destruction.

'Clothed in white.'-White linen is expressly said (Rev. xix. 8) to be the righteousness of saints; that is, we suppose, the divine righteousness imputed to the saints, for there is none other truly white, as already remarked. The elements of the law and testimony, acting as triers, appear in the uniform and livery of this imputed righteousness, showing their qualification and destination for the office of judges, as the judicial robe is intended to

point out the authority of him who wears it. This white clothing accordingly represents the elders rather as the ministers of this righteousness, than as the beneficiaries of it.

'And they had on their heads crowns of gold.'-Tokens of victory— crowns, not diadems-crowns of truth, (golden,) capable of withstanding the test, or trial of the Assayer; and tokens of victory in the cause of truth. In which cause, each of these judges or triers is pointed out as having been triumphant, or as destined to be so; their victory corresponding with that attributable to the law and to the testimony, (§ 121.)

§ 123. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings, and voices,' or sounds.—Accompaniments corresponding almost precisely with those attending the giving of the law, as described Exod. xix. 16 and 18: "And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly." So, Ps. 1. 3, "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him." That is, tempestuous with thunderings and lightnings. And Ps. xcvii. 2, "Clouds and darkness are round about him; righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world; the earth saw, and trembled.” These passages cannot but indicate that wherever we find this exhibition of thunderings, and lightnings, and noises, or voices, there the Deity is manifested, especially in his judicial as well as his sovereign character.

And seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.'-These must be the same Spirits as those mentioned Rev. i. 4, supposed to be emanations, or distinct operations, of the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit, under the legal dispensation, a devouring fire, being, under the Gospel dispensation, the comforter and source of grace and peace. Under the latter aspect, these emanations are spoken of only as seven spirits before the throne: under the former, that is, in the judicial representation, they are described as lamps of fire burning before the throne; the process of burning, being peculiar to the action of Divine justice,—as Is. iv. 4, where the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning are described as being in joint operation. This burning may have some allusion to the operation of that fire which is to "try every man's work of what sort it is."

Which are the seven Spirits of God.'-We have already suggested (9) that the peculiarity of this number seven is, that it constitutes an integer, being put for the whole of whatever may be represented by it—as

the seven Spirits of God are equal to the whole Holy Spirit-seven being the figure of something perfect, complete, entire. So the seven churches are the whole church; contemplated, perhaps, under seven different aspects.

There are a number of spirits mentioned in the Scriptures, which may be said to be Spirits of God; or rather, there are a number of appellations of this one Spirit. In Gen. i. 2, it is said, "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Job. xxvii. 3, "The Spirit of God is in my nostrils," and xxxiii. 4, "The Spirit of God hath made me." Here the term is applicable, in a general sense, to the creative and preserving power of the Deity; but in most other passages of the Scriptures, there seems to be no distinction drawn between the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God. The first being spoken of, Rom. xv. 16, and the last, 1 Cor. vi. 11, as the same power or instrument of sanctification. We may presume, therefore, that, by the seven Spirits of God, something is to be understood equivalent to seven operations of the Holy Spirit-seven peculiar modes in which Divine power is manifested, with immediate reference to the work of redemption. Such, for example, as the Spirit of truth, John xiv. 17, xv. 26, and xvi. 13; the Spirit of adoption, Rom. viii. 15; the Spirit of promise, Eph. i. 13; the Spirit of glory, 1 Pet. iv. 14; the Spirit of grace, Heb. x. 29; the Spirit of faith, ii. Cor. iv. 13; the Spirit of sanctification, 2 Thess. ii. 13; and 1 Pet. i. 2. Not that even these are different operations, but rather that they are different figures, under which the same operation is represented; as, to be adopted in Christ, is to be set apart, or sanctified in him.

These Spirits are "before the throne." They are the chosen means or instruments of the Divine Sovereign. The appointed ministers of the Supreme Ruler. They are compared to fire and to flame, because, as powerful exhibitions of the divine word or purpose, they try and consume the delusive doctrines of error. These, however, are only our suggestions. The appellations above selected are Scripture terms, and it appears reasonable, at least, in searching for the character of the Spirits of God, spoken of in the Scriptures, that we should gather the meaning of these terms from those Scriptures, and not from other sources.

It may be said, that if, as we have supposed, the exhibition now under consideration be that of the Supreme Being, in his judicial character especially, these lamps, or spirits, should be of the same character. But, as we have before remarked, the attributes of God must have been the same from all eternity; and the elements of mercy, as well as those of justice, have always formed a portion of these attributes. Besides, we have the express declaration, Rev. i. 4, that grace and peace come from the seven Spirits before the throne; and these seven lamps burning before the throne, are declared to be the seven Spirits of God. They are attributes of his sovereignty, even on

the tribunal of justice, although their beneficent operation may not be there

exhibited.

$124. And before the throne a sea of glass like unto crystal,'-or, more strictly, a transparent sea like unto crystal-the artificial substance, glass, not being generally known in the time of the apostle : and the word rendered in our common version of glass, being, as it will be perceived, an adjective, and not a substantive, and applicable to any pellucid material.

The only other place in which the term crystal is made use of in the New Testament, as applicable to a body of water, is at the close of this vision, (Rev. xxii. 1:) "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb."

Collating the two passages, we are struck with the difference, that, although both these elements are compared for transparency to the same substance, and both are mentioned in immediate connection with the throne, they differ in this, that one is a sea, and the other a river. The difference is not in their appearance, but in their essential qualities; sea-water being incapable of sustaining life, and ill adapted even to the purpose of purification, while pure river-water is peculiarly suitable for both these purposes. The peculiar characteristic of the sea is its destructive power: the characteristic of a stream of pure and wholesome water is its life-giving and fructifying capability. Fresh water is indispensable for animal life; it cleanses, too, without destroying as a figure, it thus happily represents the indispensable element of salvation, the atonement of a Redeemer-cleansing the soul from the guilt of sin, while it preserves the eternal life of the sinner. The water of the sea, on the contrary, so far from allaying the sensation of thirst, increases the distress occasioned by it; while it can cleanse only by washing away the objects exposed to its action, as a deluge may purify the surface of the earth by sweeping every thing before it. The sea and the waves roaring, (Luke xxi. 25,) are thus figurative, in Scripture, of the threatenings of divine justice; the sea itself representing the element of the destruction pronounced by the law upon every soul of man that doeth evil. As, in a literal sense, it was only the voice of Jesus that could quiet the tempest to which his followers were exposed, so, in a spiritual sense, it is only by his redeeming and atoning power, that the progress of God's avenging justice can be stayed; and, while labouring under the alarm of a guilty conscience, so it is only in proportion as the disciple hears the blessed voice of his Redeemer, that he can feel his apprehensions allayed. The sea before the throne thus represents the provision for meeting the requisitions of vindictive justice. The element of punishment forms, as we may say, a prominent feature in this solemn exhibition of judicial array ; as in ancient criminal courts the lictors, or executioners of the sentence of

the law, were present with the judge, perhaps as much to exhibit the power of the supreme authority, as to carry its decisions into effect.

This sea of glass was in a quiescent state; for the water of the sea, when violently agitated, is not clear: so the preparation only for executing the sentence of the law, whatever that sentence may be, and not the execution of it, is here represented. The divine power to punish is shown, but fearful and destructive as the operation must be, it is restrained by the forbearance and long-suffering of the Sovereign. The sea was clear as crystal so it is an essential to the character of God that he should be clear when he judges, (Ps. li. 4.) The clearness and impenetrability of crystal, may thus represent the perfect purity and inflexibility of divine justice.

Consistently with our remarks upon the preceding figures, it may be said, that we ought, even here, to suppose some representation of the purpose of divine mercy, existing from all eternity in the mind of an unchangeable Being, such as Jehovah declares himself to be, Mal. iii. 6; "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." And we do find this in the nature of the figure selected to represent this element of justice.

The action of the natural sun extracts from the sea the pure particles of water; these particles, exhaled, are condensed and form clouds. The clouds are carried to the shores, and, intercepted by the high lands, accumulate and fall in showers upon the earth; more especially in the mountainous regions, whence, by innumerable streams they descend in rivers, replenishing the springs and fountains, and affording the means of purifying and sustaining every living thing. So, from the action of the Sun of righteousness, even upon the element of vindictive justice, originates that life-giving, soul-cleansing supply, whence issues the fountain spoken of by the prophet, (Zech. xiii. 1,) and the river of life seen by the apostle, (Rev. xxii. 1.) The provision of mercy, as well as of justice, is there, before the throne; but the book developing the mystery is not yet opened.

§ 125 And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four beasts full of eyes, before and behind.'-The term beasts, employed in this place, in our common version, is unfortunate and injudicious. Unfortunate, because we associate with this English appellation something in a bad sense; whereas it is plain that these four attendants of the throne are subjects to be contemplated with favour and veneration. It is injudicious, because it is the term applied to the horned and idolatrous monsters afterwards described; while in the original these very different animals are designated by different appellations: that of goa, signifying living things, or creatures, being given to the four animals around the throne; and that of ongior, a wild, unclean, or ferocious beast, being the appellation assigned to the animals seen to proceed from the sea and earth, Rev. xiii. 1 and 11.