has beside a particular message for each of them. Their number, seven, as we have suggested, (§ 7,) making it probable that they are put for the whole church-as we find, from the preamble in the third verse of this chapter, that all are blessed who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy. The particular designation by name of the seven churches, may have been made that the origin of the book might be traced from its first emission, and its authenticity and genuineness thus early established. Seven copies of the whole, in the apostle's own hand-writing, being put forth simultaneously, and being carefully treasured up no doubt by these seven churches as repositories. The manuscripts afterwards transcribed could be compared by the early Christians with these seven originals, by which means a multitude of faithful copies was provided for-while each church, vouching for the fidelity of its own manuscript, may be supposed to have watched, with jealousy, the copies transcribed from it. The book is noticed, it is said, as early as A. D. 107 and 108, by Ignatius and Polycarp; by Justin Martyr, A. D. 120; at which time we may easily suppose all the originals to have been accessible to the writers of the age. The extraordinary contents of the volume at the same time must have prompted the early Christians to satisfy themselves of the correctness of its expressions and figures, and this they would naturally do, as has been since done, with the more curious research in proportion as a literal construction was put upon its language.

Vs. 12-16. And I turned to see the

voice that spake with me, and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks (one) like unto the son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the pape with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as

a fame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace : and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Καὶ ἐπέστρεψα βλέπειν τὴν φωνήν, ἥτις ἐλάλει μετ ̓ ἐμοῦ· καὶ ἐπιστρέψας εἶδον ἑπτὰ λυχνίας χρυσᾶς, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑπτὰ λυχνιῶν ὅμοιον υἱῷ ἀνθρώπου, ἐνδεδυμένον που δήρη καὶ περιεζωσμένον πρὸς τοῖς μαστοῖς ζώνην χρυσῆν· ἡ δὲ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ τρίχες λευκαὶ ὡς ἔριον λευκόν, ὡς χιών, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ὡς φλόξ πυρός, καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὅμοιοι χαλκολιβάνῳ, ὡς ἐν και μίνῳ πεπυρωμένοι, καὶ ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ ὡς φωνὴ ὑδάτων πολλῶν, καὶ ἔχων ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὑτοῦ χειρὶ ἀστέρας ἑπτά, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ῥομφαία δίστομος ἐξεῖα ἐκπορευομένη, καὶ ἡ ὄψις αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος φαίνει ἐν τῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ.

§ 27. And I turned, &c.'-This turning of the apostle seems to confirm the supposition that the voice did not at the time announce the speaker as the Alpha and the Omega. If it had, we may suppose he would not have turned he would have remained as if transfixed with awe, waiting to hear what direction was to be given him; whereas, hearing a great sound as of a trumpet, with an abrupt direction to write, &c., the first impulse was naturally to turn, and see who gave the direction.

'I saw seven golden candlesticks.'-Not seven lights, but seven stands upon which lights may be placed. The seven candlesticks are declared in the 20th verse to be seven churches; but we cannot suppose seven ephemeral assemblages of disciples, in as many towns, or cities of Asia, to be literally so peculiarly the objects of divine care that they above all others should be thus distinguished.

Here we are to remember in the outset that this is a vision, and that whatever is heard, as said in the vision, is a part of the vision, as much as whatever is seen. The interpretation in a vision of an object there contemplated, is as much a part of the vision as the thing interpreted. Such interpretation we therefore style the language of vision, being something which itself also is to be interpreted. Every thing seen or heard in vision being symbolic of something else, and to be so uniformly considered. The candlesticks are declared to be churches, but this is an interpretation in vision ; the term church is now a figure of vision, a symbol as much as a candlestick. These churches are typical of something of a spiritual character, analogous both to a church and to a candlestick. A candlestick is the recipient of the light placed upon it, and the instrument of conveying that light to others. So these seven churches were literally the recipients of this revelation, and the instruments of conveying its light intellectually to others. But as assemblages of human beings, we may consider them symbols of assemblages of principles, or elements of doctrine, doctrinal systems, instruments of exhibiting and imparting spiritual light.

The material of these candlesticks was of gold-the peculiar characteristics of gold are its preciousness and its capability of withstanding the test of the assayer or refiner. When submitted in the crucible to the action of fire, it is melted, but not destroyed; pure gold in this respect resembling, and we suppose representing, pure truth-truth without alloy, capable of abiding the test of the revealed word of God, an instrument of trial compared to fire, (Jer. xxiii. 29.) These golden candlesticks or churches represent, therefore, something of which the composition is truth, pure truth, gospel truth; for this is that kind of truth which is peculiarly precious, and which we regard as so contemplated under the figure of gold throughout this vision.

§ 28. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man.'-The candlesticks are the recipients of light, and the instruments of imparting the light they receive to other objects. The "like unto the Son of Man" can be no other than a representation of Christ, who himself assumed this appellation. His position in the midst of the candlesticks indicates the kind of light with which these candlesticks are to be supplied. He is the true light, John i. 9; the light of the world, John viii. 12. It is to be inferred, therefore, that the purpose of this light in the midst of these candlesticks is, that they may be supplied with light, and that continually.

Light is spoken of in Scripture in three different senses: light, in a physical or natural sense, being literally light—light, in an intellectual or metaphorical sense, being an illumination of the mind or understanding, knowledge-and light, in a spiritual or analogical sense, being that glory of moral perfection or righteousness which belongs only to the character of the Deity, and which can be imparted to any of his creatures only by his own free act of imputation. The Son of Man, as God manifest in the flesh, represents especially this spiritual light; he is clothed with it as with a garment. To be in him is to be in a position of light, participating in the glory of this moral perfection; to be out of Christ, is to be in the position of spiritual darkness, entirely without this glory of divine righteousness. We contemplate the Son of Man here especially as the source and fountain of this spiritual light. The seven candlesticks we suppose to be seven instruments, assemblages of true principles, designed to exhibit and hold forth this spiritual light; as the candlestick is not the light itself, neither does it bear light for its own use, but is the instrument of manifesting the light placed upon it. As the Son of Man is represented in the midst of these seven candlesticks, so God is spoken of by the prophet as in the midst of the spiritual Jerusalem; which herself may be considered as in a position equivalent to that of these golden candlesticks-I, saith the Lord, will be a wall of fire round about her, and will be the glory in the midst of her, (Zech. ii. 5.)

§ 29. Clothed with a garment down to the foot.'—The peculiarity of this array is the entireness of the covering, its amplitude and sufficiency. Such is the righteousness of Christ-it is sufficient, abundantly sufficient, for all to whom it may be imputed. Unlike the merits or righteousness of man, of which it may be justly said, "The bed is shorter than a man can stretch himself upon, and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it," (Is. xxviii. 20.) This garment down to the foot, may be considered equivalent as a figure to the coat of Jesus, without seam, woven from the top throughout, spoken of, John xix. 23; a symbol of the spiritual robe of his perfect righteousness; its allotment among his persecutors representing that purpose of sovereign grace by which his merit is freely imputed, even to those who were the cause of his vicarious suffering. As it is said, Prov. xvi. 33, "The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord." So the same clothing down to the foot was represented on the mount of transfiguration as the raiment white as the light, Matthew xvii. 2; indicating the light of the glory of that divine righteousness, of which the Son of Man in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks appears as the never-failing source and supply. The robe of the High Priest (zodnons) was of the same ample character, (Rob. Lex. 611,) in typical allusion, no doubt, to this garment of salvation of the great High Priest of our profession.

And girt about the paps,' or towards the paps, with a golden girdle.'The position of the girdle may indicate the avocation of the wearer. The high priest ministering at the altar, or the intercessor at the throne of grace, we may suppose to have his robe girded towards the breast or upper part of the chest; but the disciple, whose part it is to agonize, to strive, and to run the race set before him, must be girt about the loins.

The girdle, however, in both cases, must be of the same material-the master and the disciple, the intercessor and the worshipper, must be alike girt about with truth, Eph. vi. 14. The golden girdle, precious, pure, and incombustible; something upon which entire reliance may be placed; as it is said, Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and Faithfulness the girdle of his reins, Is. xi. 5.

§ 30. ‹ His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.' -That is, we suppose, the hair of his head, of his eyebrows, and of his beard, were white. Hair being of the nature of a covering, and the colour white, representing perfect moral purity, or perfection, the covering of the face and head may be considered as corresponding with the entire covering of the garment down to the foot, being part of the same figure of amplitude and completeness; showing the Being here represented to be complete in the array of moral perfection. As it is said of the Redeemer, in view of his qualifications for the work of salvation, he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and as it is said of the disciple, in allusion to the benefits resulting from adoption in Christ, Col. ii. 10, "Ye are complete in him."

as snow,

'His eyes were as a flame of fire.'-Fire is the agent by which the purity of metallic substances is tried; so it is said of the Most High, (Ps. xi. 4,) His eyes behold, his eyelids try the children of men; and Prov. xv. 3, whose eyes are in every place beholding the evil and the good. I beheld, says the prophet, (Dan. vii. 9, 10, 13, and 14,) till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him. Thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. We can hardly bring these passages together, without looking upon the Ancient of days as identic with. the Son of Man, allowing only for the difference, that Daniel sees the same Being in his exalted state, which John saw in his mediatorial character. In the one case, God being manifest on the throne of his majesty; in the other, God manifest in the flesh, according to the mystery of godliness spoken of, 1 Tim. iii. 16.

'And his feet like brass, as if they burned in a furnace.'-The burning appearance of these feet indicates the tendency of the progressive develop

ment of the character of Christ, in testing the truth or falsehood of every doctrine connected with, or opposed to, the elements of God's plan of salvation. At the same time the strength of the material, brass, may be intended to point out the firmness of the divine purpose in advancing this development; as it is said, Num. xxiii. 19, God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent, (change his mind.) Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

§ 31. And his voice as the sound of many waters.'-So, Jer. x. 13, it is said of the Deity, "When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens." The action of a multitude of waters, or the rushing of many waters, is to overpower, to sweep away every thing before them. The voice of the Son of Man, when he speaks, must be the revelation which he utters, and this revelation we may suppose to have the overwhelming and overpowering effect compared to that of a deluge of many The sound of the waters indicating the effect at hand.

waters.

In the book of Daniel we find the description of one whose appearance very nearly corresponds with what the apostle here says of the Son of Man, "Then I lifted up my eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz; his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude," (Dan. x. 5 and 6.) The effect of the voice of a multitude being that of silencing all other voices.

6

The similarity of these different visions leads us to conclude that the same divine Spirit which was manifest in the flesh in Christ, has been also in vision exhibited under the various appellations of Gabriel, Michael, and others; but always nearly in the same garb, and bearing the same attributes. § 32. And he had in his right hand seven stars.'-These stars are explained in the twentieth verse to be the angels of the seven churches-not the churches themselves, but their angels, messengers, or ministering spirits. As we speak of the spirit of a doctrine, these stars or angels may be figures of the spirit, or tendency of the collections of doctrines, represented by these churches or collections of human beings-like stars imparting or exhibiting their light, or the light given them, or as messengers (angels) communicating this light to others; or they may be the systems of faith built upon these doctrines. It does not appear that the seven candlesticks have any other light than that supposed to be committed to them under the figure of a star. Each has its portion of divine light, and each is upheld by the right hand of the Son of Man. We find, by Is. xl. 1, 10, the right hand of Jehovah to be his righteousness. Accordingly, whatever be represented by these stars, we may suppose it to rest or depend for its manifestation upon