and confirmed to others by them that heard him, Heb. ii. 3. The book of life was published before the reception of this book in my text; and many had received the bleffings of it, and cried out under the quickening influence, as Peter did, To whom shall we go? thou haft the words of eternal life, John vi. 68. The Saviour owned himself that he had delivered this book: I have given them the words that thou gavest me, and they have received them, John xvii. 8. Yea, he had fent the Spirit to make it known, and apply the benefits of it; and he had commanded them to preach all the words of this life; and life and immortality had been brought to light in the minds and hearts of thoufands through the gospel; yea, all that believed bad paffed from death unto life, and had everlasting life in them, which is the bleffed contents of the book of life, and the reason why it is fo called; many that were dead in trespasses and fins had been quickened together with Chrift, God having forgiven them all trefpaffes; and John himfelf had been long a preacher of the word of life, and was at this time banifhed to the Inle of Patmos for it.

Seeing this book is not the book of the law, nor the book of life, nor the book of God's remembrance, although there may be fome of all these things in it; yet the above books of law and gospel cannot be faid to be fealed, as this book is; for, as was before obferved, they had been made known to thoufands, both Jews and Gentiles. To be fhort, Chrift had preached the

law,

law, and obeyed both precept and penalty as a priest. He had preached the gofpel of eternal life as a prophet, and was now going to ascend his throne as a king; and it is the book of his kingdom that he here receives, in which lays the whole of his government both of church and world; and hence he is reprefented as king and conqueror, governing his fubjects, and subduing his enemies throughout this book, until his kingdom be fettled in heaven, and his vanquished enemies imprisoned in hell,

manner of the kingand laid it up before

This book has an allufion to what Samuel did when Saul was anointed: And Samuel faid to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord bath chofen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and faid, God fave the king. Then Samuel told the people the dom, and WROTE it in a BOOK, the Lord, 1 Sam. x. 24, 25. This fealed book of the Saviour's kingdom was laid up before the Lord; that is, in his fecret purpofe; and is now given to our elder brother, who is to reign over us: When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and fbalt poffefs it, and fhalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will fet a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me: Thou shalt in any wife fet him king over thee whom the Lord thy God fhall choose; one from among thy brethren fhalt thou fet king over thee; thou mayeft not fet a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. And it shall be, when he fetteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write

him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests and levites, Deut. xvii. 14-19. In this paffage we have an account of a brother that is to reign over us; which bleffed character Chrift bears-be is a brother bern for adverfity. He is to have a copy out of the law, and out of that which is before the priests and levites; and it may be observed, that almost if not the whole of this fealed book is extracted from Mofes and the prophets.

This book or copy of the kingdom, which is fealed with feven feals, is the very book out of which my text is taken, called the Book of the Revelation, as appears from the first chapter, where it is stiled, The REVELATION of Jefus Chrift, which God gave unto him, to fhew unto his fervants THINGS which must fhortly come to pass; and be fent and fignified IT by his angel unto his fervant John: Bleed is be that readeth, and they that bear the WORDS of this PROPHECY, and keep those things which are WRITTEN therein; for the time is at band. Rev. i. 1-3.

It is true, a great part of this book was feen by Daniel in a vifion; yet he has a command; But thou, O Daniel, fhut up the words, and feal the book, even to the time of the end, Dan. xii. 4. and although Daniel's vifion was recorded, yet that part which concerns anti-chrift, and the fuffering church of the Gentiles under that monster of iniquity, lay hid as clofe as this with its feven feals, until the Lord revealed this; a great part

of

of which is a key to that, and a certain prediction of all revolutions, viciffitudes, and events, that shall take place in the church, in anti-chrift, and in all kingdoms and dominions of the world; until the angel of the everlasting covenant, the God of heaven, earth, and fea, is revealed as the accomplisher of all the prophecies of this book, which he will hold in his hand when he closes the fcene: And I faw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the fun, and bis feet as pillars of fire. And he had in his band a LITTLE BOOK open, and he fet his right foot upon the fea, and his left foot upon the earth, and sware by bim that liveth for ever and ever, that there should be time no longer; but in the days of the voice of the Seventh angel the mystery of God should be finished. Rev. chap. 10.

2dly. This book is faid to be fealed on the back fide with feven feals. The feals denote the fecret myfteries and myfterious depths of its contents; it contains the fecret myfteries of God's will; the Holy Ghoft is both the feals and the fealer. What is written with the finger of God, Dan. v. 5. and fealed by the Holy Ghoft, can never be made known by any but him who is Lord and keeper of the privy feal of heaven; Chrift bas the feal of the living God, Rev. vii. 2. He was in the bofom of the Father, and hath revealed the Father and his mind and will alfo; for all things, faith the Saviour, that I have heard of my Father

I bave made known unto you, John xv. 15. and as he hath the feal, be can open and none can fout, and fout and none can open, Rev. iii. 7. for all power is given unto him both in heaven and earth, and he hath committed all judgment unto the Son, John v. 22. and caufed all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to be hid in him; therefore he makes known the myfteries to his fervants the prophets, and feeds his people with the bread of eternal life, for him bath God the Father fealed, John vi. 27.

The feals may ferve to fhew us that none but those who are fealed by the Spirit to the day of redemption, can ever understand this book; and indeed it is dedicated and directed to the feven churches, and to none elfe. The feals may represent the certain accomplishment of the prophecies of this book, as fealing fhews a thing to be ratified and confirmed; which fhews that the devil and anti-chrift fhall continue no longer than the time appointed, nor prevail any further than the limited power permitted and made known in this book: What is written by God's finger, and fealed by God's fevenfold feal, may no man reverse, Eft. viii. 8. Hence we may conclude, that this revelation of things is certain, and the accomplishment will be fure, Dan. ii. 45.

3dly. As feals make a deep impreffion, it fhews that the deep things contained under thefe feals will fink deep, and leave a lafting impreffion wherever or upon whomfoever they may

fall,