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SERMON,

From REV. v. 8.

And when he had taken the book, the four beafts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them barps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of faints.

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HIS chapter begins thus, And I faw in the right band of him that fat on the throne a book written within, and on the back fide fealed with feven feals. The glorious perfon here represented on the throne is, in my humble opinion, God the Father. The throne is not the throne of judgment; for although he has prepared his throne for judgment, Pfalm ix. 7. yet he is not feated upon that as yet, for the judgment day is not arrived; besides, the throne of judgment is given up to our bleffed Immanuel; for the Father judgetb no man, but haib committed all judgment to the Son, John v. 22. Nor is a throne of grace here intended; for Chrift himself is the throne of grace:

grace is poured into his lips, and God hath bleffed him for ever, Pfalm xlv. 2. It hath pleafed the Father that in him fhould all fullness dwell, Col. i. 19. that we might receive out of his fulness grace for grace, John i. 16. God has treafured God has treasured up all grace in him, and no where elfe, for there is falvation in no other name.

In the ark of Chrift's body is every spiritual bleffing depofited, as the hidden manna was laid up in the ark of the covenant; he is our fanctuary, our glorious throne, and our propitiation. As the law, and the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, were laid up in the ark under the mercies feat, fo in Chrift is the magnified law laid up-thy law is within my heart. Aaron's blooming rod, which prefigured the church in gofpel times, which is called a royal priesthood, 1 Peter ii. 9. and the rod of an almond tree, Jer. i. 11. together with the golden pot of manna, which prefigured the comfortable grace of life, are all in their fpiritual fignification to be found and enjoyed in Chrift Jesus. The ark of the teftament is now opened in heaven; and to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, Rev. ii. 17. which is the witnefs of God's fpirit.

Thus the ark, with all its myfterious treasures, is now to be found in heaven; and bleffed be God it is opened in the church, and poor finners are led to fee that the ark with all its contents, and the mercies feat thereon, prefigured the

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Lord Jefus Chrift, who is our throne of grace, our propitiation, and our only mercies feat, It was on him that the fentence of the law was executed; it was of him that Juftice got an infinite fatisfaction; justice and judgment are the babitation of his throne, mercy and truth shall go before thy face, Pfalm lxxxix. 14.

The Saviour, as a throne of grace, was fhewed in an obfcure manner by the prophet Ifaiah, where he is reprefented under the name Fliakim: It shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my fervant Eliakim, the Son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand, and he shall be a FATHER to the inhabitants of Jerufalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the boufe of David will I lay upon bis fhoulder: fo be shall open and none shall shut, and be fhall fout and none shall open. And I will faften him as a nail in a fure place; and he shall be for a GLORIOUS THRONE to his father's houfe, Ifa. xxii. 21-24. In the above text you have Chrift reprefented as the everlafting father of his people; he fhall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerufalem; fecondly, as a glorious throne to the household of faith; thirdly, as a nail faftened in a fure place, that every veffel of mercy may hang their hopes and expectations on him for time and eternity; and fourthly, you have him held forth as a fovereign, having the keys of David; which are now found, not in the hand of Eliakim, but in the hand of Chrift-Write these things faith be [Christ]

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[Chrift] that is boly, be that is true, be that bath the key of David; he that openeth and no man shutteth, and fhutteth and no man openeth, Rev. iii. 7. Thus it appears, that not a throne of judgment, nor a throne of grace is intended here, but rather a throne of glory, upon which God the Father fat.

Of the book that he had in his right hand, which is faid to be written within, and on the back fide fealed with seven seals, I fhall treat from the words of my text, where the Saviour is faid to take the book.

In the fecond verse, a strong angel with a loud voice is making proclamation-Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the feals thereof. Whofoever he be that can take this book had need of infinite wisdom to open the feals and difclofe the divine mysteries; he had need be a friend to finners, to difpenfe the bleffings of it to them; he had need of an omnipotent power, to execute the vengeance it contains; for he that opens it muft reward the juft, judge the wicked, and deftroy the world; and he had need of omnifcience, to fearch the hearts and try the reins of men, to know how and where to apply them. For this wonderful book contains all things that fhall come to pafs in the world and church, till the mystery of God be finished, and time be no more. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon, verfe 3. No man in heaven (not Christ

himself