The repetition of this fong of praise in verfe 3d, predicts the great: certainty and height of that joy, with which the church of Chrift shall be blef sed at that period. That that overthrow of Pa pal Rome fhall be her final destruction, is signified by "her smoke rifing up for ever and ever?"

The perfons, mentioned in verfe 4th, are called not elders and beafts, but the elders and the beasts, because they are not new perfons introduced in' this place for the first time, but are characters formerly defcribed and well-known in this book. They are the fame four and twenty elders, and the fame four beafts or living creatures, (wa), which were introduced and fully defcribed in chapter iv. 4,11. It was formerly fhewn, that thefe 24 elders reprefent the Chriftian church, and the four living creatures reprefent the gofpel miniftry in four fucceffive periods. The events which shall then take place fhall clearly appear to be the answers of the prayers of the faints and minifters of God, during the preceding period of 1243 years; particularly of thefe prayers put into their mouths by Chrift himself: "Our Father "who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy

kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is "in heaven." Then fhall their Amen be granted, when the name of God fhall every where be hallowed, when Chrift's kingdom or reign on earth, that is, the millennium, fhall commence, and

when

men shall in that happy period do the will of God on earth as it is in heaven: Then these prayers shall be converted into fongs of praise, Alleluia. Inftead of praying "thy kingdom come," they shall fing "Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent “ reigneth.” Instead of praying “thy will be done " on earth as it is in heaven," the voice from the throne shall say unto them, "Praise our God all ye his fervants.”

All thofe Chriftians and minifters of Chrift's church who fhall be alive on the earth at the commencement of the millennium, fhall join with the great multitude of worshippers, newly introduced into the church by the converfion of the Jews and the bringing in of the fullness of the Gentiles, in giving their Amen or fincere affent to the fong of praise contained in verfes ift and 2d, and particularly in afcribing all these bleffings to the providence and grace of God.

and

Verfes 5th-8th.—And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his fervants, and ye that fear him both small great, And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, faying, Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and re

joice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of faints.

The throne mentioned in ver. 4. 5. is the throne introduced and described in chap. iv. 2, 3. In chap. iv. He that fat upon the throne is symbolically described; but that we may not miftake the import of the fymbol, it is plainly and literally faid, in ver. 4. of this chapter, that "God "fat upon the throne" Hence the voice from the throne, is a voice from God who fitteth upon the throne. The commands of God muft all be obeyed. The plain meaning of this voice therefore is, that then all who really fear and ferve God shall be in a moft happy fituation, whatever their ftation in life may be, and fhall, with grateful hearts, praise him for all his goodness to his church and people. Then the reign of God on earth fhall commence. "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth." Though the providence of God fuperintends the world in every age; yet, in a very peculiar manner, God is faid, in facred fcripture, to reign, when the gospel of Chrift,

filed the kingdom of God, fhall be triumphant in the world.

This reign or kingdom of God, which is the millenium ftate of the church, shall commence upon the final overthrow of Papal Rome. This kingdom of God was first predicted in Daniel ii. 31,-45. but especially in verfe 44. "And in the days of these kings fhall the "God of heaven fet up a kingdom, which fhall “never be destroyed; and the kingdom fhall not be left to other people; bu it shall break in

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pieces and confume all these kingdoms, and it "fhall ftand for ever." It is alfo predicted in Daniel vii. 13, 14 and particularly in verse 27. « And the king iom and domínion, and the greatnefs o. the kingdom under the whole heaven, "fhall be given to the people of the faints of the

.

Moft High, whofe kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; and all' dominion shall ferve and o“bey him.” Thus introduced into facred scripture, there is not any appellation which is more frequently given to the church of Chrift, in the writings of the New Teftament, than" the king"dom of God." The nature of this kingdom Paul thus defcribes: "The kingdom of God is "not meat and drink, but righteousness, and

peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft," Rom. xiv. 17. In Matth. vi. 10. Chrift teaches his difciples to pray to God, "Thy kingdom come." This

prayer his difciples have hitherto put up, and will continue to put up to God, until that kingdom fhall come at the period referred to, when, in the words under our view, it is faid, "the Lord "God omnipotent reigneth."

Three things fhall unite to prove the commencement of this reign. ft, The voice of a great multitude; even the united praises of the Jews and of the fullness of the Gentiles. 2d, The voice of many waters. In chap. xvii. 15. the many waters are "the peoples, and multitudes, "and nations, and tongues," which were subject to Papal Rome: But even these fhall then unite in praifing God, and they fhall be regulated by that righteousness, and shall partake of that peace and joy, which shall render them citizens of "the "kingdom of God.” And 3d, the voice of mighty or powerful thunderings. Thunderings fignify wars, and these mighty thunderings fignify the great wars by which Papal Rome fhall be finally overthrown. Hence the plain meaning of the whole is, that whenever thefe three great events fhall happen at the fame time, men may confider them as a certain fign that the millennium ftate of the Chriftian church is then commencing, and that that is a state of triumph, joy, and praise. For all these three voices say "Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."

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VOL. II.

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The