Therefore said to be sent forth into all the earth, because the sound of these seven churches of Asia, of their gifts and sufferings, went through all the earth.

Therefore called the seven spirits of God; yet I would have the reader to understand thus much, that the Lamb that had power to open the book, the same Lamb had the seven horns, and the seven eyes.

Now if these seven eyes were the seven spirits of God, then the Lamb must needs be God; for the Lamb had the seven spirits in him, and he sent them forth unto the seven churches of Asia.

Only this I would have the Reader to understand, that here he is called God, as he is a Lamb slain; or as he was in the condition of a Son and a Redeemer.

So that what power, honour, or glory soever be attributed to God, by the redeemed ones, it is with relation to the Son-ship of God.

He being a Son he is called a Lion, and called a Lamb, which titles belong only to the Son-ship of Christ, he being the only God, though in a two fold state and condition, as aforesaid. And in verse 7, it is said, And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sate upon the throne.

This he that took the book out of his right hand that sate upon the throne, it was the Lamb, and this Lamb is Christ, and Christ is God, and Christ is called the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. He may well be called the Lamb of God,

I 2

because

because he is God. For who can take away the sins of the world, but God?

But God must become a little child of flesh, blood and bone, and grow up to a man, that he may be capable to suffer the pains of death, in that he shed his most precious blood, before he could take away the sins of the world.

And this Lamb which was slain, here spoken of by John, was no other but God himself.

But he being now in the condition of a Son, in that he had been slain, and was now risen again, and had accomplished the work of redemption, he was able to sit down in the midst of the throne, and to take the book out of his own right hand, as he was the Father and Creator of all things.

And as he was the Son, or Lamb, which shed his precious blood, to redeem his people from their sins, it was his proper work and place to take the book out of his own right hand, as he was the Creator, and to open the book and loose the seven seals thereof; for in his opening the book of life, he found the names of all the elect seed written therein, which were washed and redeemed with his precious blood.

Therefore it is said, That no man in heaven, nor in earth, nor under the earth could open the book, but the Lamb only.

So that this Lamb must needs be God the Father, as well as God the Son; for who can open the book of life but God himself? But he must open it as he was God the Son, therefore said to take it out of the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne, &c.

CHAP.

CHAP. XIV.

AND in verse, 8. The four beasts, and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb.

And in verse 9. They sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, &c.

I would have the reader to mind these words, why the four beasts, and the elders did sing a new song.

Observe, it is called, a new song, in opposition to the old song, as the gospel of Jesus is called the New Testament, and the law of Moses is called the Old Testament; so likewise there is the song of Moses, and of the Lamb; that is, the song of the Lamb.

I

Now the song of Moses may be called the old song, or the first song, because Moses, the prophets, elders of Israel, and saints under that Testament, say, they gave praise, honour, and glory unto Christ, as he was God the Father and Creator. And as he was the Creator, he blessed them with temporal blessings, and temporal deliverances.

So that Moses and the people of Israel sing praise unto God for his wonderful works, which he had wrought by the hand of Moses; as you may read in the scriptures, in the song of Moses, how wonderfully he doth praise, honour, and magnify the God of Israel, who had gotten himself a great and terrible name among the Heathen.

And this is called the song of Moses, or the old, or first song, because it was the first manifestation

of

of God, as he is the Creator; for Moses was the first Man that gave us to know any difference of the God of Israel, from the God of the Heathen. And this manifestation as Moses gives us, is that we might know God, as he was the Creator, and did deliver his people in a more wonderful manner than any other Heathen Gods could do.

And in this regard Moses and the elders of Israel gave praise, honour, and glory, unto the God of Jacob, he delivering them out of so many temporal dangers; and not only so, but blessing them with many temporal blessings, which caused this song of Moses to be sung by the children of Israel.

And in this regard the song of Moses may be said to be old, or the first song, he being the first commissionated man to write that which we call the old Testament. Therefore the song of Moses may be called an old song, because the song of the Lamb is more new; for redemption was after creation, therefore called a new song. It is called a new song in relation to a new condition; as the song of Moses was with relation to temporal blessings, as aforesaid. But this new song of the Lamb is with relation to spiritual and eternal blessings. So that John in his vision was sensible upon what account this new song was sung.

And he seeing in the vision the four beasts, and the four and twenty elders fall down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials, full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Now these golden vials are meant the hearts and souls of the four beasts, and four and twenty elders.

And

And the odours, is that grace and supplications which were offered up unto the Lamb through those golden vials; which vials are the hearts and souls, as aforesaid. And those harps are the tongues of the beasts, and elders, and saints, which are as harps to sound forth the praise of the Lamb.

For this I must tell you, that the tongue of every saint shall be as a harp, to praise the Lamb for his great and unspeakable work of redemption, which is more to be magnified by the seed of faith, than the work of creation; so that the beasts, the elders, and saints may very well sing that new song, in verse 9, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

That is, thou hast redeemed us to thyself by thy own blood, for though thou art called a Lamb, thou art no other but God. And thy blood is no other but the blood of God, though called the blood of the Lamb; because of that two-fold state and condition thou wert in.

And as the work of redemption is of greater value to the redeemed ones, than their creation was, therefore it is that those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, have harps given them to sound, or sing this new song of praise and thanksgiving unto him that hath washed them in his own blood.

And the new song which the beasts, and elders, and saints doth sing, is set down in verse 12, Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to

receive