ζωής· καὶ ἐκρίθησαν οἷν νεκροὶ ἐκ τῶν γραμμένων ἐν τοῖς βιβλίοις, κατὰ τὰ 13 ἔργα αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἔδωκεν ἡ θάλασσα τὲς ἐν αὐτῇ νεκρές, ó Dávalos x i ᾅδης ἔδωκαν τὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς νεκρὲς καὶ ἐκρίθησαν έκαςος καλὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐ 14 τῶν. Καὶ ὁ θά καλος καὶ ὁ ᾅδης ἐβλήθησαν εἰς τὴν diurne to augós στός ἐσιν ὁ δεύτερος 15 θάνατος. Καὶ εἰ

τις ἐχ εὑρέθη ἐν τῇ βίβλω της ζωής γεςαμμένος, ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν λίμνην το πυρός.

life.
And the dead
were judged from thie
things written in the
books, according to
13 their works. And the

sea gave up the dead
which were in it: and
death and hell gave up
the dead which were
in them: and they were
judged, every one ac-
cording to their works.
14 And death and hell

were cast into the lake of fire. This is the 15 second death. And if any one were not found written in the book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

dead were judged out

of those things which were written in the books, according to 13 their works. And the

sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged, every man according 14 to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the se15 cond death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.

The Christian Church being now triumphant over its enemies, and the instigator of all mischief being himself eternally banished, there is no more warfare to relate. Nothing remains but to describe that general judgment, which shall render to every man according to his works; when, immortality succeeding to mortality, death, that "last enemy, shall be destroyed *." The appearance of the great Judge, before whose " presence the earth and the heaven are seen to flee away;" at whose approach, the former scenery, (as described in ch. iv. &c.) vanishes, and the process of the tribunal, 1 Cor. xv. 26,

by which the books of crimination and of life are opened, are shortly and sublimely related: and the language, though figurative, being conformable to other passages foretelling this great event, is of easy and obvious interpretation. We may perhaps except from this description ver. 14, wherein death and hell are said to be cast into the lake of fire, called the second death. But this second death will be found explained in note, ch. ii. 11.

* Compare Mal. iii. 16; iv. 1: Job xxi. 30: Psalm ix. 17: Dan. vii. 9; xii. 2: Isaiah xxviii, 14—19: Matt. xiii. 41, 42: Mark ix. 44: i Cor. xv: Phil. iii. 21: 1 Thess. iv. 16; 2 Thess. i. 7-10: 2 Tim. i. 10: Heb. ii. 14: 1 Pet. iii. 7, 10: Jude 14, 15: also Rev. i. 14. 18; iii. 5; iv. 2, 3; ii. 11; vi. 8; with the notes thereon.

Ver. 1. And I saw a new heaven; &c.] The general judgment having taken place, and the heavens and earth passed away, as described in ch. xx. 11, and also by St. Peter, there follow (as mentioned also by the same Apostle) new heavens and a new earth,' foretold likewise by Isaiah t; to which St. Peter seems to refer, as to a prophecy unfulfilled. But the Apoca-▾ lyptic prophecy does not rest upon the general assurance given by former prophets; it proceeds to a more particular description. It presents to us. "the new city, "the New Jerusalem," the Bride, the Spouse" of Christ. Under these images, which are perfectly concordant with many other texts of Scripture, is represented that assembly of the Saints, purified from sin; that "glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle," which is here contrasted with the great, the impure,

See Eph. ii. 19, &c. Gal. iv. 26. Heb. xii. 22, &c.; viii. 2; ix. 11; xi. 10. 1 Pet, ii. 5; iii. 13, &c. 1 Cọr. iii. 9.

idolatrous

idolatrous city, which has been destroyed. They are both of them exhibited, first as women, then as cities; which symbols are convertible. But the first woman is an impure harlot. The second is a virgin bride, fit for her Lord. The first city is idolatrous, and wicked, a very Babylon; the second is "the holy city," the new Jerusalem†, under which symbol she is more especially represented in the remaining part of this chapter.

Ib. And the sea is no more.] Some of the commentators have perplexed themselves to find a particular representation signified in this passage, under the emblem of the sea. It seems to me, that none such is to be looked for. The Heaven, the Earth, and the Sea, (with, sometimes, the rivers and fountains,) in Scriptural idea, compose the world. These all pass away; "all

things are made new." The old translation stands corrected so as to accord with this notion; yet not for that reason; but because the language of the original seemed evidently to require it.

Ver. 3. And I heard a loud voice out of heaven, saying-] Preparatory to almost every change which has taken place in this prophecy, for the advancement of Religion and the consequent happiness of man, songs of joy, from the sacred chorus in heaven, have proclaimed the revolution, before it has been exhibited in the scenery. The Heavenly Jerusalem is descending, and soon will be seen from a nearer point of view. Meanwhile, the happy change is sublimay described: the heavenly voice expresses most eloquently that divine

• See notes, ch. xvii. 1;

xix. 7, 8. + See note, ch. iii. 12. See note, ch. viii. 7. "In six days, the Lord made heaven and "earth, the sea, and all that in them is:" Exod. xx. As these compoDent parts are mentioned at the creation, so again at the dissolution, of

the world.

state