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"der *." Of this kind was the voice from heaven, described in John xii. 28. promising glorification to the name of Jesus; when some of the auditors said, that it thundered, others that an angel spake to "him." Such also are the voices of the cherubim, of the near attendants upon the throne t. Such was the voice of those heavenly ministers in Isaiah's vision; when "the posts at the door of the temple "moved at the voice of him that cried." This awful voice from the throne is in other passages described as the "voice of many waters. And both these images are brought together, to express the same idea; "as the voice of many waters, as the voice of many thunders §."

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Ib. Come and see.] This invitation, This invitation, proceeding from the cherubim, who surrounded the throne, and are close to the place of exhibition, seems to shew that the prophet is to be favoured with a near inspection of the images of future things. The call is repeated at the opening of every one of the four first seals, and not afterwards; which seems to signify that these four seals, like the four sides of the throne, each of which is guarded by a cherub, will be foundto form of themselves an entire and and compact history. As the Lamb breaks the seal of each separate roll, the sheet, thus set at liberty, unfolds, and discovers in a kind of painted delineation, (for how otherwise could the colours be known?) the four horses in succession.

2. Lo! a white horse.] The horse is a noble animal, by the eastern nations used principally in war;

Ps. xviii. 13. xlvi. 6. lxxvii. 18. civ. 7.

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so that in Scripture a horseman and a warrior are synonymous terms *. The description of the warhorse, in the book of Job, is highly poetical and sublime t. The white horse is a war-horse, for he carries his rider "to conquer." In a vision of the prophet Zechariah, (chap. i.) a person is seen "riding on ،، a red horse, (uggos, fire-coloured,) and behind him. "were there red horses, speckled and white." These appear, in the sequel, to represent the progress of heavely angels, in military array, sent forth through the nations, at the time of the Jewish captivity. The red horses, which lead the array, portend war and slaughter, such as had preceded the captivity. The white horses concluding the procession, denote, as the context shews, the peace and happiness which were to follow. The speckled or parti-coloured horses were to express the intermediate transition. In the sixth chapter of the same prophecy, there is a similar exhibition of four chariots, drawn by red, by black, by white, and by parti-coloured horses; which are explained to be "the four Spirits of the heavens, "which go forth from the Lord." And they go forth for the same purpose; "the black horses, denoting "mourning and woe, go forth to the north country, to Babylon, where the Jews were then in bondage: but "the white go forth after them;" the deliverance of the Jews, the restoration of their temple and religion. followed under the victorious Cyrus. From this view of the application of the Scriptural imagery we may collect, that a man on horseback, exhibited in divine vision, denotes the going forth of some power in military array divinely commissioned, to effect changes upon the earth; and that the character of the change

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* Jer. 1. 42. vi. 22. viii. 16.

Job xxxix. 19-26.

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V. 11.

is expressed by the colour of the horse; the red or fire-coloured denoting war and slaughter; the black, mourning and woe; the white, victory and peace to God's people. To assist us further in the interpretation of the white horse, we have a passage in this book of the Apocalypse, (chap. xix. 11—17.) where a white horse is introduced with the very same expression, ιδε ίππος λευκος, "Lo! a white horse,—and "he that sate upon him called Faithful and True, and "in righteousness doth he judge, and make war. "His eyes as a flame of fire, and on his head many "diadems, having a name written which no one "knoweth but himself; and clothed in a garment

dipped in blood; and his name is called THE WORD "" OF GOD. And the armies which were in heaven "followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine "white linen, (and pure); and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite "the nations; and he shall rule them with an iron "rod, and he treadeth the press of the wine of the

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anger and [indignation] of the Almighty [God]; "and he hath upon his garment and upon his thigh "a name written, KING OF KINGS, and LORD OF "LORDS." It is impossible to doubt to whom this description appertains. The glorious rider on this white horse, is manifestly the only begotten Son of God. Whether he be the same in both visions; whether the Son of God be the rider of the white horse under this first seal; we will proceed to enquire. And first let us settle our opinion concerning the horse. This at least is of the very same description in both passages. He is simply "a white horse," and in both passages, as in those above quoted from the prophet Zechariah, he carries his rider, who " in righteousness judgeth and

maketh

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"maketh war," to victory, and the consequence of such victory,-peace. This notion is confirmed by the context to all these passages: and the colour, white*, confines this horse to the service of the purifying Christian covenant. By the white horse then is signified the progress of a Christian power, militant for a time in righteousness," and in the end appointed to victory, which shall bring lasting peace. He goes out, "conquering, and for to conquer." In chap. xix, he comes to this final victory, and then his rider is the Son of God, who now in person (that is, with a more ample manifestation of his over-ruling power) fights the battles of his Church. But under this first seal, which represents only the early progress of the Christian church, it is not so manifest, that the rider of the white horse is the same glorious personage. For he is destitute of the same glorious attributes. He has simply a crown and a bow. And the elders have crowns; and crowns are promised to every victorious Christian t; and the bow is not a weapon, or ornament, peculiar to Christ. And yet he may be the same; because there is a great difference between the humble and clouded beginning of our Lord's progress on earth, and his expected glorious appearance when he is to take vengeance on his enemies. But we are not yet warranted to say that this horseman is the same, the Son of God. For his followers also are represented upon white horses. "As the Father had sent him, so he sent them into "the world." And therefore the progress of the white horse seems to be rather that of the Christian religion, in its primitive purity, from the time that its heavenly Founder left it on earth, under the conduct of his Apostles. The divine religion goes out

* See note, ch. iii, 4,

↑ Ch. ii. 10. T2

John xvii. 18.

crowned,

resting upon it,

many foes, and There is another

crowned, having the Divine favour armed against the attacks of its destined to conquer at the last *. prophecy of Zechariah, which will afford light to this imagery of the white horse. I will give it in the translation of Archbishop Newcome:

"But Jehovah God of Hosts will visit

"His flock the house of Judah,

"And will make them as his goodly horse in war.

"From him shall be the corner stone, from him the nail,

"From him the battle-bow.

"From him shall go forth every ruler together,

"And they shall be as men who tread down

"The mire of the streets in war.

"And they shall fight; for Jehovah shall be with them:
"And the riders on horses shall be confounded.

ZECH. X. 3-6.#*

The going forth of this Christian armament seems represented by the white horse. in this first seal; its final success will be seen in the sequel of the prophecy.

Ver. 2. A bow.] This was the weapon in ancient warfare, which was known to slay at the most considerable distance, with the greatest celerity, from a quarter least expected, and most difficult to escape. This weapon therefore, with its accompany ing arrows, expresses figuratively the sudden and unexpected strokes of miraculous interposition, and is

That very ancient commentator Methodius understood by the first seal, the preaching of the Apostles, and he is followed in this notion by all the early writers. See Andreas Cæsariensis, Arethas, Vic torinus, and Primasius, in locum.

Tertullian, after quoting some prophetical passages of Scripture, which represent the Messiah as a warrior, adds; Sic bellipotens et armiger Christus est; arma allegorica. Ad Jud. 218.

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