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que, amoderas ixá-12" be holy still. Behold,

ἐμᾶς ἀποδέναι

σῳ ὡς τὸ ἔργον αὐ

13 τῇ ἔςαι. Εγώ εἰμι

τὸ Α καὶ τὸ Ω, ἀξχὴ καὶ τέλος, πρῶτα καὶ ὁ ἔστ

14 χατε. Μακάριοι οἱ ποικίλες τὰς ἐν τολὰς αὐτέ, ἵνα ἔται ἡ ἐξεσία αυτ τῶν ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλιν τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ τοῖς πυλῶσιν εἰσέλθωσιν

1.5 εἰς τὴν πολιν. Εξω οι κύνες, καὶ οἱ φαρ μακοὶ, καὶ οἱ πόνοι, καὶ οἱ φονεῖς, καὶ οἱ εἰδωλολάτραι, καὶ πᾶς [δ] φιλῶν καὶ 10 ποιῶν ψεῦδα. Εγώ Ἰησᾶς ἔπεμψα τὸν αγγελόν με μαρτυξῆ σαι ὑμῖν ταῦτα ἐπὶ Tuis ἐκκλησίαις iy rips n pizan τὸ γένος Δαβίδ, ὁ ἀγὼς ὁ λαμπρὸς ὁ

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give every man according as his work shall 13 be. I am Alpha and

Omega, the beginning and the end, the first 14 and the last. Blessed

are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through

the gates into the 15city. For without, are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers,and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a 16 lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morn17 ing star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him

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ἐγῶ παντὶ τῷ ἀκέοντα

τὲς λόγος τῆς προ φηλείας το βιβλίο τότε ἐάν τις ἐπιθῇ ἐπ ̓ αὐτὰ, ἐπιθήσει ὁ Θεὸς ἐπ ̓ αὐτὸν τὰς πληγὰς τὰς γεγραμμένας ἐν τῷ 19 βιβλίῳ τύτῳ Καὶ ἐάν τις ἀφέλη από τῶν λόγων τα βι βλία τῆς προφητείας ταύτης, ἀφελεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τὸ μέρΘ αὐτὸ ἀπὸ τὸ ξύλο της ζωῆς, καὶ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως τῆς ἁγίας, καὶ τῶν γεγραμμένων ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τέτῳ. 20 Λέγει ὁ μαργών ταῦτα· καὶ ἔρχομαι ταχύ· ἀμήν· ἔρχε 21 Κύριε Ιησε 1 χάτῇ Κυρία Ἰησὲ gis Χριστ μετά πάντων [ua].

"through the Chur"ches. I am the root "and the offspring of 66 David, the bright, the 17" morning star. And

"the Spirit and the “bride say, 'Come :' "and let him that "heareth say, 'Come:' "and let him that 66 thirsteth, come; he "that willeth, let him "take water of life 18" freely. I, even I, do

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testify to every one "who heareth the "words of the prophe"cy of this book, if any 66 one shall add unto "them, God shall add "unto him the plagues "which are written in 19" this book: And if

any one shall take 66 away from the words "of the book of this "prophecy, God shall "take away his por"tion out of the "tree of Life, and out "of the holy city,

"which are written in

20" this book. He who

"testifieth these things
"saith, Surely I come
"soon:'Amen! come,

21" Lord Jesus!" The
Grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with
[you] all!

that heareth say,Come. And let him that is athirst, come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of 18 life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this 19 book: And if any man

shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the

holy city, and from the things which are writ20 ten in this book. He

which testifieth these things, saith, Surely, I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord 21Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Ver. 6. And he said unto me; &c.] The angel commissioned to exhibit this closing scene of the prophecy, being now about to depart, addresses the prophet with some short sentences, directing the use and application of what had been exhibited.

First;-Ver. 6. The vision may be confidently relied on, as representing events soon to be disclosed *.

Secondly;-Ver. 7. A blessing is pronounced on those, who in faith and patience expect the completion. of the prophecy, and who direct their lives conformably to such expectation. And here it is observable, that the angel, as ambassador of Christ, to whom the vision in all its parts most certainly appertains †, speaks in the august person of his Lord, using his very words; "Be

hold, I come soon ‡;" words, which being evidently those of the Redeemer, before whom the prophet had prostrated himself without rebuke §, occasion him again to fall prostrate. And now the reproof of ch. xix. 10. is repeated

Thirdly-Ver. 10. St. John is ordered to represent

* See notes, ch. i, 1, 2, 3.

§ Ch. i. 17.

+ See ch. i. 1. and note.

Ch. iii. 11. This circumstance may in some measure account for the repetition of this action, if it be such. But there may be some reason to doubt whether the action be repeated, or the description of it only; whether St. John does not merely describe over again his attempt to worship the angel; for it might seem necessary to repeat the description, which positively forbids it, for the benefit of the Church, prone to lapse into this kind of idolatry. For he seems in both situations to have been present with the same angel, one belonging to the Vials *, who was employed to shew him apart, first the harlot, and then the Bride. It is therefore less likely that the action should be repeated. And in both descriptions, nearly the same expressions are used, and also introduced by the same address of the angel, "These are the true words of God," &c.

* Compare ch. xvii. 1. with ch. xxi. 9.

this prophecy, not as a sealed book*, but as the prediction of a train of events, beginning to take place immediately †.

Fourthly;-Ver. 11, 12. According to a mode of speaking used by Ezekiel+, and by St. Paul §, and well explained by Dr. S. Clarke ||, we are warned, that as we act under this view (this awful view of the Divine judgments), so shall we experience their effects. We - are free to be just or unjust, righteous or wicked, and must abide the consequences of our own determination.

Fifthly ;-Ver. 13, 14, 15. The angel again speaks in the person of his Lord, by whom the whole Revelation is given ¶, again declaring himself to be that great transcendent Being "who inhabits Eternity **;" and in his name pronounces a blessing on those who keep his commandments. Good works performed from the operation of such faith, can alone afford access to that heavenly habitation, from which the wicked †† shall be excluded.

Sixthly;-Ver. 16. Adverting again to the beginning of the prophecy, the angel declares, in the name of his Lord, that it is given for the edification of the Churches‡‡ And the great Giver of the prophecy is described, to be both the root and the branch of David §§. He is a "stem of Jesse;" in his human character, appearing as "the son of David," the Messiah expected of that stem: but in his divine character, partaking of the

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divine nature, he is infinitely more; he is the root and foundation, the cause and the means of that Salvation. which is denominated "the sure mercies of David." He is that bright morning-star, which now gives considerable light to the world after a long night of ignorance and superstition; and to those who love such light, a certain earnest and prelude of increasing knowledge and glory, "shining forth unto perfect day."

Seventhly;-Ver. 17. he describes the Holy Spirit as inviting all men to partake the blessings, prepared for them, and now exhibited under the symbol of the bride, or heavenly Jerusalem. And "he who heareth,” he who hath been instructed in the saving truths of the Gospel, is called upon to invite others to participate in its advantages, which are "freely bestowed on all "whom our Lord shall call *." But to him "who "heareth," who esteemeth himself instructed in the knowledge of the Gospel, and especially in the prophecies of this book, an awful command, under severe sanctions, is added; that he teach others no other things, than those which are written therein; "not diminishing "therefrom, nor adding aught thereto. From the history of the times, following the publication of the Apocalypse, we collect the necessity of this prophetical injunction. For, in the second century, many spurious works, falsely attributed to apostles of Christ, were circulated in the Christian world. And in imitation of this Revelation of St. John, Revelations of St. Peter, of St. Paul, of St. Thomas, and of others, were fabricated. The threatenings here denounced against such fabricators, or those who shall attempt additions or alterations in this inspired work, united to that reverential care, with which the fathers of the Church preserved the

Acts ii. 39.

+ Deut. xii. 32. 2 Cor. iii. 6.

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