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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: 1 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.

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Ἰδὲ, ἡ σκηνὴ το

Θεῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώ πων, καὶ σκηνώσει μὲν αὐτῶν, καὶ αὐτ τοὶ λαὸς αὐτῷ ἔσον ται, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἔςαι μετ' αὐτῶν,

4 Θεὸς αὐτῶν. Καὶ εξαλείψει τῶν δά

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ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφ θαλμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ θαναῖος ἐκ ἔςαι ἔτι ἔτε πένθος, ἔτε κραυγές ἔτε πόνος ἐκ ἔσαι ἔτι· ὅτι τὰ πρῶτα ἀπ 5 ἦλθον. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῇ Χρόνος Ιδε, καινὰ πάνια ποιῶ. Καὶ λέγει [μοι]· ΓεάΤον ὅτι ὗτοι οἱ

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away every tear from "their eyes. Anddeath "shall be no more; nor shall sorrow, nor "mourning, nor pain, "be more; for the "former things are 5 " passed away.” And passed away.” And | he who sate upon the throne, said; "Be"hold, I make all "things new." And he saith [unto me] "Write: for these "words are true, and "worthy of belief."

λόγοι ἀληθινοὶ καὶ | 6 And he said unto me,

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throne, said; Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me; Write: for, these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me; It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end: I will give unto him that is athirst, of the fountain of the water of

7 life freely. He that

overcometh, shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful and

unbelieving, and the

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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 ; to which St. Peter seems to refer, as to a prophecy unfulfilled. But the Apoca

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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,

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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 Cor. 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

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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 sublimely 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 component parts are mentioned at the creation, so again at the dissolution, of the world.

state

state of felicity, to which redeemed man may, by the grace of God, attain. It is beyond the power of human imagination to comprehend the particulars in which it consists. It is therefore described only by negatives.-There shall be no sorrow, no pain, no death; -none of those evils which embitter this mortal life. And this description is confirmed by the great Judge and Creator, who sitteth upon the throne;-" behold," says he, "I make all things new.”

Ver. 5. Write: for, these words are true and worthy of belief.] At the conclusion of the vision which contained the judgment of Babylon*, the angel, who accompanied the prophet during that vision, had addressed him in nearly the same words t. But the present scene is that, in which the Son of God, who had appeared at the commencement of the prophecy, addresses the prophet for the last time. He addresses him from his glorious throne; where, having judged the dead, and caused the old heavens and earth to vanish away, he creates a new heaven and a new earth, and therein a new and heavenly city, to be the blissful habitation of his servants. He now therefore renews his command to the prophet, to write what he had seen. And he assures him, and through him, the Church, that these visions are to be believed, and to be relied upon as the words of God. He then declares the prophecy to be brought to its conclusion. It conIcludes with the new creation. The enemies of Christ are now finally subdued. Their opposition was the grand argument of the book. It ends when this resistance is no more. The triumphant Messiah concludes

* Ch. xix. 9.

+ See the note, which is intended to shew their purport.

As in ch. i. 19.

his

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