to the seven churches that were in Asia, and by and from them to be handed down to the church of God in all succeeding ages, as a revelation from heaven, with this liberty granted, "He that hath an ear let him hear, what the Spirit saith unto the churches," which is a grant to all to whom these presents shall come greeting, or to all those whom it may concern, or have any concern about the salvation of their souls, by faith in Christ Jesus. "Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." It contains an awful warning also, and an irrevocable denunciation of vengeance on all that die in the bosom of the whore of Babylon, or are converted to popery; "I will kill her children with death." But I proceed to the substance of my second head.

"And when he had taken the book, the four beasts-" Whatever these four beasts are, it is clear that all through this book they are honoured with the first view of all that is disclosed by the opening of the seals, and were employed in inviting others to behold the wonders revealed and made

known by the opener of the seals. "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come, and see." "And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come, and see." "And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come, and see." "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say,

Come, and see," Rev. vi. 1, 3, 5, 7. The indulgence granted to these beasts serves to give us an insight into what they are. First, they are allowed to look on while the Lamb opens the seals as Manoah and his wife did, when the angel did wonderously before them, Judges xiii. 19. Secondly, They are discovered in a measure by their thundering voice; "And I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come, and see." And Thirdly, By their inviting others to approach, and behold what themselves saw.

Now who can these four beasts be to whom these things can agree, but to gospel ministers? First, By their standing nearest to Christ, as his ambassadors, or good stewards of his manifold grace and mysteries; Secondly, Their having the first sight of the mysteries couched under the seals; "Unto you [the apostles] it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God;" that they might teach others, observing all things that Christ had commanded them, Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. Thirdly, By their thundering voice; "And he surnamed them Boanerges, which is the sons of thunder," Mark iii. 17. Fourthly, By their being made use of to invite others; "And at supper time he sent out his servant [or ministers], to invite them that were bidden;" and, Fifthly, By their message, "Come, and see." Come, and see for yourselves; take not our word upon trust, but see and judge for yourselves; as Andrew and Philip said to Nathanael, "We have found him of whom Moses

and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth. And Nathanael said unto him, can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him [in the language of the four beasts], Come, and see." And he went and saw, and said, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel;" and if so, he certainly was a good thing, and a holy thing, whether he came out of Galilee, out of Nazareth, or out of Heaven. And I think if our modern Atheists, Deists, Socinians, Arians, and Arminians, had but a divine power on their wills, and the unction of the Holy One upon their understandings, they would not be so easily led blindfold by the god of this world as they are, nor would so many heedless souls be led by them; but, in obedience to the invitation of these beasts, they would come and see for themselves.

By the above observations, they seem to be ministers of the gospel; and it is clear that they were sinners redeemed by the blood of Christ, by the celestial anthem that they bear a chorus in; which shews that they cannot be good angels, for they need no redemption; nor devils, for they are excluded from it; Jesus" took not on him the nature of angels." Nor can they be reprobate sinners, for Christ laid down his life for his sheep; but reprobates are not of his sheep, “ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you." Therefore these beasts must be chosen sinners of the human race, whether they were preachers or private saints, according to the following part they bear in the

coronation anthem, "The four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb; and they sung a new song, 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: and hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth."

If these beasts were redeemed by Christ's blood, they must be human, not angelic saints; if redeemed out of every nation, people, and tongue, they must be redeemed from among the children of men; and if out of every nation, it is most likely they were Gentiles, rather than Jews, though the Jews will by and by be gathered in again, out of the various nations where they are now scattered.

As these beasts are privileged with standing nearest the Lord, and indulged with the first view of things, it is plain that they are ministers of Christ, who are stewards of the mysteries they saw and as they are redeemed from among men, and

say, Thou hast made us kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth; they were redeemed by Christ's blood, crowned with knowledge and lovingkindness as kings, and reigned as kings, though on the earth, under the dominion of grace, and as priests they offered spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; which is confirmed in my text; for it is said the four beasts,

as well as the elders, had golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

It may be inquired why they are called beasts. Perhaps it is intended to exhibit them as brutal sinners by nature, before they were redeemed from among the nations, tongues, and people they lay among. "Every man is brutish in his knowledge." Surely I am more brutish than any man," saith Agur, Prov. xxx. 2. "That God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts."

We have a further description of these beasts. "The first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle," Rev. iv. 7.

The terrible majesty and undaunted courage of the lion represents them as whelps of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, as Judah is called a lion's whelp, Gen. xlix. 9; and denotes the fortitude and boldness of a gospel minister, when strengthened with spiritual might. "The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion." The second beast being like a calf, may denote the value of a gospel minister, and his quick growth in grace and knowledge; "Ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." The Calf is often mentioned by Isaiah as lying down with the Lamb of God, or with the lambs of his fold. "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and