which, in the ordinary way are made upon it, through the ear by founds; and at other times by impreffions fimilar to thofe, which, in an ordinary way, are made upon it, through the eye, by the objects of fight. In both these ways, it was frequently communicated to the prophets of God, both in the Old and New Teftament, and particularly to John in this book.

We are not to imagine that, in the firft of these kinds, an audible voice is actually heard by the bodily ear; or, in the second, that a visible object is actually seen by the bodily eye: but only, that in the first, an impreffion is made on the mind, and ideas are communicated to it directly, without the intervention of an audible found ftriking on the bodily organ; very fimilar to these impreffions which are made upon it in ordinary cafes through the ear and in the fecond, like thofe which are made upon it through the eye; but without being conveyed to it through that organ. Of thefe immediate impreffions on the mind, perfons accuftomed to dreaming, may form fome idea, when they recollect with what diftinctnefs and force of impreffion, they have heard words, and feen perfons, or other visible objects with their minds, when their ears and eyes were not only clofed with fleep, but in fact no audible words were spoken in their ears, and no fuch perfon or visible object was before their eyes.

VOL. I.

E

The

The first impreffion, which, at this time, was made upon the mind of John by inspiration, was juft fuch an one, as, in an ordinary way, would have been made upon it by a great voice behind him, loud as the found of a trumpet. This voice was not only loud, but also articulate and distinct. By it John was informed that the impreffion was made upon his mind by Jefus Christ, stiled Alpha and Omega, and that the revelation fhould be made to him in the way of vifion. The different revelations made to him, as recorded in this book, were communicated to his mind by vifions. All thefe different vifions fhall be diftinctly marked as we proceed.

Inspiration in the way of vifion, like the evidence of fight, is the clearest kind of impreffion which can be made upon the mind of man.

Jefus commands John to write these visions in a book, and to fend it to the feven Chriftian churches in Afia, particularly mentioned in this verse. The refpective fituations and characters of these feven cities, and of the Chriftian churches in them, will fall more properly to be confidered when the particular epiftles, addreffed to each of them, come under our review.

Verse 12th, 1ft claufe. And I turned to fee the voice that spake with me.

Though

Though John was commanded to write the vifions in a book, he had, as yet, seen none of them; but had only heard a loud and distinct voice, behind him, giving that command. Following the found, he turned about to fee what it was that fpake to him.

It is faid, he turned to "fee the voice." Even the best writers fometimes ufe a word, expreffive of the perception of one fenfe, to fignify that of another fenfe. To fee a found, or a voice, is a phrase used in Exodus xx. 18. and in Efchylus, Prom. v. 21. The phrafe is not unnatural in this paffage; but, on the contrary, very expreffive of what must have been the ftate of John's mind when he fpake these words. He had just heard, behind him, an awful, loud, articulate, and diftinct found; but had feen no perfon. He therefore, inftantaneously and inftinctively, turned about to fee; but he did not know whether any perfon or vifible object was to be feen. He turned, therefore, to fee if he could obtain any more diftinct perception of the voice and of the speaker. It was the voice which, at that time, had feized upon and captivated his mind: It was therefore very natural for him to fay, that he turned to fee the voice.

INTRODUCTORY VISION.

Verse 12th, 2d claufe, and verses 13, 14, 15, 16.—And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the feven candlesticks, one, like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as fnow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the found of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a fharp two-edged fword: and his countenance was as the fun fhineth in his strength.

These four verses contain the Introductory Vifion which was made to John.

Before explaining this one, it is neceffary, and will be of the greateft ufe, for understanding this book aright, that I explain the nature of the fymbolical language, in which it is writOne great reason why this book is fo little underflood, is, that men are either ignorant of, or inattentive to, the fymbolica: or hieroglyphical language.

ten.

language. To discover the meaning of any book, it is abfolutely neceffary that we understand the language in which it is written.-Let the meaning of a book be as plain as poffible, if it is written in the Hebrew, Greek, or Latin languages, it will be perfectly unintelligible to every person who can read the English language only. In like manner, if a book is written in the fymbolical language, which is the cafe with all the prophetical parts of this book, it must be equally unintelligible to those persons, who, though acquainted with all the languages which are written in the alphabetical characters, are entire flrangers to the fymbolical language.

In the first ages of the world, no characters were invented to exprefs the fimple founds of which words are compounded. Thefe arbitrary figns, which express the different founds, of which all the words in our language are formed, and in every other language in which alphabetical letters are used, are of later invention. In the earliest and most fimple times, the characters, which men first used in writing, were the most natural and fimple; even the exact pictures of thofe vifible objects, which were the fubjects of their few and fimple writings. Thus, for inftance,-to exprefs a bird, they drew the picture of a bird; to exprefs a horse, the picture of horfe; and, to exprefs a man, the picture of a man. But this

fage