REFLECTIONS.

Let us be very thankful that the words of this prophecy are not sealed from us; but that truths in which we have so important a concern, are so plainly published and proclaimed. The time is near when a seal will be set on the characters of men blessed be God, he who is now unrighteous and polluted, may be purified and reformed, justified and saved. Adored be that grace that waits so long upon sinners! But the divine long-suffering towards them will have its period: yet a little while, and Jesus comes to render to every man according to his works. May we then be fixed in a world of immutable holiness and happiness!

The Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, has discovered to us many evangelical truths in this mysterious book. He hath directed our eyes to the Lamb that was slain to redeem us to God by his blood; and hath shewed us the saints in glory, laying down their crowns in his presence, and ascribing the praise of all their salvation to him; but he hath shewed us nothing that is inconsistent with the necessity of real and universal holiness. Yea, he himself proclaims them alone to be entitled to enter the gates of the New Jerusalem, and to eat of the fruit of the tree of life, who do God's commandments. Let us not, therefore, deceive ourselves with vain words, nor attend to any who would sophisticate the word of God, and fixing their view only on some detached passages of it, enervate, by their unguarded interpretations, its general scope and meaning. Let us, in reviewing scripture, observe what God commands and requires, and compare it with what he forbids, that we may thereby impartially judge and try ourselves. And how free soever we may be from any of the grosser crimes here enumerated, such as fornication, murder, and idolatry, let us not allow ourselves in the love and practice of any thing inconsistent with the immutable rule of righteousness and truth; as well knowing every allowed and continued indulgence of that kind, to be utterly irreconcileable with a well-grounded hope of inheriting eternal life. May it please thee, O Lord, to inscribe all these laws upon our hearts! that our joy, in the hope and prospect of the promised blessedness, may rise in proportion to our acquaintance with thy unerring word, and the impartiality and diligence with which we trace the ac tions of our lives, and the affections of our hearts, in comparison with it, and reduce them to a holy conformity to its precepts.

SECTION XXVIII.

Christ repeats his august titles, and gracious invitation: warns all against adding to, or taking from his words; and declares his purpose of coming quickly. Ch. xxii. 16, &c.

16

A

ND the Lord further said, I Jesus have sent my messenger to testify these things to you* [who are] in the several

* In English the word you is ambiguous. In the Greek it is plural () It seemed proper therefore to insert [who are] the more fully to express this. The messenger (C. T. angel) was undoubtedly the apostle

John. ED.

churches. I am the root and the offspring of David; the bright 17 and the morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come: and let him that heareth say, Come: and let him that is thirsty, come; and whoever will, let him receive of the waters of life 18 freelyt. And I testify to every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: 19 And if any one take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and the things which are written in this book. 20 He who testifiest these things, saith, Surely I come quickly: Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus!

21

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

REFLECTIONS.

How sweetly and delightfully does the canon of scripture conclude! leaving, as it were, the music of heaven upon the attentive ear.→ "O thou blessed Root and Offspring of David, O thou bright and mor» ning Star, impress on all our hearts these thy gracious words, which thou hast condescended to speak from the throne of thy glory; thereby, as it were, to aid the weakness of our faith, in those which thou didst deliver, while dwelling in mortal flesh."-Then did the compas→ sionate Saviour proclaim, from an eminence in the temple, to a crowded assembly on a day of peculiar solemnity, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. And now behold he makes the same proclamation from his celestial temple; he points as it were, to the fountain-head of happiness, to the springs of the water of life, near the throne of God, and says, Whoever will, let him come, let him take, let him freely take of this living water. Yea, and not content with speaking this language by his Spirit only, he calls on his bride to lift up her melodious voice, to publish this kind invitation: he calls on every one that hears it to echo it back, as if the excess of his goodness overcame him, as if it were necessary to his own happiness, that men should accept of their own salvation.

Such a declaration of free grace seems to have been wisely inserted, just in the close of the sacred canon, to encourage the hope of every humble soul, that is truly desirous of the blessings of the gospel; and to guard against those suspicions of divine goodness which some have so unhappily abetted. The word haubavel, which we render take, does often signify receive; and the word dagav, is as much as gratis, which implies the freedom of the gift; and I think it may refer to that celebrated invitation, Isa. lv. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat, buy wine and milk without money, and without price.

Though this particularly refers to the book of the Revelation, the parity of reason extends to the other books. God forbid we should imagine every honestly mistaken criticism, where there is a question of receiving or excluding any particular verse, should affect a man's salvation. Such a passage should indeed make men very cautious, that they may not rashly incur any censure on this account; but the terror of the threatning is planted against any designed erasement or addition.

With what sacred observance should these books be guarded, which contain a message of such infinite importance! Of what dreadful curses are they worthy, who presume to add to what is already perfect, or to take away from that which is in every part divine. r Let none of us ever presumptuously attempt to do it: and may we be preserved from those mistaken interpretations, in consequence of which we should teach the world, as by his authority, any thing which he has not dictated, or deny any thing which carries along with it the stamp of such an authority." Have pity, O Lord, upon our weakness; impute not prejudices which thou knowest we do not allow; and give us a greater penetration of mind, to understand the true sense of thy word; a simplicity of heart, to receive it; an integrity, so far as the duty of our places requires, to declare it; and a zeal to inculcate and defend it."

And while we are thus employed, or employed in any other services which providence has assigned us, in our respective stations and circumstances of life; whatever labours may exercise us, whatever difficulties may surround us, whatever sorrows may depress us, let us with pleasure hear our Lord proclaiming, Behold, I come quickly; I come to put a period to the labour and suffering of my servants; I come, and my reward of grace is with me, to recompense with royal bounty, every work of faith and labour of love; I come to receive my faithful persevering people to myself, to dwell for ever in that blissful world, where the sacred volume, which contains the important discoveries of my will, shall be no more necessary; but knowledge and holiness and joy, shall be poured in upon their souls in a more immediate, in a nobler and more effectual manner. Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus! Hasten the blessed hour to us, and to all thy churches, as far as it may consist with thy wise and holy counsels. And, in the mean time, may thy grace be with us, to keep alive the remembrance of thy love, and the expectation of thy coming, in our hearts, and to animate us to a temper and conduct, which may suit the blessings we have already received, and the nobler felicity after which thou hast taught us to aspire. Amen and amen!

LINCOLN & GLEASON, printers.

THE END.