the people, see ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king. Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord." This sealed book of the Saviour's kingdom was laid up before the Lord; that is, in his secret purpose; and is now given to our elder brother, who is to reign over us: "When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me: Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose; one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee; thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. And it shall be, when he setteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests and Levites." In this passage we have an account of a brother that is to reign over us; which blessed character Christ bears; he is a brother born for adversity. He is to have a copy out of the law, and out of that which is before the priests and Levites; and it may be observed, that almost all, if not the whole, of this sealed book is extracted from Moses and the prophets. This book or copy of the kingdom, which is sealed with seven seals, is the very book out of which my text is taken, called the Book of the Revelation, as appears from the first chapter, where it is stiled, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophesy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand." It is true, a great part of this book was seen by Daniel in a vision; yet he has a command: "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end;" and although Daniel's vision was recorded, yet that part which concerns antichrist, and the suffering church of the Gentiles under that monster of iniquity, lay hid as close as this with its seven seals, until the Lord revealed this; a great part of which is a key to that, and a certain prediction of all revolutions, vicissitudes, and events, that shall take place in the church, in antichrist, and in all kingdoms and dominions of the world; until the angel of the everlasting covenant, the God of heaven, earth, and sea, is revealed as the accomplisher of all the prophecies of this book, which he will hold in his hand when he closes the scene. "And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. And he had in his hand a little book open, and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, that there should be time no longer; but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God should be finished." Secondly, This book is said to be sealed on the back side with seven seals. The seals denote the secret mysteries and mysterious depths of its contents; it contains the secret mysteries of God's will; the Holy Ghost is both the seals and the sealer. What is written with the finger of God, Dan. v. 5; and sealed by the Holy Ghost, can never be made known by any but him who is Lord and keeper of the privy seal of heaven; Christ has the seal of the living God, Rev. vii. 2. He was in the bosom of the Father, and hath revealed the Father and his mind and will also; "For all things," saith the Saviour, "that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you ;" and as he hath the seal, he can open and none can shut, and shut and none can open, Rev. iii. 7; for all power is given unto him both in heaven and earth, and he hath committed all judgment unto the Son, and caused all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to be hid in him; therefore he makes known the mysteries to his servants the prophets, and feeds his people with the bread of eternal life, "for him hath God the Father sealed." The seals may serve to shew us that none but those who are sealed by the Spirit to the day of redemption, can ever understand this book; and indeed it is dedicated and directed to the seven churches, and to none else. The seals may represent the certain accomplishment of the prophecies of this book, as sealing shews a thing to be ratified and confirmed; which shews that the devil and antichrist shall continue no longer than the time appointed, nor prevail any further than the limited power permitted and made known in this book : What is written by God's finger, and sealed by God's sevenfold seal, may no man reverse, Est. viii. 8. Hence we may conclude, that this revelation of things is certain, and the accomplishment will be sure. Thirdly, As seals make a deep impression, it shews that the deep things contained under these seals will sink deep, and leave a lasting impression wherever or upon whomsoever they may fall, whether in a way of mercy or of judgment; so that they will acknowledge it to come from the court of heaven as appears from the strange effects that the opening of each seal produced in the world and church, which have, and will leave, a stamp of infinite divinity behind; so that all shall acknowledge, as the magicians did, that this is the finger of God. Fourthly, A seal is a kind of security. A thing written and sealed is secured to the proper owner; closed and shut up from all others. Hence the saints are called living epistles known and read of all men, because the law is written on the fleshly tables of their hearts by the Spirit of the living God, 2 Cor. iii. 3; by which they are sealed also; "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." This is the saints security' and foundation of comfort, and is effectually known to none but God and themselves; "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure; having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his." This seal then secures the contents of this book, whether it be the portion of that wicked man of sin from God, or whether it be the cup of Zion's afflictions, that her adversaries have filled or shall fill to her, which they shall receive in their turn double; it shall be measured unto them double, Rev. xviii. 6. The number seven shews the perfection of the seals, the sealer, and of all things that are sealed; to the Spirit they are all known, for he searches the deep things of God. The Saviour, who is God, and has all the fulness of the spirit on him, knows them all, and reveals them to us by the Spirit; hence those that have ears to hear are exhorted in this book to hear, what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Which leads me to my second general head. "And when he had taken the book," or received it in order to loose the seals, unfold the mysteries, and send the contents of it by his angel unto his servant John, who was to see these things in the visions of God, understand them by the Spirit upon him, and to write them as he was moved by the Holy Ghost, and to send them for instruction and direction, as a caution and a cordial |