14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twent
elders fell down and worshipped him that. liveth for ever and
ever. ( δι [8








AN ANALYSIS OF THE REVELATION. 4.49


Future events are supposed by St. John, as well as by Daniel
and other prophets, in a beautiful figure, to be registered in a book,
for the greater certainty of them. This book (ver. 1.) is im the right
hand of God, to denote that as he alone directs the affairs of futu-
rity, so he alone is able to reveal them. ‘This book, through the
abundance of the matter, was ' written within and on the backside ;
as the roll of the book, which was spread before Ezekiel, (ii. 10.)
was written within and without. It was also sealed, to signify that
the decrees of God are inscrutable, and sealed with seven seals,
referring to so many signal periods of prophecy. In short, we
should conceive of this book, that it was such a one as the ancients
used, a volume or roll of a book, or more properly a volume consist-
ing of seven volumes, so that the opening of one seal laid open the
contents only of one volume. All creatures are challenged (ver. 2.)
to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. But (ver. 3.) no one
(ovdac) in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, neither
angels, nor men, nor departed spirits, were any of them qualified to
comprehend and communicate the secret purposes of God. St.
