" I saw, as it were, a sea," where *' the saints had got the victory" over their persecuting and blood- thirsty enemies : and it was, " as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire :" the waters, having over- whelmed all God's enemies, were now calm, and clear as crystal itself, whilst the corruscations of light emanating from the pillar of fire, and shining with the brightest possible effulgence, made the whole sea appear as if it were mingled with fire^ And I saw the victorious saints " standing (close) upon if^." And I heard them " sing a song to the Lamb" of God, precisely similar to that which was sung by Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea, adoring " their God and King" as the sole author of their deliverance, and prophetically declaring, that he shall in due time " reign over all nations for ever and ever^"
This song we now proceed to consider. The former part of it consists of retrospective adoration ; and the latter part, of prospective exultation and triumph.
Let us notice what is spoken by them in a way,
L Of retrospective adoration —
Filled with the profoundest gratitude, they cele- brate,
1 . The deliverance they have experienced — [Great was the deliverance vouchsafed to Israel; as Moses said, " In the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee : thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble*." But beyond all comparison greater is that deliverance which the saints ex- perience from the enemies of their salvation: and, when their triumphs are complete, they will have proportionably greater reason to sing, " Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!" Dreadful have been the sufferings which
" This is a common appearance of water reflecting the rays of the rising or setting sun.
'' The not adverting to this sense of the word itti (apud, prof,e, juxla: see Schleusner,) seems to have been the occasion of most of the strange explanations given of the whole passage.
'- Compare ver, 2 — 4. with Exod. xv. 1,6, 18.
'Exod.xv. 7.