THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS. Rev. xix. 10. The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. GOD is known by the works which he has made ; on every one of which there is an impress of Omnipo- tence.
tence. Nor is his agency less visible in the suspen- sion of the laws of nature (as they are called), than in the formation of them. Hence the miracles wrought by our blessed Lord were always appealed to as un- deniable attestations to his character, and decisive evidences of his Divine Mission. There is vet a third mark of a Divine interposition, which is not at all inferior to either of the former ; I mean the ac- complishment of prophecy. In some respects this species of proof seems superior to the others, be- cause its weight is continually increasing ; whilst that of creation is stationary ; and that arising from miracles loses half its force, as soon as the specta- tors of those miracles are taken from us. On this ac- count, perhaps, it is called, " a more sure word of prophecy." Certain it is, that God rests on this his exclusive claim to Divine honour : and challenges the gods of the Heathen to evince their title to Divinity by one single proof of their prescience \
From this conviction, St. John fell at the feet of the angel who had revealed so many things to him, and began to render him that worship which was due from a creature to his Creator. But the angel unde- ceived him ; and forbad him to execute his purpose ; because he was only the servant and messenger of Jehovah, to whom alone such honour was due. *' I am thy fellow-servant," says he : '* Worship God ; for the testimony of Jesus," which you have so co- piously heard from me, is not mine, but is sent to thee by the Spirit of prophecy," that is, by the Spirit of God, from whom alone all prophetic knowledge proceeds : He therefore, and He alone, is to receive any such tribute at thy hands.
This appears to be the scope and meaning of the words before us : in our further explanation of Mhich we shall shew,
I. That to testify of Jesus is the great end of all pro- phecy—
The
' Isai. xli. 23.