And the bearers of these four standards had each of them six wings like seraphims, Isa. vi. 2, (with two of them covering the face, with two the feet, or secret parts, and with two flying, noting the humility, chastity, love or zeal in God's service, that was remarkable in these, in opposition to the contrary in those which should now be judged, especially the Gnostic Judaizers,) and were full of eyes, as before, ver. 6, behind and before, in respect of their understanding of the prophecies and types of the Old Testament, and their gifts of prophecy given them by God; and they labour incessantly for the advancement of God's glory, and the kingdom of Christ, and evidencing to unbelievers their approaching ruin, and to believers God's fidelity, in making good his promise to them, in delivering them, and destroying their enemies. [i] six wings about him—] In this verse (which hath in it some difficulty of construction) it is first evident, that the phrase full of eyes belongs to the living creatures, and not to the wings; for so the Greek γέμουντα, full, concludes, which agree with ζῶα, creatures, but cannot with πτέρυγας, wings, and so before it had been, ver. 6, τέσσαρα ζῶα γέμουντα ὀφθαλμῶν, four living creatures full of eyes: and so it appears by the use of the wings to cover the face and secret parts, and to fly; which cannot be applied to the circuit or ambience. Next, if the Greek be consulted, it will be also as clear that the κυκλόθεν καὶ ἔσωθεν, round about and within, are not so to be divided, as in our ordinary translation they are, the former joined with the six wings, (six wings round about them,) and the latter to the eyes, (full of eyes within,) but are both together to be joined with the full of eyes, κυκλόθεν καὶ ἔσωθεν γέμουντα ὀφθαλμῶν, about and within full of eyes. What is meant by κυκλόθεν καὶ ἔσωθεν, round about and within, may be resolved by ver. 6, where the same thing is expressed by other words; there it is full of eyes ἔμπροσθεν καὶ ἔπισθεν, before and behind, here round about and within. The way of reconciling these distant phrases is, I conceive, by considering the two parts of a superficies, the convex or ambient part, that is, the circumference, and the concave or inner part. These two we know are opposed one to the other, and are fitly expressed by either of these two pairs, the outer or ambient by κυκλόθεν, round about, the inner or concave by ἔσωθεν, within; and so again (being here applied to living creatures with their faces toward us,) the ambient superficies by ἔπισθεν, behind, or the back parts, and the inner superficies by ἔμπροσθεν, before, the back parts of such creatures being most properly the convex, and the fore parts (especially when they have wings, and those wings make a kind of half circle) being the concave superficies. And so by this account, as ἔμπροσθεν, before, ver. 6, and ἔσωθεν, within, here are all one, so must κυκλόθεν, about, here, and ἔπισθεν, behind, or on the back, there, be all one also. And accordingly it may be observed that ch. v. 1, ἔσωθεν, within, is opposed to ἔπισθεν, the back parts, as here to κυκλόθεν, about, which makes it consequent that ἔπισθεν, the back part, and κυκλόθεν, about, should be all one, as now we set them. What is denoted by these two sorts of eyes, as they are applied to the apostles, may perhaps be thus best resolved: the eyes before are an expression of their foresight, or prophetic spirit; the eyes behind, those that look [d] neither cold nor hot] All that is here said of this church of Laodicea seemeth very intelligible by applying to them that one part of the doctrine of the Gnostics that seems to have gotten in among them, (though not those other carnal villanies,) viz. that it was ἀδιάφορον, an indifferent thing, perfectly lawful, to renounce Christ in time of persecution. This is clearly the lukewarmness here, which is a middle indifferent temper between being Christians and no Christians; and instead of that God commends to them πενθρωμίνον χρυσόν, refined gold fetched out of the fire, that is, directly the crown of martyrdom, (contrary to that mixture and allay of dross that is now in them,) and the white or shining garments, the ensign and character of the martyrs everywhere in this book. And for their saying that they are rich, &c., and not knowing that they are wretched, &c., this is again the mark of those Gnostics, which had such great ungrounded opinions of their own perfections. A physical discourse on this place may be seen in Vale-sius Sac. Phil. c. 90. A great opinion you have of yourselves, that ye are in an excellent state, have need of nothing, are beyond all others, when indeed you have nothing of a Christian in you, no zeal or fervency of love towards Christ; ye never think of suffering for him, or getting any part of the Christian's crown. My advice therefore is, that you be content to endure some smart for Christ, if you mean to receive any crown from him; that you be courageous in the confessing of Christ, and contend for that shining royal robe that belongs to martyrs, without which (in intention at least of mind) you are still imperfect, and under the reproach of cowardice, and want of love; and to this purpose, that ye look deeper into the nature of Christian religion, the precepts, doctrines, and examples thereof; and there ye shall find what yet ye see not, that ease and prosperity here are no sign of God's favour, but on the other side. The expression of his fatherly love to his children is the bestowing some chastisements upon them, thereby to fit them for his love.