if the "seats" and the "elders" occupying them are "round about the
throne," in a segment of a circle, as viewed by John, then it will be
readily perceived that the "animals" seen from the same quarter would
appear to him as occupying a space forming a smaller segment of a circle
between the elders and the throne. Thus we have the relative positions,
(_a_) the throne, (_b_) the "four animals" next to the throne, and
lastly, (_c_) the "four and twenty elders." The places occupied by these
several parties are pregnant with scriptural instruction, as may appear
when we come to the latter part of ch. 6.

In the mean time, what do these "four animals" represent? Not the
adorable Trinity, as some learned men have imagined; nor holy angels, as
more learned men have supposed and laboured to prove. These "animals"
are worshippers; (v. 8,) therefore they are not the Object of worship.
They are culpably blind who mistake the creature for the Creator. (Rom.
i. 25.) Other expositors have attempted, with greater plausibility, but
no better success, to prove these animals to be symbolical of angels.
For this purpose, reference has been made to Isaiah's vision of the
_seraphims_, (ch. vi. 2,) and also to the "four living creatures" which
appeared in vision to Ezekiel, (i. 5-10.) The identity of John's
"animals" and Ezekiel's "living creatures" is argued especially from
their number, "four," and their "faces" being the same. To the
thoughtful and unbiased reader it is sufficient to reply,--that John's
"animals" acknowledge themselves to have been _redeemed_ by the blood of
the Lamb, (ch. v. 8, 9,) an expression which is inapplicable to angels.
As the "four and twenty elders" and the "four animals" comprise the
whole company of the _redeemed_, as distinguished from the higher and
lower orders of God's worshippers, (ch. v. 8-14,) and as the "elders"
represent the whole church, it would seem to be reasonable to suppose,
that these "animals" are the symbols of the gospel ministry. And to this