VI.

The sixth covenant is with Abraham at his tent-door I (Gen. 18:) in the plains of Mamre, when visited by the three men. He was privileged to entertain the Lord Himself ; and this tells us he was walking in communion with God ; and no sooner are we ready to receive the Lord than is He in grace and love ready to visit us, and assure our hearts of His fellowship and approval. "We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him." (Jno. 14:23.) And Enoch " had this testimony, that he pleased God." (Heb. 11:5.) "And if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with Me." (Rev. 3:20.) "I will come in to him, and will sup with him" comes first-before "and he with Me." This is grace. So Mary goes to Elizabeth,-the one who has the greater revelation and honor to the other. So the one who knows most of grace and fellowship is the one who will be the first to manifest love and fellowship to others, and kindle in other hearts an answering warmth-a manifestation of what it is to "dwell in God" (i Jno. 4:12), and "walk in love," as "imitators of God." (Eph. 5:i-R. V.)

May we have the door open, then, to fellowship with God, and we shall have the heart open toward one another. We shall truly love one another, and have the wisdom of God in all our ways with one another.

Let us note that Abraham was " in the plains of Mamre" -that place where he dwelt and worshiped after he had gained a victory over the temptation that drew Lot away to Sodom (Gen. 13:18).

It is holy ground-associations of victory and communion-"Mamre," "in Hebron," meaning "vigor in company" or, may we not say, "communion" (Young's Concordance). Thus "the plains of Mamre" link the third and sixth covenants together in some way; and is it not (in this, at least,) prominently that God is the God of resurrection? s to the third, the number suggests it. As to this one-the sixth, the assurance of a son when naturally there was no hope, because nothing was " too hard for the Lord" very plainly declares it. Where, then, is the difference between the two covenants as to their teaching? Is it not this, that in the third it is simply the complete manifestation of the power, of God (promised), whereas in the sixth it is the assurance of this manifestation in the face of death(Abraham and Sarah being beyond hope,) and of unbelief (Sarah's laughter), as at the grave of Lazarus there was the groaning and the weeping and unbelief, but just there and then the word of the Son of God went forth, " Lazarus, come forth!" Man comes forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, the evidence of the awful power that had been holding him captive-the power of an enemy; but the power of a greater delivers, and in the hour of his apparent victory Satan is overwhelmingly defeated.

Thus in the sixth covenant the evil significance of this number is very clearly present; it is short of seven, it is imperfection-sin-Satan's work. But in this portion, as elsewhere, the prominent thing is nevertheless the power of God above sin and Satan; to keep within bounds, and reap glory to Himself by entire victory and blessing at last.
This good side in the meaning of the number may be reached as suggested (in "Numerical Structure,") by the meaning of 2 (strife, division, evil,) multiplied by 3,- that is, evil subject to the power of God. But however it may be, this position in Gen. 18:is certainly, as a matter of fact, the sixth covenant. It is a sixth, and its teaching is surely distinctly and prominently the power of
God over sin and death and unbelief-the work of the enemy.

Another thing to note is, that man is here brought into fellowship with God about all this; which agrees too with its occurring under the last four covenants, not under the first three. But whatever the teaching numerically, there is an interesting comparison between this scene at the tent-door and the one at the grave of Lazarus as to this point. However different the circumstances, the scenes are after all similar in their teaching, naturally enough of course. Abraham is a pilgrim and a stranger, and, according to nature, has no hope; so those at Bethany are brought face to face with death and the grave. But there where hope is gone, and hearts are smitten and broken, the Lord draws near, and brings man into fellowship with His power and His love. The enemy seems to be about to carry all before him, but it is only that his defeat may be the more signal and overwhelming.

This is illustrated in the pursuit of Pharaoh and his host after Israel-Israel in helpless weakness shut up apparently to a dreadful doom, when suddenly all is changed-the awful waves of God's judgment close in, and the enemy is seen no more. And this portion of Exodus, as has been shown to us of late, is a sixth part among the seven parts into which the divine record of Israel's deliverance naturally falls. All this falls remarkably into line with what we are now considering, and tends to assure us that whatever is real in these numerical teachings will be abundantly confirmed as we get better acquainted with our subject through a deeper acquaintance with the Scriptures, and so with the relationship of its parts to one another in this way.

Another notable illustration of this point is found in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew,-where the Lord, for the sixth time in this gospel, in His path of service, is spoken of as upon a mountain, as already shown in a previous article. That is after He begins His ministry,- after the Temptation.

What, then, is the subject of the Lord's discourse in the twenty-fourth of Matthew, as He sat upon the mount on this sixth occasion ? Just that which is typified by the destruction of Pharaoh at the Red Sea,-that is, the power of Antichrist and of Satan threatens the destruction _of the people of God. The "abomination of desolation " stands in the holy place; and "except those days should be shortened, no flesh should be saved." All is dark and terrible,-woe has followed woe, and distress has continued to increase, and the storm has caused His own to cry out, when, suddenly as the lightning, the judgment has fallen, and their deliverance has come. The Lord appears in the clouds of heaven in power and glory, and the enemy is destroyed with judgment. All this is clearly in harmony, and parallel ; whether the type at the Red Sea, in ,Ex. 14:or in Matt, 24:, the narration of what will answer to the type,-all is a consistent and remarkable testimony as to the meaning of this number.

But how suggestive are these solemn and blessed scenes at the Red Sea, and in Israel's final great deliverance, of God's dealing with us now, individually and collectively ! In these scenes His present dealings are reflected. Ere the repentant soul finds rest, he may seem about to be overwhelmed by Satan; and throughout our pathway here, in conflict with Satan, how often does the Church seem threatened with entire overthrow at one point and another, in one place and another, and in spite of faithlessness and failure, we see the Lord's deliverance at last ! "Always darkest just before dawn " will be fearfully but triumphantly illustrated at the millennial dawn ; but in some measure it is so now with us again and again, by the long-suffering and great mercy of our God. For our sins, we are exposed to chastening; and for our discipline, for our good, the enemy has got a foothold-he is allowed for a time to win :but let the faithful wait,- it is the old experience over again, which will be repeated until the Lord comes-until the final victory and triumph-"shout," "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." But there is more than that:there is an exhortation that precedes. It is this:"Fear ye not."-"Fear ye not. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." (Ex. 14:13.) If our hearts are not steadied by the first exhortation, through faith in God, it is impossible to take heed to the last. We do not stand still ; nor have, in such a case, eyes to see what God is doing. Oh that we might not so quickly distrust Him on the next occasion,-that we might have more rest of heart in Him at all times, and not increase confusion by our own folly and unrest and ignorance ! If we are not habitually waiting on the Lord, we will not do it in the time of testing and fiery trial. May His name be not so much dishonored by us as in the past. Cut His mercy endureth forever.

There is a good comment of Luther's on Mary's song, when God gave him grace to abide in peace in face of the threatening power of Rome :-

" ' He hath showed strength with His arm. He hath put down the mighty from their seats. . . .' 'His arm,' continues she, meaning by this the power by which He acts of Himself, without the aid of any of His creatures. Mysterious power! . . . . which is exerted in secrecy and in silence until His designs are accomplished. Destruction is at hand when no one has seen it coming; relief is there, and no one had expected it. He leaves His children there in oppression and weakness, so that every man says, 'They are lost!' …. But it is then He is strongest; for where the strength of men ends, there begins that of God. Only let faith wait upon Him.

…. And on the other hand, God permits His adversaries to increase in grandeur and power. He withdraws His support, and suffers them to be puffed up with their own. He empties them of His eternal wisdom, and lets them be filled with their own, which is but for a day. And while they are rising in the brightness of their power, the arm of the Lord is taken away, and their work vanishes as a bubble bursting in the air."* *D'Aubigne's "History of the Reformation," in one volume. Page 229.* E.S.L.

(Gen. 1:and Jno. 20:)

A comparison of these two chapters will reveal much of contrast and much of similarity.

The former affords a perfect picture of the old creation;* the latter gives a no less perfect picture of the new. *The term " old creation," although not quite accurate, is restricted here to the six days' work.*

In Gen. 1:2 we see that what had left the Creator's hand in a perfect condition (comp. 5:i and Is. 45:18) is now desolate-waste ; while in Jno. 20:, first part, we see that man whom He had made upright, made to hold sweet communion with, was so utterly a ruin (tohu-"ruin" is the word used both in Gen. 1:2 and Is. 45:18), that he did not recognize his Creator; even the people He had singled out for Himself, and especially favored, would not have Him.

In Gen. 1:we get physical ruin and creation, as we say; in Jno. 20:we get moral ruin and new creation.

In Gen. 1:2 we read, "And the earth was without form and void, and darkness upon the face of the deep." If we allow " the earth " to typify Israel, and " the deep " to typify the world as such, what could be more desolate or formless than that loved and cared-for people, who, when their Messiah came to them, could say, " Not this Man, but Barabbas" ? and what more dark than the human heart, as manifested at the cross (Jno. 19:) ? But in Gen. 1:2 the Spirit of God hovers over the waters, so in Jno. 20:Jesus does not go instantly to heaven, He Singers, although not a soul to welcome Him as He emerges from His borrowed grave (see Prov. 8:31).

In Gen. 1:God is about to display His wisdom And power in fashioning from those unpromising materials an abode for man, indeed, an abode for Himself, may we not say? In Jno. 20:the blessed Head of the new creation is about to form, out of such materials, "a habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph. 2:22.)

In Gen. 1:there is a sevenfold process, six days of work and the desolate scene is made to blossom and bear fruit, so that on the seventh, He can view it all with perfect satisfaction and rest. In Jno. 20:there is also a sevenfold process, seven utterances of the Risen One, leading on to millennial rest. Marvelous utterances, these first words of the First-born from the dead ! Each utterance, we shall find, corresponding with its numerical place :-

I. " Woman, why weepest thou, whom seekest thou ? "(5:15)

Light has come in. Why did the blessed Lord ask Mary why she wept, and whom she sought? Did He not know? Surely, He did. Why do we ask our children, as they begin to lisp their first word, "Whose dear little baby are you?" but to hear them say, as we well know they will say, " Papa's " or " Mamma's " ?We love to hear those words, and the blessed Lord longed to hear the confession from Mary's lips, "If thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away."How precious to the Lord must have been that threefold confession of "Him" whoso filled her heart!

II."Mary!" (5:16.)

Only one word, but how much is expressed by it !

"He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." (Chap. 10:3.)

"For I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine." (Is. 43:1:)

On the second day of creation, waters were separated from waters. Thus the number 2 is easily read here, speaking of redemption or salvation (see Exodus, second book of Moses), separation to, or relationship, not the ground of it, but imposition, the fact.

She therefore owns Him Master.

III. "Jesus saith unto her, 'Touch Me not ; for I am not yet ascended to My Father:but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.'" (5:17.)

On the third day of creation, dry land appeared, the waters being gathered together, and there was grass, herbs, fruit. The third book of Moses speaks of the sanctuary, of access to God.

3 is the number which speaks of solidity (length, breadth, and thickness); the sanctuary is a cube, as also the holy city-"the length, breadth, and height of it are equal." Jesus arose on the third day; thus it speaks of resurrection and the manifestation of God's power. It is also the number of persons in the Godhead. God thus fully revealed in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

If we take Mary to be typical of the Church, in the chapter we are looking at, the number 3 is very fruitful as showing the Church's place.

(a) She stands on resurrection-ground. Not now linked with an earthly Messiah. She is not to touch Him, for He is not yet ascended to His Father. This implies (b) that her proper contact with Him will be when He has ascended. Meantime she (c) is sent forth to tell where He is gone.

This series of three,-1:e., the first three utterances, gives the Church's place very fully.

Called, chosen, and sent, to speak of Him who has brought her into His own relationship with His Father ' and His God. '

IV. " Peace be unto you." (5:19.)

On the fourth day of creation, the sun, moon, and stars appeared. They were to "rule the day and to rule the night, and to divide the light from the darkness" (see Jno. 8:12; Eph. 5:8).

In the fourth book of Moses, we have the ordering of Jehovah's camp. In this fourth utterance of Jesus, we have a perfect picture of the assembly, viewed from the subjective, or practical side. The assembly is gathered, the world, the religious world, outside, Jesus in the midst, peace is proclaimed, and they are reminded of His death. Peace here, is peace with God, that peace which is made by the blood of His cross.

"Jesus in the midst." "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matt, 18:20.)

On the fourth day of the old creation, the sun was put into his place as center of our planetary system, the solar system,-1:e., his system. And what an important place ! No light, no heat, no day, no summer, no season, no life indeed without the sun; and even night itself would be blacker still without his reflected light. Mercury, Venus, the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all revolve around the sun as their center, who can imagine the ruin which would ensue upon his displacement! There is a lesson for us here of deepest practical importance.

If the number 4 is the first number which allows of simple division, and speaks thus of weakness, yet here we may learn how in our very weakness His strength is made perfect (2 Cor. 12:9 cf. Rom. 6:19), just as on the other hand, in the fourth book of Moses, we see failure on every side where, thinking themselves strong, His people displace 'Him.

V. "Then said Jesus to them again, 'Peace be unto you ; as the Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.' " (V. 21.)

On the fifth day of creation, the waters are made to bring forth abundantly. "And God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and let fowl multiply in the earth' " (Gen. 1:22).

In the fifth book, responsibility is pressed :" Go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers." (Deut. 1:8.)

So here in this fifth utterance of the risen Head of the new creation, we have responsibility, stewardship (comp. chap. 17:18) and the peace of God.

VI. "And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost:whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.' " (10:22, 23.)

On the sixth day God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.

So here, in this sixth utterance of the risen Lord, we get a picture of the Church's privilege and responsibility, leading on to the seventh day, the rest at the end, and how near that end we may be!

" Peace be unto you." (5:26.)

In the old creation, the seventh was the day of rest; here, it speaks of millennial rest, the remnant (Thomas, type of the saved remnant of the Jews at the end of this dispensation), not present till then, comes in at the end. They are unbelieving now, but ere long will see Him, as He comes to the earth, will see His wounds, and will say, " My Lord and my God " (comp. Zech. 13:6; 12:10-14; Rev. 1:7).

VIII." Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (5:29 )

This is the eighth utterance, but like the octave in music, it carries us back to the beginning.

To sum up :-

The first three utterances appear to give the objective side, the Church in His mind. This is perfect in itself. The remaining four give the subjective, man's side(4- earthen vessel).

We have the new day-first day,..vers. i, 19, 26.
new name, …..ver. 16.
new relationship,…ver. 17.
Peace with God, ……..ver. 19.
Peace of God,………ver. 21.
Peace at the end-millennial,…ver. 26. .
I cannot do better in closing this superficial study than use the words of another :-

" Good and precious Savior, we do indeed rejoice that Thou hast now fulfilled all things, and art at rest with Thy Father, whatever may be Thy active love for us. Oh, that we may know and love Thee better ! But still we can say in fullness of heart, Come quickly, Lord ! Leave once more the throne of Thy rest and of Thy personal glory, to come and take us to Thyself, that all may be fulfilled for us also, and that we may be with Thee and in the light of Thy Father's countenance and in His house. Thy grace is infinite, but Thy presence and the joy of the Father shall be the rest of our hearts, and our eternal joy."-(Synopsis, vol. 3:,p. 454.) J.B.J.

AN EXPOSITION OF REVELATION IV.-XXII. PART III.-Continued.

THE TRINITY OF EVIL, AND THE MANIFESTATION OF THE WICKED ONE.

Antichrist.(Chap. 13:11-18.)-Continued.

With this picture in Revelation, we are to connect the prophecies of Antichrist which we have elsewhere in the New Testament, and which we have briefly considered. The apostle John has shown us distinctly that he will deny the Father and the Son,-the faith of Christianity,-and (not that there is a Christ, but) that Jesus is the Christ. He is thus distinctly identified with the unbelief of Israel, as he is impliedly an apostate from the Christian faith, in which character the apostle plainly speaks of him to the Thessalonians. He is a second Judas, " the son of perdition," the ripe fruit of that " falling away " which was to come before the day of the Lord came,-itself the outcome of that " mystery of iniquity " (or "lawlessness") then at work. He is the "wicked," or "lawless one,"-not the sinful woman, the:harlot of Revelation, but the " man of sin."

Every word here claims from us the closest attention-. The sinful woman is still professedly subject to the marry antichristian, because in fact putting herself in Christ's place, claiming a power that is His alone. Nevertheless, she claims it in His name, not in her own. The pope assumes not to be Christ, but the vicar of Christ. The real " man of sin" throws off this womanly subjection. He is no vicar of Christ, but denies that Jesus is the Christ. He sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Yet, even as Christ owns, and brings men to worship, the Father, so Antichrist brings men to worship another, as Revelation has shown us. There is a terrible consistency about these separate predictions, which thus confirm and supplement one another.

We see clearly now that the temple in which he sits is not the Christian church, but the Jewish temple, and how he is linked with the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel and by the Lord, an abomination, which brings in the time of trouble lasting till the Son of Man comes in the clouds of heaven as Savior of Israel and of the world.

The abomination is mentioned three times in Daniel, the only place that is equivocal in its application to the last days being that of the eleventh chapter (5:31). The connection would refer it there to Antiochus Epiphanes, the Grecian oppressor of Israel, who, near the middle of the second century before Christ, profaned the temple with idolatrous sacrifices and impure rites. It is agreed by commentators in general that the whole of the previous part of the chapter details in a wonderful manner the strife of the Syrian and Egyptian kings, in the center of which Judaea lay. From this point on, however, interpreters differ widely. The attempt to apply the rest of the prophecy to Antiochus has been shown by Keil and others to be an utter failure. The time of trouble such as never was, yet which ends with the deliverance of the people (chap. 12:i) corresponds exactly with that which is spoken of in the Lord's prophecy on the mount of Olives ; and the "time, times, and a half" named in connection with the abomination of desolation, and which the book of Revelation again and again brings before us, are alone sufficient to assure us that we have here reached a period future to us to-day. The connection of all this becomes a matter of deepest interest.
That the whole present period of the Christian dispensation should be passed over in Old Testament prophecy is indeed not a new thing to us ; and the knowledge of this makes the leap of so many centuries not incredible. If, however, the "time, times, and a half," or twelve hundred and sixty days, from the setting up of the abomination, contemplate that abomination set up by Antiochus, more than a century and a half before Christ, then the reckoning of this time is an utter perplexity. Yet, what other can be contemplated, when in all this prophecy there is none other referred to ? To go back to chaps, 8:or 9:to find such a reference, overlooking what is before our eyes, would seem out of question. What other solution of the matter is possible?

Now we must remember that the book is shut up and sealed until the "time of the end,"-a term which has a recognized meaning in prophecy, and cannot apply to the times of Antiochus, or to those of the Maccabees which followed them. It assures us once more that the prophecy reaches on to the days of Matt. 24:; and that the abomination of desolation there must be the abomination here. Yet how can it be? Only, surely, in one way:if the application to Antiochus, while true, be only the partial and incipient fulfillment of that which looks on to the last days for its exhaustive one, then indeed all is reconciled, and the difficulty has disappeared. This,«therefore, must be the real solution.

What we have here is only one example of that double fulfillment which many interpreters have long since found in Scripture prophecies, and of which the book of Revelation is the fullest and the most extended. There maybe a question here as to how far the double fulfillment in this case reaches back. With this we have not to do, for we are not primarily occupied with Daniel. It is sufficient for our purpose, if we are entitled to take the abomination of desolation here (as it certainly appears that we are bound to take it,) as in both places the same, and identical with that which we find in the New Testament.

Going an in the eleventh chapter, then, to the thirty-sixth verse, we find the picture of one who may well be the same as the second "beast" of Revelation. If at the first look it might appear so, a further consideration, it is believed, will confirm the thought of this. We must quote the description in full.

"And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished, for that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the Desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honor the god of forces ; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain."

If we take the prophecy as closely connected, at least from the thirty-first verse,-and we have seen that there seems a necessity for this,-then this king is described in his conduct after the abomination of desolation has been set up in the temple ; and this strange, and it might seem contradictory character that is ascribed to him, would seem to mark him out sufficiently, that he sets himself up above every god, and yet has a god of his own. This is exactly what is true of the antichristian second beast :and there can scarcely be another at such a time, of whom it can be true. But let us look more closely.
First, he is a king ; and the place of his rule is clearly, by the connection, in the land of Israel. Thus he fills the identical position of the second beast. Then he does according to his own will, is his own law-"lawless," as in Thessalonians. His self-exaltation above every god naturally connects itself with blasphemy against the God of gods, spite of which he prospers till the indignation is accomplished,-that is, the term of God's wrath against Israel, a determinate, decreed time. This is the secret of his being allowed to prosper, that God wills to use him as a rod of discipline for His people. Israel's sins give power to their adversaries.

The next verse intimates that he is a Jew himself, an apostate one, for he regards not the God of his fathers. It is not natural to apply this to any other than the true God, and then his ancestry is plain. Then too the " desire of women," put as here among the objects of worship, is the Messiah, promised as the "woman's seed." Thus his character comes still more clearly out.

Yet, though thus exalting himself, he has a god of his own, the "god of forces," or "fortresses." And we have seen the second beast's object of worship is the first beast; a political idol, sought for the strength it gives, a worship compounded of fear and greed. Thus it is indeed a god whom his fathers knew not, none of the old gods of which the world has been so full, although the dark and dreadful power behind it is the same :the face is changed, but not the heart.

Indeed strongholds are his trust, and he practices against them with the help of this strange god :this seems the meaning of the sentence that follows. "And whosoever acknowledges him he will increase with glory, and cause him to rule over the multitude, and divide the land for gain."

In all this we find what agrees perfectly with what is elsewhere stated of the "man of sin." There are no doubt difficulties in interpreting this part of Daniel consistently all through, especially in the connection of the "king" here spoken of with the setting up of the abomination in the thirty-first verse. For it is the king of the north who there seems to inspire this; and the king of the north is throughout the chapter the Grecian king of Syria, and the part he plays is clearly that which Antiochus did play. From this it is very natural that it should be conceived (as by some it is) that the king of the north and Antichrist are one. If this were so, it would not alter any thing that has been said as to the application of the prophecy, although there might be a difficulty as to a Grecian prince becoming a Jewish false Christ.

But there is no need for this ; nor any reason that I am aware why the perpetration of the awful wickedness in connection with Jehovah's sanctuary should not be the work of more than even the two beasts of Revelation. It is certainly striking that in chap, 8:, where the rise of this latter-day Grecian power is depicted, the taking away of the daily sacrifice is linked in some way with his magnifying himself against the Prince of the host (5:ii). It may not be positively asserted that it is done by him, (as most translators and interpreters however give it,) yet the connection is so natural, one might almost say, inevitable, that, had we this passage alone, all would take it so. How much more would one think so when the eleventh chapter seems so entirely to confirm this?

Let it be remembered that Greece was one of the provinces of the Roman empire, and as such would seem to be subject to it upon its revival, whether or not the bond with it be broken before the end. Why not a combination of powers and motives in the commission of this last blasphemous crime, even as in the cross Jew and Gentile were linked together?
The instrument is no doubt the antichristian power in Judaea, but the Grecian power may none the less have its full part, and both of these be in subordination to the head of the western empire. F.W.G.

(To be continued,)

Conant’s "History of English Bible Translation."* *May be had at same address as this magazine. Price, 25 cents.* I The above title hardly conveys to the reader the extensiveness and interesting character of the work we are about to commend. We therefore place at the head of this notice the words ''Reformation Times," to call attention to the subject really presented in the book.

To the Scriptures we should turn first of all both for doctrine and instructive history; but the history of the Church is also profitable-full of suggestion, instruction, comfort, warning.

We shall be the better prepared for the fight and furnished for the journey by acquaintance especially with Reformation history; and, as "history repeats itself," acquaintance with one period affords a very full supply of instruction,-above all when that, period is marked by events, under the hand of God, that are among the most interesting and remarkable in the world's history.

History, we know, is a mirror in which we see reflected our. own selves, and the communities in which we live, giving object-lessons illustrating the precious teachings and warnings of the Word. Such, of course, is life to us in general, and all that we meet with and hear and see. "Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets." A fool has no heart for wisdom, and the world is blind to the meaning of its own history; but the lessons are continued nevertheless, and the great examination-day will come, and folly will meet its doom, and God will be glorified in all the records of the past. "A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass on and are punished." (Prov. 22:3.)

"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same things." (Rom. 2:1:) So solemn and weighty are the lessons of history in the light of Scripture.

Wickliffe and his times and Tyndale and his times are really the subjects brought before us in the book of which we speak, only that the author had in mind prominently the history of our English Bible in connection with the sufferings endured by such witnesses, (sufferings of persecution by the malice of Satan, and persecution, in Tyndale's case, to death,) that we might have God's Word in our own tongue. Hence the title, " History of English Bible Translation;"-no mere reference to a work of scholars and students, but a living picture from the pages of history of a deadly conflict like that of David with the Philistine giant. A conflict in which prominently these two men stood up against the enemy when the people of God in general were trembling and ready to flee,-such is the goodness of our God to us.

They were not associated in time :Wickliffe was the pioneer-a hundred and fifty years before the time of Tyndale and the Reformation. Wickliffe had grace from God to stand single-handed for the truth, bearing fearless witness for God and for Christ; and when at last driven from Oxford by persecution to a measure of retirement at Lutterworth, he made diligent use of the occasion to produce the work of his life,-a translation of the Latin Bible into English; so that, under the unerring and merciful providence of God, the apparent diminishing of opportunity, as so often the case, afforded him the real opportunity of his life. But none will wonder at this who know the meaning of the cross, and its results. There, defeat was victory; and on that line God is leading His .people, and will to the end. None can fight against God. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. We have but to stand still, and see the salvation of God.

Tyndale's work, though not greater, was in a yet stormier time, when by the Reformation God was about to give deliverance to His people from an "iron furnace" and from bondage. Things had come to a head, and the conflict the fiercer. Wickliffe's translation was only in manuscript, and from the Vulgate. At this period, the study of Greek had been introduced, and the art of printing. The way was prepared of God, and Tyndale, having forsaken England for Antwerp and Cologne for safety, translated the New Testament into English, and found means by English merchants to send his little messengers back to England.

When we consider the great results that followed the arrival of this little book in the Thames, and the persecution that arose by the heads of church and state, we see tin the part of the enemy the same malice at work behind the scenes that is presented to us in the twelfth chapter of Revelation, where the dragon stands ready to devour the man-child, and on the other hand, for our joy and comfort, the folly of all efforts to hinder the purposes of God. There we may rest with peaceful expectation of the end. As a tender plant is nourished, the providence of God sheltered in the main the silent progress of the truth from Wickliffe's days until the Reformation a hundred and fifty years after, when, we may say, the time for warfare by full-grown men had come, and victory in deadly conflict. If at such a time distress increased, and the awful clamor of the enemy, it was the heat of battle that precedes victory and peace, however defective the results through failure among the faithful themselves.

Wickliffe's work was more preparatory; Tyndale's and Luther's, at a time of more rapidly accomplishing events toward the approaching end. But he that sowed and he that reaped can rejoice together.

Since writing what precedes, an interesting introductory review in a work on revivals* came to notice only to-day,-no doubt, of the Lord. *"Narratives of Remarkable Conversions and Revival Incidents. Review of Revivals from the day of Pentecost to the great awakening in the last century. Rise and progress of the great awakening of 1857-58."*We venture to add an extract in continuance and development of the theme just now briefly suggested in our last few words. Like a bird's-eye view of a country, we get in the following extract a comprehensive and spiritual view of an important era in church history, and an impressive lesson of how God is ever working to an end, however little noticed by men, and even at times by His own.

" Darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people," deepening as if to endless night. It' a star or two appeared, it was only to be quenched apparently in clouds of devastating war. None could see a harbinger or promise of returning day at the period when the secret work of Providence was ripe, and the morning watch came unperceived, and God said, "Let there be light!" Then Wickliffe, the morning star of the Reformation, arose before the dawn, in the fourteenth century, clothed in the light of a reopened Bible. Soon after, in the beginning of the fifteenth, John Huss caught the reflection, and added to it the flame of martyrdom. The revival of letters advanced:twenty-universities arose in less than a hundred years. In the midst of this movement the art of printing was given, imparting an impetus to literature which had been otherwise inconceivable, and providing the swift and subtle agent by which the infant Reformation was to surprise and overpower its great adversary unawares. At the same juncture, the Mohammedan power, overwhelming the eastern metropolis, swept the remnant of Greek learning into Europe. Finally, in and about the last quarter of the same memorable century, Luther, Zwingle, Cranmer, Melancthon, Knox, and Calvin, with other mighty champions of the truth, were born. Little thought the simple mothers what they had in their cradles. But God's time was at hand, and the final preparations for His work were now masked under the form of a few poor men's babes.

"O God, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people,-when Thou didst march through the wilderness, the earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God. . . . The Lord gave the Word; great was the company of those that published it." In the beginning of the sixteenth century, the unlooked-for heralds came, proclaiming free salvation by Christ crucified:first Lefevre, Farel, Briconnet, Chatelain, and their friends in France then Zwinglius in Switzerland:and almost at the same moment, the giant^of the Reformation, Martin Luther, in Germany;-each attended by a host of zealous and able coadjutors both in church and state. Ecolampadius, Melancthon, Calvin-preachers, scholars, princes, and nobles :soon Tyndale, with his printed English Testament in England; Patrick Hamilton, Geo. Wishart, and John Knox in Scotland; John Tausseii in Denmark; John Laski in Poland; Olaus Petri and Laurentius in Sweden; and humbler names without number in every quarter;-all these arose at once, or within little more than a quarter of a century, by the mysterious workings of the Spirit and providence of God, filled Europe with their doctrine, and triumphantly established the truth of the gospel in the countries now protestant within periods varying from ten to fifty years-from the date of this marvelous uprising.

Much, indeed, of what is commonly called "the Reformation" belongs to a kingdom that is only of this world. Political power and ambition, political alliance and protection, political means .and appliances, were the bane of its spirituality and purity; and while these elements seemed indeed to preserve it from extinction, it is probable that in some cases, a's in France, they were also its ruin. The struggle for liberty beginning in the struggle for divine truth, was long identified with it, and fastened its changing fortunes upon the cause of the gospel. The progress of the kingdom of Christ through this stormy chaos of good and evil is what all can witness but none clearly trace, save the all-wise Being who directs both the operation and the result. Now, however, the confusion is measurably cleared; the vexed elements have gradual!)7 settled and separated; the contradiction in nature which severs the heavenly from all earthly kingdoms begins to be apprehended, and we can contemplate the Reformation proper in distinction from the mere politico-religious changes attached to it. To contemplate this pure heavenly object, we must seek it in the hearts of God's people. Eminent illustrations of its power and quality will be found in another part of this volume, exhibiting the essence of the Reformation, which history cannot represent. So much of the historical Reformation was the mere creation, or rather fiction, of law, that the measure of true religious improvement effected in the Protestantized churches is often left extremely dubious. But here, in the inner life, whose records are preserved to us, we have veritable unambiguous substance. Here is the revived power of the doctrine of the cross of Christ:here is the secret of a revolution equal, and we may hope more than equal, to that which in a similar length of time (three centuries) had at first broken the power of paganism as that of popery is now broken, and placed Christianity on the throne of the Caesars. Here is once more a supernatural wonder, an operation of the Holy Ghost,-in common language, a revival, a restoration of life, a spiritual resurrection, of the most amazing and glorious character. Scarcely less sudden and overwhelming than the descent of Pentecost, with the subsequent general spreading of the gospel by Paul, and perhaps hardly inferior to the same in the multitude of its converts and the number and piety of its martyrs, while to all appearance beyond comparison with it in the permanence of its impulse and the magnitude of its immediate fruits. It is identified with the primitive revival in its central principle- Christ crucified, and closely resembles it as a spiritual springtime awakening at the word of God out of the profoundest depth of wintry desolation; but not without a patient sowing of precious seed long previous, and an unconscious softening and preparation of the common heart by divine Providence. The reforming preachers came to a people long involved in night; but it had been a night of storm and tempest,-no stagnant, putrescent, Asiatic calm. The mass, of men were strangers to leisure for luxurious vices and corrupt philosophies:their minds were vigorous, simple, and earnest; neither were they hardened by habit to a disregarded gospel. The excessive wickedness in high places, which had almost blotted out the memory of true Christianity, had saved the common people from that most deadly, depraving, and indurating form of sin, the disbelief and contempt of revealed truth and a crucified Savior. The news of such a Savior once announced, flew like the winds among " a people prepared for the Lord " more perfectly than we can guess, by the very miseries of their state; and being welcomed with exultation, were cherished with a tenacity which death and torture could not relax.

Let us notice the solemn truth of the words, "that most deadly, depraving, and indurating form of sin, the disbelief and contempt of revealed truth and a crucified Savior." This the people at large, then, were not ruled by. But how is it now? If then the people were "prepared for the Lord," are they not now, in pride and folly, being prepared for Satan and apostasy? Let the leaders of thought be warned of their wickedness, and of the judgment of God. May His grace prevail mightily in hearts mislead, ere the darkness of night and the woes of judgment are upon them. E.S.L.

Q. 2.- "Please explain Mark 13:32, last clause. Why did not the Son know?"

Ans. – It was as Son of Man that our Lord knew not the day and hour of the judgments and the setting up of His kingdom. Mark, as we know, gives us the Lord as Servant, and it is in beautiful harmony with this view of Him that He is ignorant of the "times and seasons which the Father has put in His own power." In Phil. 2:we see how He who was in the form of God, that is, was divine, did not for this reason think it robbery, or rather, something to be grasped and held fast, to be equal with God – equal in the glory of position, in the glory of His person, He ever was and will be equal with God. He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant. That is what we have in this verse – the Son in the place of the servant and prophet of God and as such knowing only what the Father was pleased to make known to Him.

Q. 3.-Mark 13:35. "Has the Lord here divided this dispensation into watches? If so, how are they to be seen?"

Ans.-While the language might seem to refer to several clearly marked epochs in the dispensation, is it not likely that the Lord simply uses the various watches of the night to press home the all-important need of being ready whenever He might come? At the same time the midnight has doubtless passed, and indeed the cock-crowing,-sign of approaching day, has been heard. All about us points to the solemn yet blessed fact that " the night is far spent, and the day is at hand." If the apostle John could say in his day, "It is the last hour,'" how much more can it be said now?

Q. 1.-Luke 12:58. "Who is the adversary? and who is the magistrate, and the judge, and the officer?

Ans.-In the similar passage in Matt. 5:25, the "magistrate " is not mentioned, and I do not know that in this verse he differs necessarily from the judge, unless it be a more general term. The subject here is Israel, to whom the times should have indicated that judgment was impending. The "adversary,"-the law, "even Moses in whom ye trust"-was bringing them to the ruler or judge-God, the judge of His people. John the Baptist, and our Lord Himself, had been preaching as the adversary or legal accuser of the people, showing them their sins and calling them to repentance. But while this was the case Israel was only "on the way to the magistrate," there was yet time to be "reconciled" by repentance and acceptance of Christ as Messiah. This they refused to do, rejecting our Lord and delivering Him over to be put to death by the Gentiles. So the prediction of the Lord has been fulfilled:they have been delivered to the judge-judicially dealt with by God, who has handed them over to the " officer," or executor of His will-any instrument He may see fit to use, in this case, the Gentiles, by whom the Jews have been oppressed ever since. They will continue in " prison "-under the judicial dealings of God-till they have passed through the full measure of retributive judgment under the earthly government of God, culminating in "the great tribulation," after which God will speak comfortably to Jerusalem for she will have "received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."

IV.

Before going on to the fifth covenant, a brief further consideration of the fourth may be called for, to bring the more clearly before the mind the real correspondence between the subject of this covenant and its numerical position. Let us look at the predictions as to Abram's descendants. "And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. And He said unto Abram, 4 Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years. . . . And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.' And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces." (Gen. 15:12.)

In this, we have a wilderness testing and experience, corresponding to what is recorded in Numbers, the fourth book of Moses, which records the wilderness-journey of Israel; the " great and terrible wilderness " corresponding also to the captivity in Babylon, as recorded in Daniel, which, as shown in recent teaching, is a fourth book in the prophetical Pentateuch. As a type, this terrible experience of four hundred years and four generations tells us of the present time of Israel's exile and dispersion, which will end with their final everlasting regathering to their land at the Lord's appearing. This vision is seen when the sun had gone down and it was dark-the condition of Israel and of the world while the Lord delays His return. In the meanwhile, there is the furnace, and the lamp passing between the pieces of the sacrifice. All is secured to God's people, above all their failure, by the cross ; and yet God must deal with them in all the trials of the wilderness-journey and experience, that they may know Him in His holy character, and that His word alone can guide them. " Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire." (Heb. 12:28, 29.) So in Daniel we have the furnace, and in i Peter, the fourth part of the New-Testament Pentateuch, we have the "furnace" and the "fiery trial."

All is in beautiful harmony, and deeply impressive.

The world-number 4 ("the four quarters of the earth," Rev. 20:8) is stamped upon this lesson. Whether Israel in Egypt, or in the wilderness, or in Babylon, or now in their long exile, or the Church of God now, His people must ever learn their own hearts, and God's power and holiness and love as they pass through the world to the promised inheritance. The sun has gone down. It is dark indeed. But we have the lamp-the "burning lamp,"-"a cloud and darkness " to the world, but " light by night" to us. (Ex. 14:20.)

Let us remember the words of the wilderness-apostle of the New Testament:"Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ " (i Pet. 1:6.)

The world is an awful scene, and it intervenes between God's chosen ones and their rest and glory at last. We can understand Abram's "horror of great darkness," and compare it with Daniel's night-visions," and his "cogitations " that " much troubled " him, and his " fainting," and "being sick." (Dan. 7:13, 28 and 8:27.) "The whole creation groaneth," and " we ourselves groan within ourselves," awaiting the realization of our hope. "But we reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed to us." The sorrow and distress is no secret; but the end is sure and near, and the Lord Himself has gone before. This cheers us-draws out our hearts-gives courage. The ark was in advance as they entered the Jordan that they might see it; and so we must see Jesus as having gone on before, and through all, into God's presence for us, that we may have a strength and courage to follow that is not our own. " It is God that worketh in us." Notice the exhortation that introduces this fourth covenant (Gen. 15:i)-"Fear not, Abram :I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." Let us face what remains for us of the wilderness way in the power and joy of this word, " Fear not." Just because God is for us.

V. The fifth covenant brings before us (Gen. 17:), consistently with the meaning of this number, responsibility. "Thou shall keep My covenant." (5:9.) "Walk before Me, and be thou perfect." (5:1:) "Every man-child among you shall be circumcised." (5:10.) How prominently man figures here! and it is here that Abram gets his new name, by the addition (as noticed by another,) of a fifth letter, and that the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. He is now Abraham, a father of many nations :fruitfulness in responsibility. And if the five fingers of the hand speak of this responsibility, and the four fingers, helped by the firmness of the thumb, tell of man in weakness dependent on the One who has power, how clearly is this before us in this fifth covenant!-Abraham ninety years old and nine, "as good as dead" (Heb. 11:12), and He who speaks to him is "the almighty God." How could the meaning of the number be more strikingly illustrated, both as to responsibility and the way in which alone man can fulfill it-weakness leaning upon Him who has promised, judging Him faithful. "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable." (Heb. 11:12.) And so we are exhorted (Heb. 10:23), "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He is faithful that promised."

May this secret of victory and peace and joy be ever with us. It is the Lord Almighty who has called us into the path of lowly but fearless obedience. He has promised to be a Father to us, and we His sons and daughters. (2 Cor. 6:) If we are to realize this precious relationship, we must pay diligent heed to His call. May it be ours to do so each day, and in all things. Infinite will be our gain and great the reward. (Heb. 10:35.) He is faithful that promised, and He is the Lord Almighty. It is before Him we are to walk.

It is important to note that just where responsibility is the theme, circumcision is enjoined as an absolute necessity. Let us carefully ponder this. When we are awakened to a sense of obligation to serve God, our impulse is to trust in ourselves. Hence we must learn that to trust in ourselves is to trust in the flesh; so, on the other hand, to deny the flesh is to not trust in ourselves, and that in everything, at every step, in things great and small. Dependence-looking up-the sense of weakness-cleaving to the Lord constantly and continuously,-that is, faith ever in exercise–walking by faith and not by sight.

It is not a task to perform-a legal effort, but a principle according to which we are to live-to endure as seeing Him who is invisible. It is the power of the Spirit, leading us in truth and righteousness. "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." Never can we take a step by faith without finding that God is most surely with us in power and blessing. He is "the almighty God ;" we are to walk before Him, and to be perfect.

"In whom ye are circumcised, . . . in the putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ." " Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God." " Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth-fornication, unclean-ness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness(or unbridled desire), which is idolatry; for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience."

We are the "elect of God, holy, and beloved." E.S.L.

(To be continued.)

When Dathan and Abiram (Num. 16:) were acting out their rebellion against Moses as leader (type of Christ in His kingly authority), they let slip the secret of their thought both about the land of Egypt they had left, and the wilderness they were in. "Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of the land 'that floweth with milk and honey?" What a description to give of that land of brick-kiln bondage and divine judgments! How rebellion blinds the eyes! Whenever self-will is at work, the world, in some form or other, becomes the attraction, rather than Canaan:so that in the case before us, the very attractions of that land of promise are given to Egypt-Heaven's blessings ascribed to earth, not so uncommon in these days. As to the wilderness, Moses was going to kill them. It was not the place through which they were hurrying on to a rest sure and prepared; rather it was a place to die in-its dreary wastes marked their horizon, and there was no faith to see beyond. How different the view of faith! However trying and terrible the wilderness might be, springs are found in it, the valley of Baca becomes a well, and water ever flows from that Rock which follows them, "and that Rock was Christ;" while beyond it lies that land-not very far distant to its vision-which is " the glory of all lands." This is the normal attitude of the child of God; but let self-will get to work, and how soon all comforts flee, and we find out how true that word is, " The rebellious dwell in a dry land." Rebellion is against God's authority. It may be direct, as in Jonah's case, but far oftener it is concealed beneath the resistance, apparently, of the human instrument who makes known God's will. But God marks it, and when His Word is refused, no matter by whom presented, that marks rebellion in its essence. Blinded by prejudice, the person resists, he says, the man who bears the message, but he is really despising not man but God, who will most surely deal with him.

But perhaps the subtlest form of rebellion is that of resisting self-will by self-will. Here is Diotrephes acting with a high hand, and we resist him with a high hand,- we fight him with his own weapons. Now will in action is rebellion; for submission to God is ever our part, no matter how great the provocation may be. Need we be surprised, then, that the result of strife is dryness? If we were more honest with ourselves, doubtless much that passes for righteous zeal and care for the Lord's honor, is only self-will, and in the things of God what can be worse? But call it by what name we please, the tell-tale barrenness shows what is the matter. I have been unjustly dealt with by a brother, and I am applying Matt, 18:to him, but I lose in my own soul the sense of God's presence, because I am not seeking His will, but self-vindication. Or the person toward whom I may be thus acting resents my treatment, and he too, instead of learning God's mind in allowing this trial (even if wrongly dealt with) to come on him, lets self assert itself and we are both rebellious and of course in a dry land. Nothing but subjection to God will do, under all circumstances of trial, whether sickness, disappointment, misrepresentation or whatever may make life bitter and hard. How our
blessed Lord ever bowed to His Father, taking even the cup of death not from the hands of His enemies, but from the One whom it was His meat and drink to serve. No trial but would yield the " peaceable fruits of righteousness," if we received it from a Father's hand of love, in true submission to Him. Ah! if we saw God in it all.

Is there not in this a call to many individuals, to many assemblies of God's people as well ? Who will heed it, and look away from all second causes to God, in imitation of Him who could say, " The Lord God hath opened Mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away My back. I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheek to them that plucked off the hair:I hid not My face from shame and spitting" ?

AN EXPOSITION OF REVELATION IV.-XXII. PART III.-Continued.

THE TRINITY OF EVIL, AND THE MANIFESTATION OF THE WICKED ONE.

Antichrist. (Chap. 13:11-18.)

Along with the resurrection of the imperial power, we are now shown in the vision the uprise of another "wild beast," which we have nowhere else brought before us in this character. We shall have, therefore, more attentively to consider the description given, and what means we have for identification of the power or person who is described, so that the prophecy may be brought out of the isolation which would make it incapable of interpretation, and may speak at least with its full weight of moral instruction for our souls.

The one seen is "another wild beast," and this character is clear enough. The empires of Daniel are "beasts," in that they know not God; the thought of the wild beast adds to this that savage cruelty, which will, of course, display itself against those who are God's. Inasmuch as the other beasts are powers-empires,-it would seem as if here too were a power, royal or imperial; but this would not be certain, unless confirmed by other intimations.

It is seen rising up out of the earth, and not out of the sea. The latter symbol evidently applies to the nations, _the Gentiles; does not then this power rise out of the nations? It has been thought to mean a settled state of things into which the nations now had got,-a state of things unlikely at the period we are considering, and which would seem rather imageable as quiet water, than as "earth." Looking back to that first chapter of Genesis, in which we should surely get the essential meaning of these figures, and where typically the six days reveal the story of the dispensations on to the final Sabbath-rest of God, we shall find the earth, in its separation from the waters on the third day, speaking of Israel as separated from the Gentiles.* *See " Genesis in the light of the New Testament," or " The Numerical Bible."* If this be true interpretation, as I doubt not, it is an Israelitish power with which we are here brought face to face. Political events today look to a Jewish resurrection, as something in the near future scarcely problematical. Daniel's words (chap. 12:i) which apply to this, make it sure that this will not be all of God, but that "some" will rise "to shame and everlasting contempt. " Prophecies that we have already to some extent considered, intimate that Jewish unbelief is yet to unite with an apostasy of Christendom, and culminate in a "man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (2 Thess. 2:3, 4.) Thus we may be prepared to find here a blasphemous persecuting power rising up in the restored nation. And this may help us to the awful significance of what follows in Revelation-"and he had two horns like a lamb, and spake as a dragon."

"Two horns like a lamb:" the "Lamb" is a title so significant in the present book, nay, of such controlling significance, that any reference to it must be considered of corresponding importance. The two horns, then, are of course an intimation that the power exercised by the one before us-for the "horn " is a well-known symbol of power-is two-fold, in some sense like that of a lamb:how then? What is the twofold character of the power here? It seems as if there could be but one meaning:Christ's power is twofold, as manifested in the day that comes; He is a priest upon the throne,"-a royal Priest, with spiritual authority as well as kingly. This the blasphemous usurper before us will assume; and this manifests him, without possibility of mistake that one can see, as ANTICHRIST.

He is betrayed by His voice:his speech is that of a dragon; he is inspired, in fact, by Satan. There is no sweet and gracious message upon His lips. It is not He who has been man's burden-bearer, and the sinner's Savior. No gentleness and meekness, but the tyranny of the destroyer; no heavenly wisdom, but Satan's craft, utters itself through him. Arrogant as he is, he is the miserable tool of man's worst enemy, and his own.

" And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast in his presence." He -is the representative of the newly constituted empire of the west, not locally merely, but throughout it; and thus, as-standing for another, he is still the awful mockery of Him who is on the throne of the world, the Father's representative. This is developed by the next words to its full extent:"and he causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed; and he doeth great signs, so that he maketh fire to descend from heaven upon the earth before men." Here the very miracle which Elijah once had wrought to turn back the hearts of apostate Israel to the true God he is permitted to do to turn men to a false one. Men are given up to be deceived:God is sending them (as it is declared in Thessalonians) "strong delusion, that they may believe the lie . . . because they received not the love of the truth." The Word of God, announcing this beforehand, would, of course, be the perfect safeguard of those that trusted it; and this very miracle as it would appear, would be a sign to the elect, not of Christ, but of Antichrist. But to the men that dwell upon the earth, a moral characteristic distinguishing those who as apostate from Christianity have given up all their hope of heaven, and who are all through this part specially pointed out, heaven itself would seem to seal the pretensions of the deceiver. "And he deceiveth the dwellers upon the earth, by means of the signs which it was given him to do in the presence of the beast, saying to the dwellers upon earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the wound by the sword and lived. And it was given him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause those that would not worship the image of the beast to be slain."

Is an actual image of the beast intended here ? or is it some representative of imperial authority, such as the historical interpreters in general (though in various ways) have made it out to be? Against the latter thought there is in itself no objection, but rather the reverse, the book being so symbolical throughout. But it is the second beast itself that is the representative of the authority of the first beast; and on the other hand an apparent creation-miracle would not be unlikely to be attempted by one claiming to be divine. Notice, that it is not" life " he gives to it, as in the common version, nor "spirit," though the word may be translated so, but "breath," which as the alternative rendering is plainly the right one, supposing it be a literal image.

Our Lord's words as to the " abomination of desolation standing in the holy place" (Matt. 24:15), are in evident connection with this, and confirm this thought. " Abomination " is the regular word in the Old Testament, to express what idolatry is in the sight of God; but here it is established in what was but awhile before professedly His temple. For until the middle of Daniel's seventieth week, from the beginning of it, sacrifice and oblation have been going on among the returned people in Jerusalem. This was under the shelter of the covenant with that Gentile " prince" of whom the prophet speaks as the " coming one." At first, he is clearly therefore not inspired with the malignity toward God which he afterwards displays. Now, energized by Satan, from whom he holds his throne, and incited by the dread power that holds Jerusalem itself, he makes his attack upon Jehovah's throne itself, and as represented by this image, takes his place in defiance in the sanctuary of the Most High.

The connection of this prophecy with those in Daniel and in Matthew make plain the reason of the image being made and worshiped. The head of the Roman earth, and of this last and worst idolatry, is not in Judaea, but at Rome; and he who is in Judaea, of whatever marvelous power possessed, is yet only the delegate of the Roman head. Thus the image is made to represent this supreme power, and the worship paid to it is in perfect accordance with this. Here in Judaea, where alone now there is any open pretension to worship the true God,-here there is call for the most decisive measures. And thus the death-penalty proclaimed for those who do not worship. Jerusalem is the center of the battle-field, and here the opposition must be smitten down. "And he causeth all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and bond, that they should give them a mark upon their right hand and upon their forehead, and that no one should be able to buy or sell except he have the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

Thus, then, is that "great tribulation" begun of which the Lord spoke in His prophecy in view of the temple. We can understand that the only hope while this evil is permitted to have its course is, that flight to the mountains which He enjoins on those who listen to His voice. Israel have refused that sheltering wing under which He would have so often gathered them, and they must be left to the awful "wing of abominations" (Dan. 9:27, Heb.) on account of which presently the "desolator" from the north swoops down upon the land. Still His pity whom they have forsaken has decreed a limit, and "for His elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days."

Why is it that breath is given to the image ? Is it in defiance of the prophet's challenge of the "dumb idols,"' which "speak not through their mouth"? Certainly to make an image speak in such a place against the Holy One would seem the climax of apostate insolence. But it only shows that the end is indeed near.

What can be said of the " number of the beast " ? The words, " Here is wisdom :let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast," seem directly to refer to those whom Daniel calls "the wise," or "they that understand among the people," of whom it is said, concerning the words of the vision "closed up and sealed till the time of the end," that "none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand." The "wise," or "they that understand," are in Hebrew the same word- the maskilim, and remind us again of certain psalms that are called maskil psalms, an important series of psalms in this connection, four of which (52:-55:) describe the wicked one of this time and his following; while the thirty-second speaks of forgiveness and a hiding-place in God, the forty-second comforts those cast out from the sanctuary, and the forty-fifth celebrates the victory of Christ, and His reign, and the submission of the nations. Again, the seventy-fourth pleads for the violated sanctuary; the seventy-eighth recites the many wanderings of the people from their God; the seventy-ninth is another mourning over the desolation of Jerusalem; the eighty-eighth bewails their condition under a broken law; and the eighty-ninth declares the "sure mercies of David. The hundred and forty-second is the only other maskil psalm.
Moll may well dispute Hengstenberg's assertion that these psalms are special instruction for the Church. On the other hand, the mere recital of them in this way may convince us how they furnish the very key-note to Israel's condition in the time of the end, and may well be used to give such instruction to the remnant amid the awful scenes of the great tribulation. In Revelation, it will not be doubtful, I think, to those who will attentively consider it, that we have in this place a nota bene for the maskilim.

Can we say nothing, then, as to the number of the beast ?

As to the individual application, certainly, I think, nothing. We cannot prophesy; and until the time comes, the vision in this respect is "sealed up." The historical interpreters, for whom indeed there should be no seal, if their interpretation be the whole of it, generally agree upon Lateinos (the Latin), which has, however, an e too much, and therefore would make but 661. Other words have been suggested, but it is needless to speak of them :the day will declare it.

Yet it does not follow but that there may be something for us in the number of significance spiritually. The 6 thrice repeated, while it speaks of labor and not rest,-of abortive effort after the divine 7, declares the evil in its highest to be limited and in God's hand. This number is but, after all, we 'are told, "the number of a man;" and what is man ? He may multiply responsibility and judgment; but the Sabbath is God's rest, and sanctified to Him:without God, he can have no Sabbath. This 6,6,6, is the number of a man who is but a beast, and doomed. F.W.G.

(To be continued.)

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works." (Heb. 10:24.) "If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." (Gal. 6:1:) "For consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Heb. 12:3.)

In these passages, three objects are presented for our consideration:our brother, ourselves, and the Lord. Cain's question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" is for the child of God answered in the first verse quoted-"Let us consider one another."We are not only members of His body (Eph. 5:30), and quoted to our glorified Head, but from that very fact are members one of another, and are to have the same care one for another (i Cor. 12:) Indifference to his brother's spiritual condition is impossible for the Christian. " If one member suffer, all the members suffer with it." Selfish indeed is that heart which has room only for its own interests, that sees unmoved by concern the coldness or failure of a fellow-Christian. Such a state of itself is proof of a low condition. We are to consider one another, and this not in a merely incidental way in passing, but to thoroughly look at and examine the condition. This is the thought conveyed in the word in the Greek. It is the boast of Rome that in the confessional, she gains a full and intimate knowledge of the walk, and even thoughts, of her followers. But here, as in much else, she has only the counterfeit of what is true. The tyranny, insolence, and wickedness of the confessional cannot be too strongly condemned; but a counterfeit must, in some particulars, resemble the real,-and Protestantism, in exalting the right of private conscience, has gone to the other extreme in the almost total neglect of discipline, and godly care for one another. Farthest removed from the spirit of a prying busy-body is that loving and watchful care suggested by the passage we are considering. The object of this care is also stated:"To provoke unto love and good works." The word translated "provoke" is suggestive. The literal meaning is "to sharpen," and we are reminded of that passage, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." (Prov. 27:17.) It is by rubbing two knives together that they are sharpened, and so godly care and intercourse stir up the people of God. Love and good works are what we are to provoke to, the root and the fruits. Alas! we know what it is to provoke to anger, but how little of this kind of stirring up ! The Lord arouse us all to this. There may be real self-denial required to carry it out. Rebuke may be necessary, faithfully pointing out the wrong, checking the hasty zeal; and much wisdom and prayer is needed.

This we find in the second exhortation, "Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." A busy-body might be defined as one who meddles in the affairs of others without any conscience. In morbid physical conditions a person will eat earth, or ashes, with relish. Alas! how great an appetite many have for evil, not to remedy it', but apparently for its own sake! Now the remedy for this is suggested in the passage before us, "Considering thyself." What am I? What have I been doing? What am I capable of doing? These and such like searching questions will have the effect of giving us " low thoughts of self;" we will "each esteem others better than ourselves." Considering himself, the apostle could say, "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints." It has often been remarked that if we are to wash our brother's feet, we are to take a lower place than he-to be his servant; we can only do this as we realize that we also may be tempted, that we have often failed. Beloved, how little fault-finding there would be if we first considered ourselves ! How little of that carping spirit of criticism which magnifies the errors of a brother, and dwells upon evil! How little of that harsh inflexible spirit of so-called righteousness which will exact the "pound of flesh" at all costs! The severest judges are those who do not judge themselves. Even in a matter requiring discipline, God often has first to humble those who would act for Him. See in Judges, where He permits all eleven tribes, who would deal with Benjamin for permitting terrible sin, to be beaten once and again, until thoroughly broken they come with tears and sacrifices, and ask, " Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother? (Judg. 20:26-28.) Now they are in the place of acknowledged weakness, and from that go forth in power for God. In principle, the Lord often has to say to us, "Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone." This does not mean that we are not to attempt the restoration of a brother, but that it must be done in the spirit of self-consideration, or it will be worse than useless.

Lastly, we are to "consider Him." The word here is much stronger than the other two. It might be rendered " reckon up," " reason about fully," " consider attentively." No mere glance at the Lord is necessary, but a fixed and constant gaze. Here He is set before us in view of the trials and persecutions of the way. What did He do ? did He grow weary and faint? Nay, "For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross and despised the shame." If He were ever before us, our walk would be more like His, unswerving from the path. How easily we are turned away by a frown, or a sneer! Specially is this the case in what we are considering-our dealings with our brother. The flesh in him stirs it up in us often times in a way that shows we are not "considering Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself." What meekness He showed in the presence of those who spat upon, smote Him on the head and buffeted Him! No word of self-vindication in any angry way, no answering back, all shows us the One who "was led as a lamb to the slaughter," and who "left us an example that ye should follow His steps. . . . Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously." If He did this in presence of sinners can we not bear the little we may meet with in saints f There is no excuse for us, if we fail in this-and it is just, here where so much hurt and damage, not only to our own souls but to the Church, has come in. How blessed it is that the Holy Spirit would ever keep our eye on Christ, from the first time when we looked to Him lifted up on the cross (Jno. 3:15) and got life and peace, in every trial and step of the way, till no longer by faith, but face to face we see Him, having been made like Him. In view of that day, we can well afford to wait in patience and weakness during this "little while."

There is a strange resemblance between these journeys through Protestant Germany, and Wesley's journeys, fifty years later, through Protestant England. We have the same stories related of mobs and riots, of peltings with stones and mud, of indignant magistrates and clergy, and of many and true conversions to God.

When the burgomaster at Duisburg desired the chief magistrate to seize the preacher and stop the preaching, the magistrate astonished him by the answer, "It would be better to stop the drinking and reveling and gambling than the preaching of God's Word."

The burgomaster, however, summoned Hochmann to give an account of himself, which he readily did. " This I confess to thee," he said, " that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets, and have hope toward God that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust."

A preacher who was present then charged Hochmann with various offenses, amongst them, that he refused to meet any at the Lord's table who were not, according to him, born again; also, that he neglected the services in the churches.

Hochmann answered, "The preachers are in the habit of preaching open blasphemy, falsehoods, and errors, therefore I no longer go to the churches, for if I did, I must stand up and protest."

"The Church," proceeded Hochmann, "can only consist of living members of Christ, and children of God, to be recognized by the mark of love. But no remains of the true worship of God is now to be found, either amongst Lutherans or Reformed. Therefore, according to the epistle to the Corinthians, from such assemblies we must withdraw."

"What religion do you belong to in that case?" asked the preacher.

"We belong to Christ, the Head of the Church," replied Hochmann, "and to no sect."

"The king of Prussia desires to unite the Lutheran and Reformed churches," said some one who was present.

" I desire to belong to those who are united by the Lord Jesus Christ," said Hochmann.

The end of the matter was, that Hochmann was forbidden to preach, and the clergy preached loudly against him. In consequence, crowds came in increasing numbers to hear the preaching of Hochmann.

At Wesel, in the winter of 1709-10, these crowded meetings lasted often a great part of the night. Here again Hochmann was summoned before the town council. He had written a letter to the preachers of Wesel, in which he had said that at the Reformation, Great Babylon had not fallen, but had been divided into three parts-Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed. He had asked the preachers to search and try whether they were the true anointed priests of the Lord-whether God Himself, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the glorified Head of the Church, had sent them to preach His blessed gospel.

The description already given of the Lutheran and Reformed clergy will prove that there was sufficient need for such questions. The witness of Spener, himself a Lutheran pastor, may also be given in this place.

"The art of preaching," he says, " is taught to the students of theology, as if this were the sum and substance of all that is needed for them. It is as though all were under a spell of enchantment, which blinds them to every thing but the art of elaborate discourse, leaving them perfectly unconcerned as to the matter respecting which they are to speak. They are like people absorbed in the art of making artistic and ornamental shoes, entirely forgetting to inquire where the leather is to come from, or, indeed, whether leather is needed at all, so that for the leather they have to go begging and borrowing, and failing to obtain it, stitch together the most elegant shoes of paper, parchment, or other useless materials."

" It is not to be wondered at," writes Dr. Hoffmann, after thus quoting Spener, "that the Lutheran church at that time, looked at from almost every point of view, presented the appearance of a vast ruin. The schools and universities, devoid of the spirit of piety, intent rather on heathen than on Christian learning, had become the abode of coarse lawlessness and wild extravagance, producing a fair stock of theological prize-fighters, of correct orthodoxy, and of stiff pedants, but few men of Christian piety fit to teach or guide the people committed to their care.

"On the contrary, the ignorance, the coarseness, the disreputable lives of most of the preachers, had an effect disastrous to the last degree, in corrupting society at large, already demoralized enough by the effect of the Thirty Years' War. Drunkenness, rancorous lawsuits, profligacy, and beggary gained ground every where, accompanied by just such a trust in a pharisaical religion of ceremonial works as the Protestants had so loudly condemned in the Roman Catholics.

"To receive the sacrament, quite apart from any effect upon the inner life, was regarded as a means of salvation; and, as one of the most excellent of the earth at that time expressed it, 'Modern Christianity has four dumb idols- the font, the pulpit, the confessional, the altar. Men put their whole trust in an outside Christianity ; that they are baptized, that they go to church, that they get absolution, that they take the sacrament; but as to the inward power, they utterly deny it.' "

It was considered necessary that a preacher should be a theologian. That he should be a Christian in heart and life was of small importance.

"Miserable theology!" wrote Witsius, himself educated as a theologian, "good for nothing but to hide from men the knowledge of their wretchedness, and thereby to keep them at a distance from Christ and from their eternal salvation."

For Hochmann's letter to the preachers he was called to account. He said that in writing these things he had but directed them to Jesus their Savior, exhorting them to believe in Him whilst yet it is called "To-day."

" No one preaches or teaches here without being ordained," said the burgomaster.
Hochmann replied, he could take his orders from none but Christ, and that he was constrained by the Holy Spirit to take every opportunity of bringing souls to Him -if hundreds, or thousands, so much the better. The burgomaster, after consulting with the town council, gave his final sentence :Since Hochmann belonged to no recognized sect, and since he was about to betake himself to the unorthodox territory of Wittgenstein, he must be banished from Wesel.

He wrote from his hermitage to the preachers of Wesel that he was praying earnestly for them, that instead of having their heads filled with theology, they might have their hearts filled with the love of Jesus, and that they might be thoroughly converted ; for it grieved him deeply that they should attempt to teach others the way of salvation, whilst they did not know it themselves, nor see that a man must be born again before he can enter the kingdom of God.

If Hochmann made many enemies during his journeys, he also made many friends, beside the counts of Wittgenstein and their families, who were deeply attached to him.

One friend, with whom he often spent a few days, describes his little visits with love and affection. "Hochmann," he says, " was very simple and retiring in his daily life. When he stayed with friends, he generally remained quietly in his bedroom all the forenoon, unless he was called for. After dinner he devoted himself to any friends who were there, and talked with them about the things of God and heaven, with much blessing to those who heard him. If a stranger came in, it was his custom to hold out his hand and say, in a manner most tender and loving, 'Do you too love the Lord Jesus?'

" Otherwise he spoke very little, and in all his ways and habits he gave the impression that he was living in a holy seclusion, in the continual presence of God. He took little notice of outward things, much less did he interest himself in any thing apart from God, and in worldly news. But he had no appearance of any forced silence or reserve. On the contrary, he always had a cheerful, unburdened spirit, and, at the same time, a perfectly well-bred and loving manner toward all.

"And because his whole inner occupation and object was this, to penetrate by love into the inmost depths of the sweetness and the love of the heart of God, and because his whole soul was so deeply buried, as it were, in that love, embalmed in it, and filled with it, no outward crosses and persecutions seemed to move or disturb him. He was dead to himself, and dependent as a little child upon God.

" And this fountain of the spirit of Christ being thus unsealed to him, the living waters flowed forth from him; and in the watered garden of his heart all manner of pleasant fruits and flowers grew and ripened and blossomed to the glory of God, and to the refreshment and for the sweet perfume of others of the Lord's members.

Such was Hochmann. And as years went by, it seemed the stillness and the rest of his Friedensburg softened and stilled his spirit, and made him seem, it was said, as one already glorified. He spent much time in prayer, and became more deeply humble and loving as he drew nearer to the end of his pilgrimage. For a while we will leave him in his peaceful hermitage, and return to the restless, pleasure-loving, but unsatisfied boy, now sent forth from his home into the busy life of Mulheim.

(From "The Quiet in the Land.")

(2 Chron. 14:-16:)

I. (CHAP. 14:1-8.) Asa began his reign brightly. Receiving the kingdom from his father Abijah, he first purged it of all those evils allowed and practiced by that strange mixture of sudden outbursts of faith, coupled with a walk in the ways of his father Rehoboam (I Kings 15:compared with 2 Chron. 13:). In passing, it is well to notice that while all that is good in Abijah is spoken of, Scripture fails to state that he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, the usual designation of the " good kings." His case, like that of many others, rests with Him who alone knows the secrets of men, and who will in due time bring all things to the light. We can hardly think of his not being a child of God, but an unfaithful walk leaves a cloud of uncertainty, which nothing but God's Word can remove, as, for instance, "just Lot." With Asa, however, there is no such hesitation or silence. His reign begins in such a way that we see in it a type at least of the time when "a king shall reign in righteousness," who shall banish all that offends out of His kingdom. Strange altars are removed in order that God alone may be exalted. And as a natural result when God is thus acknowledged, strength and blessing come in. Instead of war, quiet prevails, and that not a quiet of indolence, but of building up and preparing for future attacks of the enemy. How much those ten years of rest meant for Judah is seen in the significantly large army, and the well-appointed cities for defense. The numerical significance of this first section in his life seems plain. God is recognized as sovereign and alone the object of worship, and the rest tells of the absence of foreign elements to cause disturbance. Applying these types to our own experience, we see here, doubtless, the soul in its first love, and the corresponding jealousy for God's honor, a jealousy that allows nothing to usurp His place; God is enthroned in the heart, and (blessed result!) rest fills it. "When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble ?" From out this quiet grows up the spiritual man, strengthened, prepared for conflict, and ready for every good work.

2.(Chap. 14:9-15.) But the enemy will not, if possible, long leave either the individual or a nation in the enjoyment of this prosperity. So we find the immense army of the Ethiopians(descendants of Ham, and so closely connected with the Canaanities, the original enemy in the land, and with the Egyptians, the former oppressors of the nation) coming up to do battle. It has been often remarked that Satan overreaches himself, and here we see an illustration of it. The very multitude of the enemy precludes all hope of successful resistance, and drives the king and people back upon One who alone could be a help in time of trouble. It was the apparent weakness and insignificance of Ai that gave occasion for Israel's self-confidence. " Make not all the people to labor thither; for they are but few" (Josh. 7:3) shows that Israel had forgotten the lesson of Jericho, where weakness won the day. Have we not all been at times thus mislead ? some little thing, some habit or association to give up, some duty to do-these, or things like them, have seemed so easy that like Peter we have only found out our utter helplessness by our failure. Here, however, the enemy gives no room for any such vain confidence. But would that we ever, in all conflicts, realized our weakness as did Asa! "Lord, there is none beside Thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength:help us, O Lord our God; for we rely on Thee." (R. V.) We well know the result. When did weakness cry to the Mighty One and not receive an answer? The mighty army only furnishes rich spoil for the victorious host of the Lord. Satan's attacks resisted thus in weakness counting on God, result in greater strength, fuller and deeper views of that blessed One. In service too, as we see in Philippians 1:, doors apparently closed only open the way to fresh fields. It is not, we believe, straining the meaning to see that this section of the life of Asa is appropriately a second. The enemy, and deliverance by God, give us Exodus in miniature.

3.(Chap. 15:)The happy victory and result above noted gives occasion for the prophecy of Azariah, who turns the light of God on what has taken place. His address is full of encouragement, but also of warning. " The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him, and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you. … Be ye strong, therefore, and let not your hands be weak:for your work shall be rewarded." (Chap. 15:3, 7.) Spurred on by such wholesome words, the good work is continued by Asa, and the abominations still lurking in the hidden places are purged out as inconsistent with that holiness which becometh God's house. The altar of sacrifice is also renewed. We may be sure that no matter how faithfully in the past self-judgment has been carried out, there will be room for careful watching and further progress. Others of the Lord's people are now attracted to Him, by the bright light shining in Jerusalem. " They fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him." If we are faithful to the Lord, happy in the enjoyment of His presence, we will soon find others drawn to Him. Sacrifice follows next, and the entering afresh into a covenant with the Lord. "And all Judah rejoiced at the oath:for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought Him with their whole desire; and He was found of them:and the Lord gave them rest round about." Did we thus turn to Him with the whole heart, with all our desire, how deep and full our joy would be! Under the power of this fresh consecration, Asa knows no one according to the flesh – the idolatrous queen-mother is deposed. It is only when devotedness is thus complete that faithfulness in the home is possible. Another long rest succeeds this revival, and the dedication of precious things is completed by bringing them into the house of God. How bright and fresh all this is! It reminds us of revivals of God's truth at all times-self-sacrifice, devotedness, and corresponding rest and peace.

Perhaps the reader can recall similar experiences in his own history. This also seems appropriately a third section-holiness, sacrifice, God's center, and God's house. 4. (Chap. 16:) Had Asa died at this point, there would have been nothing painful to note. Had he continued faithful, his pathway would have been as the bright light. But alas for human stability! The closing section is, as its number would indicate, a record of testing and failure. He who knew what to do when the overwhelming hosts of Ethiopia threatened him, is driven to the desperation of unbelief by the building of a city by Baasha, king of Israel-threatening the prosperity of his kingdom, it may be, but one would say not near so dangerous as the previous attack. Had not all his experience taught Asa confidence in God ? Were not thirty-six years of peace and victory resulting from that confidence enough to check the first feeling of fear? One would think so, but unbelief has no reason; the moment rein is given to it, the simplest danger drives one to all the folly of a panic. The precious things but a short time before brought into the house of God are taken and sent to His enemy, that the league with Baasha may be broken, and one established with Asa. In the eyes of the world this might seem like wise policy, but it begins by robbing God of His glory. Is this the same man who so nobly witnessed for God, linked now with God's enemies?-a friend of the world? Dear brethren, there are many Asas. Apparently all is successful. Baasha leaves off building Ramah and retires to his dominions, while increased strength seems to come to Judah, for store-cities are built of the material intended for Ramah. But apparent results never are the tests of the moral quality of an action. God's house has been robbed and an alliance with the world formed ; nothing can counterbalance these. A faithful messenger is sent to warn the fallen king. Even now had there been brokenness in Asa-a bowing to the rod as David had done,-there would doubtless have been restoration. But unbelief is a thing not to be tampered with, and he who but a short time before had threatened to punish with death those who would not seek the Lord, now imprisons the faithful servant, thus linking himself with Herod. But evil, like leaven, spreads. At the same time he oppresses some of the people. He who had been a gatherer must now be an oppressor, a scatterer. God's reproof being unheeded, He sends affliction that His wanderer may be recalled. But the exceeding greatness of his disease in his feet drives him to the physicians, not to the One who heals as well as smites. Refusing reproof, un-exercised by affliction, there is but one thing more-he must be taken away. Beloved brethren, what is sadder than such a close? a death without previous restoration! That light which had shone so clearly grows dim and dimmer, till at last it is gone entirely, and the man is gone -to meet God. "Ah!" you say, "but he was a child of God for all that." True, but so far from lessening the gloom which gathers about his close, it deepens it, as far as the all-important question of God's honor is concerned. From an unsaved man evil is expected, but the same evil in a child of God causes the world to blaspheme. They made great burnings for Asa, but that did not blot out the record we have been considering,-a record for our admonition. Let us beware of the beginnings of unbelief. Asa did not fall into open immorality like David, nor into idolatry like Solomon. His fall was less glaring, perhaps unnoticed, but he goes down to the grave like Solomon- with no record of recovery. He sets the example of that amalgamation with the world which is the blot on the good name of Jehoshaphat, which is the deeper, darker blot on the Church to-day, beginning with Pergamos and ending with the wretched lameness of Laodicea,-a lameness which, unlike that of Mephibosheth hidden beneath the king's table, is all the more apparent by reason of the human expedients resorted to for its healing. Is it not in mercy that our God gives us these lessons, that we may avoid the snares into which His people of old fell ? Let the time past in our lives suffice for failure. Let us be, not like Demas who goes out of sight with this attached to his name-" Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world;" but like Mark who, though faltering at first, is at last "profitable for the ministry." It is the joy of our God to restore His wandering ones. Hear Him saying, " I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely."

We have a striking allusion to Asa in Jer. 41:9. The remnant of faithful Jews who desired to remain in the land, in subjection to Nebuchadnezzar, are slain by Ishmael, and their bodies are buried in the pit " which Asa the king made for fear of Baasha king of Israel." Thus the monument of his unbelief becomes the grave of God's few–fitting ending of unbelief,-which never stops until there are none left on God's ground-an ending linked with the beginning.

" Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps. 119:105.)

If a soul be led aright in his spiritual or ecclesiastical path, he must be led according to God's Word, and, of course, it is needful to take heed to that Word in order to have its leading. A person may be very sincere, yet if led by his own thoughts, they will likely be the thoughts of a heart which is not to be trusted, and the path chosen is one that suits the flesh, or the tastes of the person, and not the path of faith at all.

One cannot question the sincerity and earnestness of J. H. Newman, when, "becalmed at sea, in the Straits of Bonifacio, between Sicily and Marseilles, June 16th, 1833," he wrote the following beautiful lines:-

Lead kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom
Lead Thou me on.
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on. I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on.
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years.

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

This hymn is given as it came from the pen of Newman. It is worthy of remark, however, that it does not afford any intimation that he was seeking to be led simply by the Word of God. And the way he was led would more than incline one to suspect that he was not thus seeking, for surely that Word could never lead into the church of Rome, where it has so little place, its place being usurped by papal tradition and dogmas.

A. Midlane, in noticing this lack of reference to the Word, and thinking of the way the author had gone, wrote a hymn, using the same meter, and style, but giving the Word of God its place. Being at West Cowes, Isle of Wight, on the morning of the Lord's Day, April 6, 1884, he writes, "I was meditatively wandering on the pebbly shore of the Solent, dwelling on the strains of Newman's hymn,-'Lead Kindly Light,'-and of the subsequent career of that highly intellectual man. I had previously seen him arrayed in all the glory of a cardinal, at a requiem mass, and I was wondering at the strange lead of that 'Kindly Light.' Burdened with this thought, I opened my pocket-book, and wrote the hymn as it now appears, before the time of the morning service." I give what he wrote.

Thy Word, Thy precious Word, alone,
Can lead me on;
By this, until the darksome night is gone,
Lead Thou me on!
Thy Word is light, Thy Word is life and power,
By it O guide me in each trying hour!

"Tis all I have; around no light appears-
O lead me on!
With eyes on Thee, though gazing through my tears,
Lead Thou me on!
The good and best might lead me far astray;
Omniscient Savior, lead Thou me, I pray!

Whatever my path, led by Thy Word 'tis good;
O lead me on!
Be my poor heart Thy blessed Word's abode,
Lead Thou me on!
Thy Holy Spirit gives the light to see,
And leads me, by the Word, close following Thee.

Led by aught else, I tread a devious way;
O lead me on!
Speak, Lord, and help me ever to obey;
Lead Thou me on!
My every step shall then be well defined,
And all I do, according to Thy mind. A. Midlane.

He says, "The thought my heart was wishing to give expression to was, that any light save from the Word of God must be a delusive one, and that only the light of life, the Word of God, can be a real 'Kindly Light,' and lead the soul on with Him who said, ' I am the light of the world.'"

Some who were contemporary with Newman, and equally learned, were, like him, deeply exercised as to their ecclesiastical path, and Rome was put before them; but being in subjection to the Word of God, and diligently and prayerfully studying it, they were led a very different way. One of them, who has finished his course with "intense joy," tells us in his writings that he was thus kept, and that the tenth chapter of Hebrews was specially helpful to this end. And well it might, for it assures us that Christ "by one offering hath perfected forever them that are sanctified,"-that their sins are remembered no more,-that "where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sins," and that they have " boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus;" thus needing no priest but the High-Priest, by whose blood they have this intimate and blessed nearness to God. Indeed they are the only priests recognized in the apostolic epistles, excepting, of course, the Peerless One " that is passed into the heavens."
Yes, the Word of God is alone authoritative. It is the beacon-light for our guidance through this dark scene. It is the only light we have; but, blessed be the Giver, it is like His grace, sufficient. We do well, then, to take all heed to it, until the day dawn, and the Morning Star shall arise to gladden the hearts of His waiting ones, when they shall be like Him and with Him forever. Surely, then, it is for each of His own to pray, while He tarries, "Order my steps in Thy Word;" "O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles." In this way we may count on God to lead us in " a plain path;" and also use us in aiding others who are seeking the true path in this day of difficulty, and want of subjection to His Word. R.H.

A Foolish question has been asked, "What righteousness is there in an innocent being suffering for the guilty ? " It is a foolish question. There is no righteousness in my paying my friend's debts. It is kindness, love; but it meets the righteous claims of his creditor. The claims of a holy God are maintained-intolerance of evil; and that is of the last importance for the conscience and heart of man; it gives him the knowledge of what God is in holiness. There is no true love without it. Indifference to good and evil, so that the evil-doer is let pass with his evil, is not love, and the dissociation of right and wrong, by God's authority, the highest possible evil. Now, good and evil are elevated to the standard of it in God's nature. We walk in the light, as God is in the light, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses from all sin. The glory of God is maintained, and the heart of man placed in association with the perfectness of that nature, and in peace with the perfect knowledge of His love. Take away the character of judgment or righteousness exercised as regards evil, and you obliterate the authority of God-the creation-place, and responsibility of man.

AN EXPOSITION OF REVELATION IV.-XXII. PART III.-Continued.

THE TRINITY OF EVIL, AND THE MANIFESTATION OF THE WICKED ONE.

The Resurrection of the Fourth Empire. (Chap. 13:1-10.)

Satan being now in full activity of opposition to the woman and her seed, we are carried on to see his further efforts to destroy them. Working, as from the beginning, through instruments in which he conceals himself, we find ourselves now face to face with his great instrument in the last days; in which too we recognize one long before spoken of in the prophets, especially by him to whom in the book of Revelation we have such frequent reference-the apocalyptic prophet of the Old Testament.

It is indeed the fourth beast of Daniel without dispute to which the word of inspiration now directs our attention. "I saw," says the apostle, "a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads the names of blasphemy."

The four beasts of Daniel's vision answering, as every one knows, to the one human figure seen by the king of Babylon. In his eyes there is in it at least the likeness of man, although there is no breath, no life. To the prophet afterward the world-empires appear on the other hand full of life, but it is bestial. One of the chapters between supplies the link between the two:for Nebuchadnezzar is himself driven out among the beasts, as we see in the fourth chapter, for a disciplinary punishment until he knows "that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men." In a pride which has forgotten God, he has become but a beast which knows none. He is therefore driven out among the beasts until seven times pass over him. The prophet sees thus the powers of the world to be but beasts-"wild beasts " indeed, as here.

As the fourth beast, moreover, the successor and heir to those that have been before it, the last empire not only shows still this bestial nature. It combines in itself the various characters of the first three. It is in general form like the leopard or Greek empire, agile and swift in its attack as the leopard is known to be. But it has the feet of the bear, the Persian tenacity of grasp, and the mouth of the lion, the Babylonian ferocity. Beast it is clearly, yet not in simple ignorance of God as the beast is:its seven heads are seen to have on each of them a name of blasphemy.

In its ten horns it differs from all before it; and these, we are explicitly told, (17:17,) are "ten kings" which "give their power unto the beast." In the vision now we find these kings actually crowned. They are in existence when the beast rises from the sea, that is, from the commencement of the empire in some sense-not of old Rome, that is certain, for old Rome never commenced in such a manner. It must then be Rome as new-risen among the nations in the latter days.

The later chapter, to which we have just now referred, speaks plainly of a time when the beast that was "is not;" and for centuries, we are well aware, the empire has not existed. But the same prophecy assures us that it is to be again; and in the vision before us we find it accordingly risen up, as of old time, from the sea,-that is to say, the restless strife of the nations. As we have seen, however, that is not the only way in which it is seen to rise again:for in the history of the witnesses it has been spoken of as " ascending up out of the bottomless pit," and this is repeated in the seventeenth chapter, " the beast . . . shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition." Are these two ascents, then ? or only one, looked at from two sides ?

Again of its heads, one is said in the present chapter to be "wounded to death," but "its deadly wound was healed;" and afterward the beast is spoken of as having had the " wound by a sword "and living (5:14). Are these still various ways of expressing the same thing, or not? and is there any way of deciding this?

Certainly, the long collapse of centuries during which the beast " was not" could hardly seem to be described as its having a wound and living, or as a deadly wound which could be healed. Let us look more closely at the prophecy, or rather at the different prophecies about this, and see what may be gathered.

In Daniel we have no mention of the time of non-existence, or of a plurality of heads upon the beast, but the ten horns show us that the empire is there before us also as it exists in the latter days; as it is plain also that it is in this form that the judgment there described comes upon it. But the prophet considering these ten horns, sees, rising up after them, another little horn in which are developed those blasphemous characters which bring down its final judgment upon the beast. It speaks great words against the Most High, and wears out the saints of the Most High, and thinks to change times and laws; and these are given into its hands until a time and times and the dividing of a time,-that is, for the last half week of Daniel's seventy, just before the Lord comes and the judgment falls.

Now this last horn rises up after the first ten are in existence, and therefore the empire in its latter-day form; and if this little horn be that whose "dominion" brings judgment upon the beast, then it would seem that the eleventh horn and the eighth head of Revelation must be the same.

The seven heads are not in Daniel, nor is the eleventh horn in Revelation. But we may learn in both of these details by means of which we can compare them. Thus, as to the heads, five had fallen when the angel spoke to John (17:10):one existed, the imperial; another was to come and last but a short time, and then would be the eighth, or the beast in its final form, identified with its head here, as morally at least with the little horn in Daniel.

We have anticipated somewhat, and seem obliged for our purpose to anticipate, what is given us only in the seventeenth chapter, before the history of these latter days becomes in measure clear to us. Let us seek first to get hold of the point of time which the interpretation contemplates as present. When the angel says to John, " The woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth," we know that at the time of the revelation there was one city, and but one, to which his words could apply. It was Rome that ruled over the kings of the earth, even as Rome fills out his. description also in another respect, being notoriously the seven-hilled city. That Rome is in fact the city spoken of, is, spite of the effort of a few to find another application, the verdict of the mass of commentators of all times, and this interpretation of the woman seems given by the angel as what would need no further explanation.
The ten horns, on the other hand, he states to be future:"the ten horns are ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet." Here we see that the point of view is still that of the apostle himself. And when it is said of the heads, "five are fallen, and one is," Livy, as is well-known, has given the five different forms of government under which Rome had been before that sixth, the imperial, which existed in the apostle's day. The point of view seems here quite plain.

On the other hand, "the beast that was and is not" may seem to be opposed to this. But if that could not be said in the apostle's day, that the beast was not, it could be as little said of the day of the fulfillment of the vision. Thus, "was, is not, and shall be," merely pictorially presents the history of the beast, and does not at all give us the stand-point, as the other expressions do.

It is a curious coincidence, that if in Daniel's vision of the four beasts we connect the four heads of the leopard with the other three of the remaining ones, we have just seven, and it has been argued that these are, in fact, the seven heads upon the beast in Revelation ; but then six should have fallen, and not five, when the angel spoke. The sixth also would be the last Grecian head, and the Roman would be future. That the heads are successive is quite plain, and there seems no room for any other application than that of the sixth head to the emperor of Rome.

The seventh would follow at an uncertain period in the future, and the application here has been various-to the exarchate of Ravenna, to Charlemagne, to Napoleon. It is not needful to enter into any elaborate disproof of these, as that putting together of prophecy, of the necessity of which the apostle warns us, will show sufficiently how inadmissible they are.

"The beast that was and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven," says the angel:"one of the seven," Bleek with others takes it to mean ; "sprung from the seven," says Alford. But the last, if we are to interpret the sixth as we have done, can scarcely be maintained. If we are to say, "one of the seven," then we may tentatively suppose it to be the seventh revived; and put in this way, other passages would seem to throw light upon it.

The seventh head was to continue but a little while ; and one of the heads -it is not stated which-was to be wounded to death and live, as we have seen. It is on this account that the world wonders after the beast, and this is clearly at the end :so that it is either the eighth head itself that is wounded and revives, or else it is the eighth head which is the seventh revived, as we have just supposed. This thought unites then and makes plain the different passages.

The beast (under this eighth head) "practices" forty and two months, the last half week of Daniel's seventy. Yet the "prince that shall come "makes his covenant with the Jews for the whole last week, in the midst of which he breaks it (Dan. 9:27). Does not this show that not only are the seventh and eighth heads as heads identical, but individually also ? and does it not confirm very strongly as truth what at first appeared only to be supposition ?

In this manner Daniel's prophecy of the little horn would seem to describe his second rise to power, after having fallen from being the seventh head of the beast to a rank below that of the ten kings. From this, partly by force, partly by concession, gained no doubt by the aid of him who discerns in the fallen ruler a fitting instrument for his devilish ends, he rises to his former preeminence over them all, filled with the animosity against God with which the dragon, "prince of this world," has
inspired him, and the world wondering and ready to worship.

Thus the picture seems complete and the outline harmonious in all its details. It agrees well with what has been before suggested-the rise of the seventh head under the first seal, its collapse under the fourth trumpet, its revival through satanic influence under the sixth. Its judgment takes place under the seventh, but the details of this are unfolded in the latter part of Revelation. We see that the conspiracy of the second psalm, of the kings and rulers "against the Lord and His Anointed," is by no means over. Nay, the Gentile power that wrote defiantly His title on His cross is risen up again, and with even more than its old defiance. The long-suffering of the Lord has not been to it salvation. The exhortation, "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way," has not been heeded. Rome still vindicates its title to its position as the head of a hostile world. " I gave her space to repent, and she will not repent," is as true of her in her civil as in her ecclesiastical character.

The revival of the last empire is Satan's mockery of resurrection ; yet God is over it and in it, commanding her from her tomb for judgment. And with her, other buried nations are to revive and come forth to the light. Greece has thus revived. Italy has revived. Israel, as we well know, is reviving, and for her also there is not unmingled blessing, but solemn and terrible judgment that will leave but a remnant for the final promise surely to be fulfilled. Israel were foremost in the rejection of their Lord, when first He came to His own, and His own received Him not. It was they who used Gentile hands to execute the sentence which they lacked power to carry out. And it is strange indeed to find, in these awful last days of blasphemy and rebellion, the Jew still inspiring the Gentile in the last outburst of infidel pride and lawlessness :the second beast in the chapter before us is at once Jewish, and by its lamb-like appearance and its dragon-voice, antichristian.

And this is that to which, unwarned by the sure word of prophecy, men are hurrying on. The swiftness of the current that is carrying them, owned as it is by all, is for them "progress," while it is but the power felt of the rearing cataract. "When they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape ! " So said the lips that uttered that lament over Jerusalem, which with added force may speak to us today, " How often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wing:and YE would not !" F.W.G.

(To be continued.)

Man's hatred crowned Jesus with thorns, in mockery of His kingship. It had nothing to give the Lord of glory, the Maker of earth, but the fruits of the curse which sin had brought here. Man's love binds that blessed head in a napkin, as Jesus was to be laid away in the rich man's tomb. It spoke of love and care and reverence, but also of utter helplessness and hopelessness-the laying away of One whom they were never to see again-here at least. trusted that it had been He who would have redeemed Israel."This love, human and mistaken as it was, was marked by the Lord. The napkin lies by itself God has crowned Him with glory and honor. He has given Him"beauty for ashes."He wears now what either human hatred nor love put upon His head, but what divine glory has put there." We see Jesus, . . crowned with glory and honor."

FRAGMENT The voice behind us and the object before us.–We have a calling on high of God in Christ Jesus. That is the object before us. No matter what the attainment in knowledge or grace, we press toward the mark. Nothing short of resurrection and a place with Christ where He is will satisfy God's purpose for us. Surely, with such an object, our steps onward should be neither few nor feeble. But should the eye be turned from Christ, and earthly things absorb us, how soon the walk becomes faulty, and we wander from the path! It is then we hear a voice, not before us, but behind, recalling us to forsaken path, and saying, "This is the way; walk ye in it." In the path agin (never out of it), the eye is directed to Christ on high. The voice is behind us when we turn to the right hand or t the left. We can only walk with God in His path. The moment we forsake that, we turn from Him, and find Him no longer alongside of us, but behind, recalling us to Himself. How great is his faithfulness, who thus not only has set a mark on high (and what a mark!), but who watches each step we take here, and provides for our restoration!

FRAGMENT
Child of the Eternal Father,
Bride of the Eternal Son,
Dwelling-place of God the Spirit,
Thus with Christ made ever one;
Dowered with joy beyond the angels,
Nearest to His throne,
They, the ministers attending;
His beloved one:
Granted all my heart’s desire,
All things made my own;
Feared by all the powers of evil,
Fearing God alone;
Walking with the Lord in glory
Through the courts divine,
Queen within the royal palace,
Christ forever mine;
Say, poor worldling, can it be,
That my heart should envy thee?

G. Tersteegen (From "The Quiet in the Land")

Lord, our restlessness we own,-
Fully own.
How we wander here and there,
All alone.
When we should have walked with Thee,
In childlike simplicity;
Nor have left the even way,
Thus to stray.

Oft we think our restless mind
Like the wind.
Wandering over mount and glen,
Like the hind
Of the wilds Father, gather
All our roving thoughts together,
Into the restraining band
Of Thy hand.

Restless hands that toy and play
Every day.
Oh! how oft we check, and fold,
As we say!
Teach these hands to work for Thee,
Laboring for eternity,
For the bread that shall endure
Sweet and sure.

Restless hearts! Ah, yes, 'tis so.
Well we know
How they oft forget Thee, Lord.
Bending low,
Sadly we confess, with tears,
Though Thy grace hath crowned our years,
Oft our hearts forget to be
Near to Thee.

Savior fill us with Thy love,
From above,
Then our hearts, our hands, our feet,
All will move
Only at Thy bidding, Lord;
Joyful to obey Thy word.
Only thus can we fulfill
All Thy will. H. McD.

Weakness is always touching. Cold indeed were our hearts, could they contemplate unmoved Him who was crucified through weakness. Our selfishness might lead us to dwell rather upon the benefits we receive through His death,-these surely we never can nor should forget,-but love will remember that He said, "Could ye not watch with Me one hour ?" that He seemed to ask for sympathy when He said, " My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." We know He wishes us now to look back and see not merely what He suffered and secured for us, but how He passed through it.

Isaac was bound by his father and laid upon the altar. There is no struggle, as though he were unwilling, but there is the suggestion in the cords, of strength all gone, as our Lord says, " He weakened My strength in the way."

Joseph, when he came on his mission of love, was bound by his brethren. In their repentance they say, ' We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us and we would not hear." That anguish was but the type of the deeper anguish of Him who said, in view of being in the hands of enemies, " Reproach hath broken My heart; . . and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none." As His enemies surround Him, divine power flashes forth, they fall to the ground, but it is at once succeeded by that weakness of submission in which He yields Himself into their hands. So all the way through that dark scene, at the priest's palace, in the judgment-hall, it is in weakness we see Him. " He is led as a lamb to the slaughter." The derision of the crowd before Him, and of the thieves beside Him, fail to bring out the strength we know is there. It is the perfection of weakness. Death comes, the culmination of all weakness. He lies in the loving hands of Joseph and others without a throb or motion in answer to their loving ministrations. It is the weakness of death.

Can the soul fail to worship and adore, as we see Him thus crucified through weakness ? We may not say much here, but how holy, how solemn is the thought! The Son of God lies here in the weakness of death. We well know why. The strong man held us as his goods. This One frees us, but only, though stronger than he, by becoming weak. As we see that tomb, and the One who lay there, can we fail to say, " Thou art worthy, for Thou wast slain " ? and as we think of that " wondrous cross," can we fail to say and mean, " God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" ?

"By weakness and defeat
He won the mead and crown,
Trod all our foes beneath
His feet By being trodden down."

"Forasmuch, then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same." (Heb. 2:14.)

If Satan has turned the truth of God into a lie, that is no reason why we should neglect or overlook any thing that is really God's:especially when that truth is concerning the blessed Son of God. Blasphemies have been taught regarding His humanity in more ways than one; some asserting that His nature was subject to sin and decay and death; others, that He was man from all eternity. Shocking as all this is to the worshiper of Jesus, we must not be deterred from dwelling with adoring wonder on " God manifest in the flesh." " The Word was made flesh." In the manger at Bethlehem, in the carpenter-shop at Nazareth, weary at the well, asleep in the storm, agonizing in the garden, we see not only that eternal life which was with the Father, but which was manifest to us through the vail of a real though perfect humanity. He whose delights were with the sons of men would be made like unto His brethren. Yet the carefulness of the Spirit of God in shielding His holy person from the faintest suspicion of taint, is seen in the use of the word " took part," in the passage quoted at the beginning. The children " had communion in " flesh and blood-they were in it of necessity. He voluntarily, as One from without, " took part,"-a different word. Still He was a man,-a perfect man; One fitted to sympathize with His people. He is not ashamed to call us brethren. But though this is the first strand in the threefold cord, of itself it was entirely insufficient. " Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone." The body which was prepared for Him was a body in which to die. " He took part of flesh and blood that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death." All thought of men being united with Him in His incarnation,-of their being elevated to His level by that, or any thing of the kind, is therefore vain. So His death is the second strand in that cord of love. He who knew no sin, was made sin for us. Those whom He came to save were dead, so He takes His place there; they dead in sins, He dead for sins. As the Samaritan came where the wounded man was, so our blessed Lord came where we were-at a distance from God. But oh! how His death has annihilated all distance! how it has slain all enmity! That love which sought us thus, grasped us to Himself; and the third strand, His resurrection, is the full manifestation of the power of that cord which binds us fast, held to His bosom, by One who will never loose His hold. Blessed be His precious name!

As has been frequently noticed, it is after His resurrection that He calls us "brethren." . " Go to My brethren," (John 20:) " I will declare Thy name unto My brethren." (Heb. 2:) The gift of the Spirit, uniting us to Him, is God's seal upon the perfectness and strength of this threefold cord. Flowing from such relationship is our heavenly position, our heavenly destiny. As the power of this cord is felt, it will draw our hearts out of the world as not belonging to it, up to heaven where He is. Let us have our minds fixed on Him, to " know the power of His resurrection."

" Drawn by such cords, we'll onward move,
Till round the throne we meet,
And, captives in the chains of love,
Embrace our Savior's feet."

AN EXPOSITION OF REVELATION IV.-XXII. PART III.-Continued.

THE TRINITY OF EVIL, AND THE MANIFESTATION OF THE WICKED ONE.

Commencing Fulfillment of the First Promise [to the Woman's Seed]. (Chap. 11:19-12:)-Continued.

'The dragon is cast out:the war in that respect is over; I heaven is free. But he is not yet cast into hell, nor even into the bottomless pit, but to the earth; and thus the earth's great trouble-time ensues. Satan comes down with great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time. How terrible a thing is sin! How amazing that a full, clear view of what is before him should only inspire this fallen being with fresh energy of hate to that which must all recoil upon himself, and add intensity of torment to eternal doom! Even so is every act of sin as it were a suicide; and he who committeth it is the slave of sin (Jno. 8:34).

A great voice in heaven celebrates the triumph there. " Now is come the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night." The salvation spoken of here is not, apparently, as some think, the salvation of the body; for it is explained directly as deliverance of some who are called " our brethren" from the accusation of Satan. The voice seems, therefore, that of the glorified
saints, and the " brethren" of whom they speak, the saints on earth, who had indeed by individual faithfulness overcome in the past those accusations which are now forever ended. Satan's anti-priestly power, as another has remarked, is at an end.

Yet he may, and does, after this, exercise imperial power, and stir up the most violent persecution of the people of God, and these still may be called not to love their lives unto death. It is not here, then, that his power ceases:they have conflict still, but not with " principalities and powers in heavenly places." (Eph. 6:12.) Heaven is quiet and calm above them, if around is still the noise of the battle. And how great is the mercy that thus provides for them during those three and a half years of unequaled tribulation still to come! Is not this worthy of God that, just at the time when Satan's rage is greatest, and arming the world-power against His people, the sanctuary of the soul is never invaded by him:the fiery darts of the wicked one cease; he is no more "prince of the power of the air," but restricted to the earth simply, to work through the passions of men, which he can inflame against them.

Accordingly to this he gives himself with double energy:"And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the man-child." But God interferes:"And there were given unto the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the face of the serpent."

The words recall plainly the deliverance from Egypt. Pharaoh king of Egypt is called thus by the prophet, "the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers," (Ezek. 29:3,) and is himself the concentration of the malice of the world-power; while God says to delivered Israel at Sinai, "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians; and how I bare you on eagle's wings, and brought you to Myself." (Ex. 19:4.) The reference here seems definitely to this:it is not, as in the common version, "a" great eagle, indefinitely, but "the" great eagle,-the griffon, perhaps, than which no bird has a more powerful or masterly flight. Clearly it is divine power that is referred to in these words:in the deliverance out of Egypt there was jealous exclusion of all power beside. Israel was to be taught the grace and might of a Savior-God. And so in the end again it will be when He repeats, only in a grander way, the marvels of that old deliverance, and " allures " the heart of the nation to Himself.

Miracle may well come in again for them, and it may be that the wilderness literally will once more provide shelter and nourishment for them. Figure and fact may here agree together, and so it often is; the terms even seem to imply the literal desert here, just because it is evidently a place of shelter that divine love provides, and sustenance there; and what more natural than that the desert, by which the land of Israel is half encompassed, should be used for this?

That which follows seems to be imagery borrowed from the desert also. Like the streams of Antilibanus, many a river is swallowed up in the sand, as that is which is now poured out of the dragon's mouth. If it be an army that is pictured, the wilderness is no less capable of the absorption of a nation's strength. The river being cast out of his mouth would seem to show that it is by the power of his persuasion that men are incited to this overflow of enmity against the people of God, which is so completely foiled that the baffled adversary gives up further effort in this direction, and the objects of his pursuit are after this left absolutely unassailed.

But those whoso escape, while thus securing the existence of the nation-and therefore identified with the woman herself,-are not the whole number of those who in it are converted to God; and " the remnant of her seed " become now the object of his furious assault. These are indeed those, as it would seem, with whom is the testimony of Jesus, which is, we are assured, " the spirit of prophecy." (Chap. 19:10.) These are they, perhaps, who amid these times of trouble go forth, as from age to age the energy of the Spirit has incited men to go forth, taking their lives in their hand that they might bring the word of God before His creatures, and who have been ever of necessity the special objects of satanic enmity. They are the new generation of those who as men of God have stood forth prominently for God upon the earth, and have taken from men on the one hand their reward in persecution, but from God on the other the sweet counterbalancing acknowledgment. It is of such the Lord says, "Blessed are ye when they shall reproach and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you." (Matt. 5:ii, 12.)

Noticeable it is that it is in heaven still this new race of prophets find their reward. The two witnesses whom we have seen ascend to heaven in a cloud belong to this number; and those who in Daniel as turning many to righteousness, shine as the stars for ever and ever (Dan. 12:3). Earth casts them out, and they are seen in our Lord's prophecy as brethren of the King, hungering and athirst, in strangership, naked and sick and in prison (Matt. 25:35, 36, 40). Heaven receives them in delight as those of whom the earth was not worthy,-a gleaning after harvest, as it were, of wheat for God's granary,-a last sheaf of the resurrection of the saints, which the twentieth chapter of the book before us sees added to the sitters upon the thrones, among the "blessed and holy" now complete. How well are they cared for who might seem left unsheltered to Satan's enmity! They have lost the earthly blessing, they have gained the heavenly; their light has been quenched for a time, to shine in a higher sphere forever. Blessed be God!

We may follow, then, the new development of satanic enmity without fear. We shall gain from considering it. Their enemy and ours is one and the same:it is Satan, the old serpent, the ancient homicide, and we must not be " ignorant of his devices." His destiny is to be overcome, and that by the feeblest saint against whom he seems for the present to succeed so easily. F.W.G.

(To be continued.)

(Some Suggestions.)

If the very frame-work of Scripture, and the relationship of its parts to one another, is based upon the meaning of numbers, as now taught and increasingly evident, it will be interesting and profitable to search and find examples and illustrations of this. It will be to the glory of God that we should in this fresh development be impressed with His handiwork as well as instructed and sanctified by the truth so illustrated. But the suggestions are made as such, and therefore open to objections and corrections, but trusting they will commend themselves as scripturally based, and simple.

Attention is called to three examples. In Matthew (omitting the temptation), we find the Lord is on the mount seven times before the cross, and the eighth time after He rises from the dead.

In Genesis, God covenants with Abraham seven times; and then "after these things," when He offers up Isaac, and receives him in a figure from the dead, the covenant is renewed an eighth time.

And in Joseph's history, typical of Christ dealing with Israel, he communicates in that character with his brethren seven times; and then, when Jacob has passed from the scene, an eighth time.

I refer first in detail briefly to this latter scripture.

Joseph tells his brethren (Gen. 37:6) his dream about their sheaves making obeisance to his.

In his second dream he tells them how the sun and moon and eleven stars made obeisance to him; and they hated him. Is not this the double witness the Lord spoke of to Nicodemus-"If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?" The Old and the New Testament give the complete witness of God to convict the unbeliever.

Heavenly glory as well as earthly were typically predicted.

Thirdly, Joseph sent to them in love by the father, and rejected and cast into the pit, is raised to the right hand of power, unknown to these despisers of grace.

The next three communications are by the brethren being compelled to go to Joseph. Twice they go down to Egypt, and a third time get outside the city and have to turn back, the cup being found in Benjamin's sack, when, after deep and affecting exercises on their part (Gen. 44:18-Judah's prayer) Joseph proclaims himself.

Three times (as three days), throughout Scripture, sets forth complete heart-searching experience, and deliverance at the close, by God who raises the dead. (Abraham; Esther 4:16; Paul; waters of Marah; and many other examples of three days and three times.) So in the case before us. Three times they denied and rejected him; three times they have to come to him, and the third time pass through distress (fearing the effect upon their father of the loss of Benjamin as well as Joseph) similar to Joseph's and their father's when Joseph was rejected. Their third was marked by complete hatred and rejection; Joseph's third by complete mercy and tender welcome.
But we have only reached a sixth, not a seventh, communication. It is short of completeness, for Jacob has not yet been brought-has not yet been persuaded that the rejected Joseph lives. All this tells us beforehand, in a wonderful way, how tender and patient the Lord will be in His dealing with Israel at last, to recall them to repentance, and how slow of heart they will be to believe. A remnant will become missionaries to the rest. All is incomplete until Israel as a whole (all Israel) shall be restored. The powers of the whole world will be at their service to help them in returning to the land of their fathers.

All this is set forth in the seventh communication (Gen. 47:).

"And Israel took his journey, with all that he had." Not now "Jacob." He is called "Jacob" previously in this narrative-halting and doubting and fearing; but now "Israel took his journey." A prince once more- power with God and with man-he comes to Beersheba, the well of the oath, where Israel's (Abraham's) supremacy over the Gentiles (Gen. 21:31) was shown in the Philistines making suit to Abraham, and where a center of worship was established in the name of Jehovah as the everlasting God. And God spoke to him in a vision of the night, and called him "Jacob"-He calls him " Jacob," but at Beersheba, which assures of final and everlasting blessing and supremacy. He is not to fear to go down into Egypt. From Beersheba, though only Jacobs, we can face the world, leaving all behind, sure as to the end. "And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father to Goshen (Gen. 46:29), and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while." All is now complete. And now Israel, like Simeon in Luke, says to Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive." The nation at large will at last use the language of Simeon-" Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation."

It is truly a seven-nothing more to be desired:the heart is full, and finally at rest. God has tenderly and patiently led up to a desired end. Ararat has been reached:the ark rests, and the world is to be possessed and governed in peace, and filled with blessing from the presence and glory of Christ. The once rebellious and hateful are now reconciled to the One long before rejected, but who all through this long and terrible experience had never ceased to love them and to deal on their behalf, to accomplish His purpose. All Pharaoh's resources are now at the service of Jacob and his sons, being the brethren of Joseph.

"Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." (Isa. 60:1:) "And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising . . . thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side." "All they from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and incense. and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord . . . and I will glorify the house of My glory . . . Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows ? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of Jehovah thy God, and to the holy One of Israel, because He hath glorified thee. … I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations … I, the Lord, am thy Savior, and thy Redeemer the Mighty One of Jacob . . . The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory . . . the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. . . . They shall inherit the land forever."

"And Joseph placed his father and his brethren (Gen. 47:ii) and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded."
Thus complete as a history and as a type is the portion before us. But there remains an eighth communication,

"And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, 'Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.' And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, 'Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil:and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father.' And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. . . . And Joseph said unto them, Fear not:… as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. . . .' And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them."

In what has already been before us we have had presented the completeness of God's dealings with Israel to restore them-that general thought; but now, in this eighth, we have made prominent Christ in resurrection recognized, and to whom they are reconciled. Jacob having passed away, they were brought face to face with Joseph,-that is, the remnant of Israel, in the last days, realizing the utter failure of the nation, and that the scattering of the nation had written death upon all natural hopes, their heart is turned to Christ, to find in Him, exalted and glorified, not an avenging Judge, but a Shepherd and Savior and Friend.

Nothing can hinder the accomplishment of His will; and the long night of Israel's sorrow, sure to end in His presence in everlasting joy, lights up the whole world's history with a glow of deepening interest. If He so deals with Israel, much more will He not forsake His Church. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. He will present it to Himself, in heavenly glory, a glorious Church, with no blemish to remind of the shame and sorrow of the past. E.S.L.

I.

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." (i Pet. 1:i, 2.)

I call particular attention to the expression "Grace unto you … be multiplied, which may be divided into three parts-"grace," "unto you," and "be multiplied." We have in this first epistle of Peter a sevenfold "multiplication" of "grace unto us; "and seven, as we know, is significant of completeness-a measure filled full, and in this sevenfold multiplication of grace I think we shall find that each number of the series is significant, or is an index, of the special grace involved in it.

The number I manifestly belongs to God as Sovereign, the Almighty. "Hear, O Israel:the Lord our God is one Lord." (Deut. 6:4.) "One Lord, and His name one." (Zech. 14:9.) This sovereign Ruler is acting in grace, not now in judgment, or even on the principle of law, but in grace,-His throne is a throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). This grace has a special application to the "strangers" addressed in our epistle:it is "unto" them. They are the specific objects of this grace, or favor. It is the character of their relation to this omnipotent One, they are in His favor. They may not have the favor of any of earth's potentates, since they are " strangers " in it, but they are in the favor of the living God. This grace is what we are to multiply-our multiplicand, so to speak.

II.

" Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you." (10:9, 10.)

This is clearly number 2-the number of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Second Person of the Trinity, who left His throne in heaven's highest glory, and came down into a world of sinners, linked up some of those poor sinners with Himself, and went back to the bright glory He had left, not taking them with Him, but leaving them in the scene of sin and suffering,-not removing the furnace, or bringing temporal deliverances, but allowing the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual, and affording them grace so that they could pass through it unscathed, and even turn it to account to bring glory to Him, as, e.g., Acts 16:24-34.

This is grace number 2, beloved. And how wonderful, is it not? And how well He who stamps it with His character knows how and when to minister it. No marvel if the prophets of old " inquired and searched diligently " as to it, and even if " the angels desire to look into" it. May we be more diligent in our search into such wondrous grace. Number 2 is the number of the book of Exodus, the book of deliverance, and deliverance is clearly stamped upon this our second multiplication of grace.

III.
"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (5:13.) The number 3 is the number in which God was fully revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It also denotes fullness, perfection, reality.

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear (be manifested), then shall ye also appear (be manifested) with Him in glory." (Col. 3:4.) What wondrous grace will be brought unto us then, beloved! God will be fully displayed and owned as God, and we shall be fully displayed and owned as His sons in glorified bodies. We see it not yet, it is true; but well may we "hope" and "patiently wait for it." (Rom. 8:25.) Surely the number 3 is rich in meaning here, speaking to us of the "reality," " fullness," and " manifestation" awaiting the sons of God (cf. Rom. 8:19).

IV.

" Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." (Chap. 3:7.)

The number 4 is almost interpreted for us in the above verse. The fourth book of Moses-Numbers-speaks of practical walk through the wilderness (this world), and of the poor earthen vessel, which indeed, if He do not fill, can only manifest its weakness in sin and failure.

How beautiful and how precious the grace which stoops to serve us here in our poor human associations, while walking through this valley of weeping! And shall we not do well to remember, brethren, that it is not unto the weak vessel we are to give honor, but unto the weaker, thus reminded that we ourselves are the weak ?

V.

" As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (Chap. 4:10.)

The number 5 denotes responsibility,-stewardship. It is man's number as a responsible human being. The five digits on each hand and foot, and the five senses with which he is put into communication with the scene around him, show this. The fifth book of Moses,-Deuteronomy
-deals largely with responsibility.

The human hand is a wonderful thing; the very rocks become plastic under it, the wilderness is made to blossom by it, the lightning is caught and harnessed to man's chariot-wheels, we may truly say, by it. Let us examine it more closely, and see if it will not tell us, not only that we are stewards, but how we may be "good stewards."

It has five digits, composed of a 4+ I.. The 4 in the presence of and yielding to the I. Only thus is work performed really. Four is the symbol of weakness-of the earthen vessel. One is the number of God, the almighty One; so in the human hand we have a living, practical illustration of weakness yielding to strength- impotence controlled by Omnipotence. Herein, beloved, is the secret of successful stewardship.
So we are stewards, stewards of the various grace of God. We have had a fourfold multiplication of grace put into our hands, and now we must "trade" (Matt. 25:16). When Moses was asked "What is that in thine hand?" he replied, "A rod." (Ex. 4:2.) But in our hands we have a fourfold (universal) application of the grace of God.

Our stock-in-trade is just our circumstances-whether sickness or health, poverty or wealth, joy or sorrow- every thing, we are entitled to take from the blessed hand of Him who loves us (cf. i Cor. 3:21).

Taking, in this way, every burden from Him, whose love could withhold nothing, whose wisdom could omit nothing, and whose power would stop short of nothing which would be for our good, we should realize that it was His burden, and should find it " light." (Matt. 11:30.) What burden could be aught but light if He imposed it ? ,The care of it, however, we must leave with Him, as He well knows we could not carry that, so He thus yokes Himself with us–He takes His part of every burden, we take the thing itself as put upon our shoulders by the hand of infinite love, as that in which we are to display His power; he takes the care of it (i Pet. 5:7). What a sweet and blessed "yoke"! Surely it cannot but be "easy"! Thus "yoked" and thus "burdened," we are ready to trade with the all-various grace intrusted to us; and if the human hand tells us plainly that we are stewards, it tells us no less plainly how we may be "good stewards of the various grace of God." Impotency bows implicitly to Omnipotence,-the 4 yields to the I. And if we stoop, we find ourselves stooping to One who has, in serving us, stooped lower than we ever can.

May we value the grace that has been put into our hands, " inquire and search diligently" into it, and be like the angels who "desire to look into " it.

As we succeed in our stewardship, the mighty, secret power by which we are furnished and sustained, is made manifest, and God is glorified. (Read 10:11-19 of chap. 4:)

VI.

" Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." (Chap. 5:5.)

The number 6 speaks of God's limit upon man's will and work. "Six days shalt thou labor." (Ex. 20:9). If 6 be divided by 2 (the enemy's number), we have 3 (God displayed); so, as God's hand is submitted to, good is brought out of evil-"the eater brings forth meat." (Judg. 14:14). How wonderful that God can make even this number 6 yield grace,-man's number, which when fully developed, produces 666, the number of the willful one, the man of sin! (Rev. 13:18.)

VII.

"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." (Chap. 5:10.)

The number 7 speaks of a measure filled full, and how appropriately " the God of all grace" comes in here to fill it! indeed, who but He could fill it? If our "multiplicand " was the grace of God, our multiplication ends with the God of grace Himself; and this is perfect-the circle is complete.

But still there is an-

VIII.

" By Sylvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand." (5:12.)

This is like the eighth day, or like the octave in music, and carries us back to what we have been going over. In our number I we could say, " This is the true grace of God wherein ye stand;" and so in number 2, number 3, and so on.

It will be seen that the sevenfold series we have been looking at is a 3+4. The first three multiplications of grace presenting what is objective-outside of us, ending with manifestation in glory with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is perfect in itself:there is no going any higher. We can go no farther.

The next is a series of 4, and presents what is subjective, grace in us,-1:e., in the earthen vessel (4).

How marvelous is the grace of our God! He stooped to serve us at the cross, He will stoop to serve us again in the glory, and day by day, and day and night, He stoops to serve us, making each circumstance subserve His glory and our blessing.

May we be apt scholars in this divine arithmetic, and not merely hearers of the Word, but doers thereof, that God may in all things be glorified through Jesus Christ our Lord. J.B.J.

Amalek fell upon the feeblest of Israel-the laggards in the rear. Those who are pressing forward in all the energy of faith and love are not troubled with "fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." Are we lagging? The next thing will be some failure-some sin. The heart first faints before the steps falter. Let us press toward the front.

Israelite was entirely dependent for the fruit of I the earth upon the rain. That which marked the superiority of his land (or, rather, God's land) over the land of Egypt was that, while the latter had its river, and water-courses, yearly overflowing and bringing fruit-fulness, his land was watered with the rain of heaven, and so also was one where water sprung from hillside and valley." For the land whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:but the land whither ye go in to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:a land which the Lord thy God careth for:the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year, even unto the end of the year." (Deut. 11:10-12.)But from this very fact, while thus blessed with unsurpassed fertility when there was abundance of rain, if that was withheld, famine was the inevitable result. Blessed position for them, had they been but faithful to Him who never could disappoint those who looked to Him! We know that temporal prosperity was for Israel the sure index of their spiritual condition, hence as soon as unfaithfulness and sin on their part reached a climax, rain failed, and barrenness and poverty resulted. This was foretold while yet. they were in the wilderness:" If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God . . . thy heaven that:is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust." (Deut. 28:15, 23, 24.) It was alluded to in Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple:"When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain because they have sinned against Thee." (i Kings 8:35.)It was illustrated in the history of Ahab. It was used as an argument by the prophets in leading Israel to repentance:"Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season:. . . Your iniquities have turned away these things." (Jer. 5:24, 25.)Sometimes, the more plainly to mark His dealings, He caused it to rain in one part of the land and not in another:"And I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city:. . . Yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the Lord." (Amos 4:7, 8.)The rain was needed at and soon after sowing time to cause the seed to sprout and grow-this was the early rain:it was also needed toward the close of the season, to bring to maturity what had progressed so far. If the early rain were withheld, there could be no sowing; if the latter rain failed, there could be no reaping.

Passing from the literal to that of which it was the type, we find Israel's history, both past and future, an illustration of God's dealings, as based upon their state. Beginning with the deliverance from Egypt, and planting in the land (which, in the mind of God, were consecutive events), we have what might be called " the early rain "- "the love of thine espousals. . . . Israel was holiness unto the Lord." (Jer. 2:2.) Under Samuel, David, Jehoshaphat, and other faithful ones, we have more showers of refreshing connected with this period of their history. A long period of spiritual death succeeds, until again God brings near a cloud, heavier, fuller of rain than any before; what would, in fact, have been (and will yet be) a cloud of the latter rain. The Lord Jesus Himself was presented to them, ready to pour forth all the rich blessings which are yet in reserve. The time of fruit was not to be yet, and rejecting Him they have been left in drought ever since, and will be until they repent, and having their sins blotted out, times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Meanwhile the vineyard, so long unfruitful, has been thrown open for the boar of the forest to waste (Isa. 5:) But what was in hardness refused, God, whose gifts and calling are without repentance, has yet in reserve for them. " He shall send Jesus which before was preached unto you." He, their true King, whose favor is as a cloud of the latter rain, shall come. He shall come as rain upon the mown grass, and poor Israel shall at last blossom and bud and fill the face of the earth with fruit. How beautiful it is to see all nature rejoicing, the trees of the field clapping their hands, the desert blossoming as the rose, shadows of that blooming forth and fruit-bearing of what will indeed be then God's "pleasant plant"! The nation at last, as a "watered garden," will say to Him, who long and often came seeking fruit in vain, "Let my Beloved come into His garden, and eat His pleasant fruits." (Song 4:16.)

It is well, however, to mark the stages of this blessing. " In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping:they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thither ward." (Jer. 1. 4, 5.) "I will pour upon the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications:and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, . . . every family apart, and their wives apart." (Zech. 12:10,12.) When Israel repents, the latter rain will come; nay, their very repentance is, as it were, the first droppings of that mighty shower which bring all past flowers of promise to fruit of accomplishment. "Thou visitest the earth and waterest it:Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God which is full of water:Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly:Thou settlest the furrows thereof:Thou makest it soft with showers:Thou blessest the springing thereof. . . . The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing." (Ps. 65:9-13; Isa. 62:4, 5; Hos. 2:19-22.)

But deeply interesting and delightful as the consideration of all this is, have we not truth here which will apply to the Church of God ? Earthly things are types of heavenly, and principles remain unchanged. Beginning at Pentecost, we have the early rain-that shower which fell on dry soil and quickened dead souls, by the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, into life. How fresh and bright all was at the first! Neither property, as in the case of Barnabas, and many others, nor life itself, as with Stephen, could be withheld. But in a little while it had to be written of some, " I am afraid of you," of others, "Thou hast left thy first love." The subsequent history of the church has been but a repetition of Israel's departure from God, with resulting barrenness, and darkness deepening on, till God in mercy granted some measure of recovery. But it may be asked, Does not the Spirit dwell in the Church; do we have to wait "till the Spirit be poured out upon us from on high?" Surely not; yet where self-will and unbelief hinder and quench the Spirit, the effect is much the same as though He were not present. So we see to-day a dryness, not merely in the professing church, but even among God's own people. Then the longing question rises in the hearts of those who "sigh and cry," Is there riot something for the Church to answer to the latter rain in Israel? True, our coming Lord will forever banish all drought; but ere He comes, is there nothing of a general awakening amongst the saints of God-a bringing to maturity of some, at least, of that promise of fruit there was at the beginning ? We read that after the midnight cry had gone forth, all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. May there not be something corresponding to this ? The cry has gone forth, but has there been such a general response as we might be led to expect? We would not dictate to our ever blessed God, but we would learn from all His ways of love not to limit Him. Is there to be no going forth of the gospel in greater power and blessing, to gather in many precious souls ere the day of grace ends ? We may not answer definitely, but at least for us as for Israel the path is plain, – repentance, prayer, returning to the Lord, putting off all ornaments (all boasting in attainment) to see what He will do with us.
Coming nearer home is the wondrous testimony raised up in these last days, once characterized by faith, love, and hope, singleness of eye, devotedness of heart, loyalty to the Person of our ever blessed Lord-is this light to flicker out, quenched by pride, strife, worldliness? Enough has occurred, and is occurring, to make one tremble; on the one hand assumption, and a high hand, dangerously resembling Diotrephes, in 3 John; on the other, looseness and indifference to Christ's person and honor, which needs to heed the stimulating word in 2 John. What is to become of the testimony ? Is it any sign of a spiritual mind to quietly fold our hands and say, "God never restores a ruined testimony?" True, perhaps, but may He not strengthen and freshen the things that remain, and recover very many of His scattered sheep ? What limit is there here, but that which coldness and unbelief imposes ? If there is straitness, we know where it is. If the heart of an apostle was enlarged unto his brethren, what shall we say of His heart who gave His own blessed Son ?

To come nearer home still:to each one individually, there was a time when Christ was the chiefest among ten thousand, perhaps He is less so now. Once, God's Word was rejoiced in as when one findeth great spoil; now, perhaps, a hasty occasional glance, in a perfunctory way, is all that is given to it. Once, prayer, alone and in fellowship with others, was the " vital breath and native air." God was very near, unseen things were very real. Now, perhaps, all this is changed. Something has turned the heart from Christ, and oh! what leanness! It will not do to put off these things from us with a general acknowledgment that we all need a closer walk with God. We need to ask ourselves if this is true of us, and if so, does God intend that we should continue in such a state till death takes us to Christ, or He comes for us. Surely there is not a line of scripture to warrant such conclusion. Oh! beloved brethren! our God would have us each and all to taste and drink more deeply from the eternal fullness of that well which is even now within us. Let there be hearty confession, true lowliness, a rending of the heart-a cry to God, and would not that of itself be the beginning of a season of blessing to our own souls, overflowing into other souls, until, who knows where the blessed result would end ? Shall we say of these things as they did of Ezekiel's message, " Doth he not speak parables ?" or shall we bow our knees with our hearts in a whole-hearted prayer, " O Lord, revive Thy work "?

Q. 1.-"I have a difficulty in understanding 2 Thess. 2:3, 7, seeing the general teaching that the saints being caught away and the Holy Spirit gone with them, so the restraint being off, the mystery of iniquity would have full course, headed by the man of sin. But in Help and Food, April, 1889, in an article, 'Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven,' there was a different application of the third verse. In speaking of the separation (p. 91), we are told to look a little more closely at the manner of it. Gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them. It is a separation of tares, so as to leave the wheat distinct for the ingathering. On the 93rd page, we are told to distinguish the tares from the mere formalist and unfruitful professor of the truth, and yet the formalist will not escape, etc. Here is a simple question of good wheat for the granary or tares for the burning. Nothing else is in the field at all, all seem to have taken sides. And as a warrant for such an interpretation we are pointed to the second epistle to the Thessalonians.- 95th page, ' This passage exhibits the man of sin as the dis-tinct head and leader of the latter-day apostasy. The coming of the Wicked one is declared to be with terrible power of delusion, which will carry away captive the masses of unconverted among professing Christians, until none of that middle class re-main.' How are we to understand it? Does the delusion precede (to such a degree) the appearing of the Wicked one as to cause the separation? or does it mean that the appearing of the Wicked one causes it ? The latter is the way I thought the writer meant it until reading November Help and Food, where it speaks of the apostasy (p. 285) having its beginning under the fifth trumpet. This, then, does not harmonize with the thought in April number, 1889, that the unconverted among professing Christians will be carried away by the coming of the Wicked one, until only two classes remain in the field, because we know we shall be home in glory before the fifth trumpet sounds.

" But apart from all this, it seemed strange to me why the apostle should tell those Christians that day would not come until the falling away came first, if no Christians would be here when the falling away came, which, according to the general teaching, will be the case." A. DOYLE

Bedford, N. S.

Ans.-There is often a difficulty in the turning a parable (if I may so express it,) into direct prophecy, as the aim of the parable is rather to give moral principles for practical application, than the order of events. The statement in the paper on the " Mysteries" is more guarded than our correspondent has understood it to be. The passage reads, "All seem to have taken sides, before the solemn close of the time of harvest, either manifestly for Christ, or as manifestly against Him." It is not said that this is so before the wheat is taken away. The tares are bound in bundles before that, but how the paper refuses to say. The binding in bundles is angelic action, not apostasy, and tares are not necessarily open apostates. They are such as have received some satanic error, but have not necessarily openly rejected Christ, (which is the apostasy), though naturally on the road to that.

I do not believe the apostasy can come while the Spirit of God is here. Signs of its being at hand are all around us now, but it is not come; and I see not why the apostle should not point out to Christians that the day of the Lord had not come because the apostasy had not, though we shall not be here when it does come.

I quote a passage from the paper in question, which will show fully the view intended to be given there:-

"Thus terribly shall the history of Christendom close. The true saints once taken out of it, the door of grace will be closed forever on those who have rejected grace. They will be given over to become, as they speedily will become, from being unbelievers of the truth, believers of a lie." F.W.G.

With what is merely denominational, we would feel that we had very little, if any thing, to do. But when events occur which involve the truth of God, or show either an awakening of conscience among His people or the reverse, it is certainly well to see what we ' can learn from them. For some time past there has been considerable agitation among Presbyterians as to making certain changes in their Confession of Faith. The object is, to secure changes such as the removal of objectionable statements in the chapter on Election, and to bring out more clearly the precious truth of God's love. There have been extremists, on the one hand, who would make sweeping alterations, not having much sympathy with the system of doctrine contained in the book, while on the other there are many, and those representing the most conservative element in the church, who deprecate making any changes at all. The general sentiment, however, is, that certain changes of the character above indicated should be made, and a committee of the Genera) Assembly is now at work to this end.

One might well ask, Why should there be any such creed at all ? At best, if strictly correct in doctrine, it usurps a place which should be occupied only by the inspired Word of God, thereby making the claim, practically if not verbally, of Rome – that the church is the teacher of doctrine, which is stated too obscurely in Scripture to be understood. Premising this, which would do away with all necessity for revision, we would notice here two elements at work, – one which would do away with precious truth, and the other desirous of stating that truth more clearly. These discussions necessitate examination of Scripture; and so far, we can be thankful, for God's Word studied for light always gives it. It may be that some will be led to see the unscripturalness of creeds from this very necessity for revision. Soon saints will see, in the light of the judgment-seat of Christ, that this was not required of them, and that instead of being helps, creeds are but barriers to keep God's people apart. The practical lesson for those who see this now is to show by their own skillful use of the Word itself how needless any creed would be. Alas! wide-spread ignorance of Scripture prevails. Would that it might be remedied !

For many years it has been customary for the religious bodies composing the Evangelical Alliance, and under the direction of that organization, to observe the first week in January as a special season of prayer. A program is published, assigning special topics for each day,-such as prayer for the Church, its unity, spirituality, and its service in home and foreign mission work, for the family and for nations, etc. This practice originated in the mission field, in a desire for greater blessing on the work there and upon the churches at home. Often it has been a time of real and marked blessing; for when was our God ever sought in truth, even if not " after the due order," and did not richly reward the seekers? Surely it is the duty as well as privilege of Christians every where to remember those who are thus engaged, and to pray for them. It is not, therefore, in any spirit of criticism that we would examine this observance in the light of Scripture. We know that God's Word, though sharper than any two-edged sword, only lops off unsightly and useless excrescences, never injures what is the real fruit of the Spirit. We would suggest, as a danger to be guarded against, that the regular recurrence of a set time each year do not become a mere matter of form. If the "set times of Jehovah " (Lev. 23:) could degenerate into " feasts of V? the Jews " (Jno. 2:), how much greater the danger in the case of times merely of human appointment! In all things, we are apt to follow habit and precedent, and not the leadings of the Spirit of God. The moment a practice becomes habitual and fashionable, it loses the freshness and spontaneity which are ever the characteristics of a work of God.

Then, too, while it is right to pray for rulers and governors, and for the Church and its work, to mix these two, and to pray that nations as such may become Christianized, is only to repeat the old error of looking for a millennium without Christ,-to degrade the Church from a heavenly bride to an earthly nation. It is a re-assertion that the " course of this world " is upward and not downward. Alas! that this is the common faith of the professing church, is but too evident.

What a sad denial of the need of prayer for unity is the existence of the various sects, and members of these coming together to pray " that they may be one," without apparently the slightest exercise of conscience as to how displeasing to God their own position is. Surely it is well for all who pray for unity to remember the words of the Psalmist-" If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me," and of the apostle, who in asking the prayers of the saints, assures them of a good conscience on his part, " in all things willing to live honestly." How can prayers for unity be intelligently earnest and sincere, when those who make them continue to hold and practice that which means disunion? Here, as in all things, there must be truth if we would not mock God, and a readiness to act for Him and so remove the hindrances which prevent His answering our prayers. What refreshing, what power, what a testimony, would result from a spirit of true prayer amongst God's people, manifesting itself in obedience to His word ! May He awake His people to these things!

We must have been the feelings of Mary Magdalene when, on going to the sepulcher in search of the dead body of her Lord, she found Him alive! He was such a treasure, that she could turn her back on angels to seek His body. Such love had its reward in the delight which filled her soul when she heard His voice. May our love be more like hers, for He lives for us.

"And the same day, Pilate and Herod were made friends together ; for before, they were at enmity between themselves." (Luke 23:12.)

One of the characteristics of men in their natural state is, "living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another." What can be expected from the carnal mind which is " enmity against God " but enmity against its fellow also? The violence and the hatred and strife we see in the world are but fruits of that departure from Him who alone is Love. And so after conversion-after we have " received the reconciliation," the sweet and precious fruits of the Spirit are seen ; and among the first is love, and all its accompanying manifestations of forgiveness of and reconciliation with our fellows. How can the one who has been forgiven much fail to forgive the little offenses against himself? It would argue that one did not realize it for himself if he failed in its exercise toward others.

Here, however, as in many other ways, Satan has a counterfeit of the real, in which while a good deal of the outward appearance is preserved, all that gives character and value is wanting. This is so in a marked degree with the case before us. Pilate and Herod had been at enmity; they become reconciled. What led to this reconciliation?-what motives actuated them? Sad is the answer-their rejection of Christ. It may be said that Pilate was not so violently opposed to Him,-that He was willing to let Him go, and that Herod would have been glad to see some miracle performed by Him. Still this in no wise affects the fact that Christ was set at naught by Herod, and delivered up to be crucified by Pilate. "He that is not with Me is against Me;" and these two, having been specially called upon to decide for or against Him, take their place with His enemies. This brings them together, gives the occasion for their reconciliation. What a spectacle! The Son of God mocked, scourged, and delivered up for crucifixion; and the men who were responsible for it as it were shaking hands over it! After all, is not this what we see in the world at the present day? Are not the very things which link men with one another the ones which separate them from Christ? Not necessarily immoral things, but those which have usurped the place which He would claim, show the enmity which is just as real, though less apparent, as if more flagrant acts had indicated it.

But it is not for the world that we are writing. Is there not a lesson for us. as Christians to learn ? First, what is that which links us with the world ? Is it a common interest in business, or the daily affairs of life, which so absorb as to become our object, instead of that love and pity which spring from communion with the Lord? While in the world, we must be engaged in the daily duties of life,-the common affairs that all men must attend to; but to be so absorbed in these as to leave the Lord out is to act as though we were of the world as well as in it. This is the friendship of the world, and it is enmity with God, practically. A friendship of this kind is, in measure, of the character of that between Pilate and Herod. Much of the sociability with the unsaved is dangerously near this. Would those who are now so pleased to have our company like it if we avowed loyalty to Him who is their enemy? Farthest removed from a moroseness and gloom that repel is this frank, happy, confession of Christ which comes from a heart filled with His love. Surely we cannot make rules for ourselves or for one another, but do we not need some exercise of conscience as to this very thing?

But as between saints, is there not need to beware of links of the character of that between Pilate and Herod ? That prejudice which separates from some of our brethren and attracts to others is like it. Differences and coolness toward some drawing us closer to those of like mind with us is like it. It is thus that parties spring up amongst God's people, and under the guise of congeniality, etc., confederacies are formed. Further, though not exactly of like character, there is the being held together by rejection of error merely. The Lord never intended us to. be occupied with evil,-never would have us drawn together by what we refuse and deny merely. Positive truth is what attracts and holds together-truth which sets the Lord Himself before us. Love to Him, worship of Him, this is the constraining bond which the Spirit uses to unite and hold us together. The more we know of Christ (in the heart)-the more His truth fills us, so much the closer will we be together. This is a friendship which has neither honey nor leaven to corrupt it, and so abides.

We need not be reminded how common a question among saints it is, "How can I get rid of my bad habits?"In the effort to get clear of them, many a day has been misspent, and the saint brought into bondage. Scarcely a Christian you meet but is afflicted with some "besetting sin" (though in Heb. 12:it is not some particular sin, but sin in general, which besets).

The first necessity is, to know that bad habits are sins :soft words are not in place when dealing with what crucified the Lord. After they have been judged and confessed as such, we are ready to see the way of escape. It makes no difference what particular form the habit takes,-whether irritability, strife, emulation, envy, or what not,-they one and all spring from a common source. What a relief to find that instead of having many foes to contend with, we have not even one ! For sin, which is the root of evil, is not something to be contended with. We would be invariably overcome in that kind of warfare. But we are dead-dead by the death of Another. Faith reckons this to be true, and, as a result, finds-as when do we not?-that God is true when He says that "sin shall not have dominion over us, for we are not under law but under grace." Now, the root-the body of sin-being destroyed, for faith, not to sight, the habits are gone too as we walk by faith. This being the case, it is evident that the bad habits will resume their sway so soon as faith ceases to be in exercise. We get rid of them by counting God true, and so at leisure from evil; indeed, to be at leisure from it, we must be occupied with good. " Overcome evil with good." It is as we view the unvailed glory of the Lord that we are changed into the same image. In the sanctuary, in the presence of God, is our abiding place (Ps. 27:). Into that holy place sin and bad habits cannot enter. From His light all the unfruitful works of darkness shrink away. How happy, how natural, is such a life! And yet, alas ! we need to watch, lest, as Eve was beguiled by the serpent, we should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Under the guise of holiness, perfect love, etc., many a soul has really embraced that which is the very opposite of these. If we walk with God, bad habits will not trouble us.

The apostle's attitude of soul in his epistle to the Philippians is full of interest. The moral excellence of his character as a minister comes out very strikingly in this epistle. It is not merely that he kept his body under-that he did, surely,-but he could say to these Philippians, " Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do." I would note a few things:-

The apostle writes from prison; and his sojourn there is used, in the ways of God, to teach him, as a man and servant of Christ, doubtless many a needed lesson. As to the moral results of the trial, I see two things quite distinctly,-two principles that lay at the foundation of his character, one might say, viz., God his present portion, and his superiority over circumstances. And when we see how his trial served to display Christ, and where such tribulation, as is evident in his case, wrought endurance, we are not surprised, nor is it any longer a question why he should glory in it. So fully is God his present portion and unfailing trust, that he has learned in whatsoever state he is therewith to be content. Blessed place! happy portion ! Nothing, surely, can ever disturb our souls when God is before us. "When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble ? " We have abundant reason to believe that while with these dear saints to whom he writes there was fellowship in the gospel, there was not the happiest condition of things in their midst, for which he is peculiarly sensitive. Yet God and what is good is before his soul,-he is at rest.

It is not a matter of gift here, nor a question of fruit in ministry; by this he is not elated or depressed; he rejoices in fruit, but as seen in and connected with others -even in these dear saints; nor does he allow for a moment evil-what was wrong among them-to hinder that joy. In all this there is moral strength of soul,- inward strength, the result of outward trust. It was "out of weakness made strong;" it is love and devotedness in exercise, and one sees in it all the " way of more surpassing excellence."

Of great value and importance is this, I need not say; it gives sobriety of spirit, and weight and force to our ministry. And those who minister should see to it that these moral qualities are not lacking. Reputation is simply what I might be in the eyes of my neighbor-and for this I care not. Character is what I am and ought to be before God,-Christ being the measure, object, and pattern.

Lowliness, and a hearty appreciation of what is divine in the saints, also marks the apostle in the expression of his heart to them. That there is that which needs correction, warning, and rebuke is doubtless true, but with the good will he first and foremost in his soul be occupied. A man of prayer, he watches thereunto, with all prayer and supplication for them; while he rejoices in their love and fellowship, (as to need, there was none on his part,) still gift came before him in all the savor and fragrance of Christ, because his spirit was in God's presence, and He who is the source of all that is good is before his soul. How much of good and of grace among the saints is missed on our part because we allow evil to overcome us -the fruit of a legal state, that sees clearly enough what ought not to be, but has no power to remedy! Brethren, let us be followers of that which is good.

Thus we see another excellence-lowly grace in an apostle to receive and use rightly this token of their love and fellowship.

All this moral excellence of character is the result of being before God, and having Him before our souls. Trial there must be while here in the body. As soon as our souls learn the good of this, there is triumph, and what we naturally shrink from becomes a source of joy. May the blessed Lord more and more confirm it in our souls, for His name's sake. Amen. C.S.L.