God is standing, as then, beseeching men to be saved. His voice is audible, but it dies in the distance; the multitudes are too busy to listen. As I look at the world's population at this moment, dead in sin, dead to God, alive only to things of time, I inquire truly, whether it be in God's parental love and wisdom to avert judgment, or to execute it? And my reason tells me that it is the highest proof of His fatherly love to execute fierce judgment. If it be true, "Ye must be born again," and not one in ten thousand-in twenty thousand of the world's. population is born again of the Spirit, then it must be wise and good in God to reduce the population, to stem the loss of souls, to speak in a terrible voice of judgment, that those who escape may consider. And I believe, without such biblically-authenticated voices, belief in God would die out as to any high, practical result.

My principal intention in this prophecy is to reduce the four sevens- the seven Churches, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials-so that they shall be seen to be the same seven-seven dispensations. By comparing them carefully in order, the regular gradation and climax of all will be immediately seen. I purpose, therefore, simply commenting upon the chapters as they stand, and the order of the Divine mind will be seen.

CHAPTER I.

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"THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John who bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw" (i. 1-2). As I have said before, it was not given to "the Son of man to know "the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power" til after his ascension. (Mark xiii. 32.) The human and Divine natures in Him were perfectly distinct,—the human was as dependent upon the Divine as is each one of the human family. (Heb. ix. 14; Isa. xlii. 1.) "My Father which dwelleth in me, He doeth the works; " but, although the Revelation was not given to Him before His work was completed, He knew it was to be one of the results of that work, as He foretold to His disciples, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is

come upon you." (Acts i. 7-8.) And hence, that very remarkable conversation related by St. John xxi., from the 18th verse; Jesus there told Peter by what death He should die, and then intimated something concerning the beloved disciple, which they could not quite understand: "Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die : yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" This wonderful Revelation, and important to the world, was the subject of the conversation, and thus it is that the book opens with this Divine notification, the Revelation which God gave to Christ, and sent and signified it by that same "Angel," or Messenger, Ambassador, or Sent One, for that is the meaning of the word angel, and in this book we shall often find it employed both for Christ and the Holy Ghost,—let us remember to bear this in mind.*

Truly, John above all others, both in his Gospel and Epistles, had borne record of the Word of God,— "This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." And thus it was, when the Son received from His Father the knowledge of the stupendous result, the grand extent of His work,

Angelos, Messenger, is all that is meant in this book by Angels.

He made it known unto all His servants by that beloved and faithful One.

"Blessed is he that readeth "-Oh, God, bestow the benediction !" and they that hear the words of this prophecy." Let none so resist God as to refuse to listen. "He that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath given unto us His Holy Spirit."

"John to the seven Churches which are in Asia: grace be unto you; and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before His throne." It would be absurd to suppose that this was addressed only to seven Churches established by the apostles, as it is not even known that such Churches existed; but, admitting they did, as we should always admit the literal interpretation as well as the overreaching meaning, still we may not contract a Revelation to a lost world to the passing moment. They are the seven Churches of the world's history, as the extensive holy salutation and benediction to all proves from the God of the past, present, and future; and from the Seven Spirits, which mean one eternal Spirit, but of the seven dispensations.

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth." Isaiah prophesied, "I have given Him for a witness to the people" (lv. 4), it meant One who should bear witness to the truth, and

seal His witness by His blood. Christ did this; and Prince of the kings of the earth means both "the Prince" prophesied of by Isaiah (ix. 6), and the High Priest, and Prince of Peace, in one embodiment so beautifully set forth by St. Paul (Heb. vii.), "King of righteousness. King of peace. A priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. After the power of an endless life." And the kings of the earth are His servants: "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father." John had borne witness to the love of Christ, and redemption by His blood; also to the institution of the order of priesthood after Him. "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." (John xx. 21; xxi. 15—16.) Then he could say, Who hath made us kings and priests unto God, degrees in the order of priesthood are signified, "Ye are a royal priesthood" (1 Pet. ii. 9), one in the order of Melchisedec, in the order of Christ, the Head of the Body, the Church. "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. (Heb. iii. 1.) "To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." Amen means here, "the Faithful Witness," as in the i. 5; iii. 14; meaning, as Christ had been a faithful and true witness of the will of God to mankind with