But what had Jacob's experience, in all his vicissitudes, taught him of God, beyond what was revealed to his faith-if he had had the faith to receive it-in the very outset of his course at Bethel? It is no fresh revelation of God that now puts him upon seeking a moral conformity to the character and relationship in which he stands toward him. The answer of his heart, when he first met "the God of Beth-el," was, "Jehovah shall be my God; and this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house." But there had been little remembrance of this "yow" at a distance from the scenes in which the wondrous revelations of grace and glory first drew it forth. But God remembered His part, and was with him in all places whither he went (though little regarded), for he had said I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of" ! But when Bethel is again reached or journeyed toward under God's last call, after all this trial, then suddenly and for the first time, breaks upon Jacob's thought, that the things of idolatry, and the ornaments of the flesh, that had gathered around him in Padan Aram, must not be associated with a return to Bethel, where as a houseless pilgrim, with nothing but a staff in his hand," a Syrian ready to perish"-he first found the God of Bethel, in all His grace, and took Him in the gladness of His heart, and in the solemn vow of His lips, to be his God-his full, his blessed, his only portion! The false gods, and the ear-rings, and the filthy garments may remain without rebuke in Syria under Laban's hard service; nay, they may still be untouched, when God at Peniel is striving with us and when we have seen Him face to face and our life has been preserved; nay, they may be connected with the altar at Shechem; and all the terror of the presence of an adversary that none but God can deliver us from, may fail to lead us to an inquisition for what so divides the confidence of the heart with God, and is so unfit for His presence! But when the God of Bethelthe God of the poor pilgrim-recalls us to the brightness of His grace, and the unchangeable connexion in which that grace has set us with Himself, then the "false gods,'

the gods of the heart, can no longer be retained; "the ear-rings," the ornaments of the flesh which go along with a divided heart, must be put away; and the stained garments of the world can no longer be borne. In the thought of "Bethel," the gods and the earrings must find their place under the oak at Shechem. Perhaps the "purchased field," which promised a little rest and enjoyment at a distance from Bethel, is only used as furnishing a hole of burial for the things that cannot remain a moment in the presence of the grace and the God of Bethel. But Jacob at length is back again in blessed fellowship with Bethel and the God of Bethel; and how freely does the fountain of grace, and love, and faithfulness, pour forth its streams to refresh his weary heart! It is the God of Bethel still, in spite of all his forgetfulness and wanderings. "And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Beth-el."

Such, and so different, is the effect of the truth of God, known and believed, it may be, as a revelation; and the same truth held in living fellowship with God and in moral conformity to him whose revelation it is!

How shall JACOB supplant and become ISRAEL, a Prince with God?

With Saint-for what can human means avail?

His God un-owned, resources always fail:
Dependant supplicants alone prevail.-Ed.

239

No. XIV.

INQUIRY AS TO THE ANTI-CHRIST
OF PROPHECY.

MY DEAR BROTHER:-I beg to send you a series of remarks, which have gradually been assuming importance in my mind for now three or four years, though I still present them only in the shape of inquiry, and shall be glad and thankful to receive the communication of any remarks, or the suggestion of any difficulties-many having presented themselves to myself in the period I speak of. All who look for a personal Anti-Christ have been accustomed to assume that He is the head of the Roman empire, in whose hand imperial power will be and the throne of the world. Of this I much doubt. I have no doubt that there will be this blasphemous power, the object of universal admiration. The Scriptures seem to me to contain a plain revelation of this. The belief of it, therefore, remains of course unshaken in my mind. The question is: Is this power the Anti-Christ? The outline of the state of things, I would remark, therefore remains unaltered; and I am glad to add this, because it is important that while open to correction on account of our imperfection, ascertained truth should maintain its weight and authority: as a moral state of the soul this is important. I have often seen "the putting, always, every thing in question", presented as sincerity and the love of truth. Whereas it is merely the haughtiest pretension of the human mind, which would hold its unshackled despotism to displace every thing at pleasure, and make its own thoughts creatures of its will; whereas love of truth is seen in holding and being subject to known truth in which we are taught of God, and, as subject to it, not departing from it. But, of course, even where known, we may be imperfect in our apprehension of it. I repeat, then, I see nothing to change in general, though, doubtless, much to learn in the belief of this blasphemous imperial power which will act under or

have the throne of Satan in the last days. The question with me is, if the saints have not lost sight of another power, of which the Scriptures speak more even than of the great public blasphemous government; and that the consideration of this power is necessary to the filling up of the scene according to Scripture: and I further question, whether this power be not properly the Anti-Christ, though there may have been many morally.

I proceed to consider the passages, and present the thoughts which have occurred to me. Anti-Christ is not spoken of nominally, that I am aware of, elsewhere than in the Epistle of John. There, it is needless to say, his character is wholly religious,-an heretical and apostate activity against the person and glory of Christ and the essential doctrines of truth as connected with Him, and of which Christianity is formed. They went out from us," thus manifested "that they were not all of us." The apostle then directed the attention of the younger saints who had heard that there would be an Anti-Christ to this, as giving his character and marking the last times. Further, he denies the Father and the Son-the revelation proper to and constituting Christianity. He does not confess Jesus Christ come in flesh

the other great cardinal basis of the truth. We may add, not as in contrast with Christianity, but as generally characteristic," Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ ?" This would be the first point to which godly Jews would be brought, without speaking of the doctrines of Christianity. When this was really owned, a man could be recognised as born of God. When the Christ formed the subject of religious belief and expectation, to own Jesus to be it, implied a proper work of God. An apostate and heretical character is given then as the mark of Anti-Christ, and further, as of Satan ("who is a liar?"). He does not own (which seems to me more Jewish in its connexion and evil) Jesus to be the Christ. Who was the Christ, not what He was, is the subject of interest, and that is an answer to Jewish expectation, and the test of Jewish incredulity-("If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins"); and he who is a liar denies that the blessed Jesus is.

It is evident that the presenting Himself as the Son made the Jews reject Him as the Christ-because thus, they were-man was morally put to the test; and it must have been so to be according to truth, and also in order not to present an object to human passions in a religious form, but the truth and glory and Son of God God himself morally, and the manifestations of the Father in grace, to the heart and conscience of men (see John viii. 14-24). Still the two things are distinct, though impossible to separate, as both are united in His person. I may add here, that the translation, "this is that [spirit] of Anti-Christ," is hardly warranted, that is, the insertion of the word "spirit"; but I do not feel need to say more. In general it is evident, that what the Spirit of God designates as characterising this Anti-Christ are religious qualities or energies of evil. He is occupied with religious subjects, and characterised by that occupation, and in connection with Christianity and Judaism. This is not, perhaps, all his character; but it is characteristic: this is the το του Αντιχριστου. This is evidently of great importance. There is an energising spirit of this character. We have then the fact, as to the history of the latter day, that there are two beasts or manifestations of power united in their operations, but at the same time very distinct; each of them amazingly important in the place it holds, though one be distinctively on the throne of the prince of this world, the other not. Whatever title they may hold, those are the two. I speak of this, because, in some passages, and in our minds in reflecting on the spirit of the age, the general character may be presented, and we readily forget that there are certainly historically two vessels of evil power; one having the public authority and a certain character; the other, in whom is the energy which acts and produces the effect on men, in subservience to that throne and public power. I shall consider first this second beast in whom the energy of seduction is found. It will hardly be questioned that the Anti-Christ, whatever system of interpretation is adopted, is found in one or other of these two vessels of evil power. First, then, the second is a beast. That is, there is an analogy in the nature of their existence. Now