from God out of heaven" (as similarly described in the 3rd chapter,) and "the tabernacle of God" is said to be "with men, and He will dwell among them." No heavenly inhabitants are mentioned beside "the nations" and "the kings of the earth;" there is a renovation, “behold I make all things new." These words then, which are "true and faithful," seem to confirm the impression gathered from the new heavens and new earth" of Peter,(d) and "the world to come," literally the habitable earth, of Paul, ()-that this planet in a renovated and refined condition of surpassing beauty and splendour, realizing all that we now behold in type and embryo in the works of nature, will be at least one of the "many mansions of our Father's house, in which the re-. deemed shall dwell.

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"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever. ."—Revelation xxii. 1-5.

:

;

The symbols employed in conveying an idea of the future world are to some extent a sublimation of the state of things pre

(c) Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.-Revelation iii. 12.

dicted by the early prophets of the millennial age, there being allusions to the number of gates of the city, the river of the water of life, the tree of life, and so The "tree of life," borrowed from the tree which typified immortality in the paradise of Adam and Eve, is mentioned also in the 2nd chapter. ()

on.

And

"And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly : blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them. when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus

(d) 2 Peter iii. 13 (e) Hebrews ii. 5. (f) Revelation ii. 7.

have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. that heareth say, Come.

And let him And let him that

is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."-Revelation xxii. 6—21.

It is observable how, in the 6th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and following verses of the last chapter, this Book of Revelation is constituted a perpetual prophet till the end of all things; it is connected with the series of ancient prophecies by the words, "the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.Behold, I come quickly." John is directed not to seal up (that is, he is at once to make public) the words of this prophecy, because the fulfilment of the predicted events began at once with the age in which it was written. And in relation to the eternal duration of the future felicity revealed in this book, the lapse of some nineteen centuries is but a short time, and the end comes indeed " quickly."

"These things" are not only "faithful

(g) Acts xv. 18.

(h) Acts xvii. 24-28. (i) Colossians i. 16.

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and true," but are to be testified "in or concerning the churches ;" and while a curse is denounced upon any man who shall add to or diminish the predictions contained (in reference probably to the spurious Apocalypses which soon became current), "blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."

Here, then, we conclude. We have learned from the books of the seers the certainty of God's foreknowledge :-" Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world." (") We have verified the inspired declarations, that God not only foreknows, but has ordered and predestinated all the affairs of earth :"God made the world and all things therein; He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; for in Him we live, and move, and have our being." (") "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him."(i) "For there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God.") And while we have seen how the servants of Christ perform the duties of their life under His particular guidance and care,—for "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord;"(*) we have also assured ourselves that the evil among men are equally subject to the control of the Almighty : as the Psalmist prayed, "Deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: from men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world,

(j) Romans xiii. 1. (k) Psalmxxxvii. 23.

whed have their portion in this life."() he earliest books in the Bible dates the mystery of the domi

A

evil, and the unequal and appavacy equitable portions allotted as the aca afferent peoples and individuals; edhe last book in the Bible explains 1 m greater fulness how the world's is but a means to an end—an epiwer a vaster series of events, which & being transacted in the universe of And with the plot of the great of Providence before us, we shall no longer with amazed perplexity om the mystery of a world still wretched, ugh Jesus long since sent down the weised Comforter to complete the pur

and gradually enter upon the posion of His kingdom; we shall under

* how the great concerns of God's Here at present forbid His bowing the A of the whole human race by one

fluence of His Spirit; and why it that sin as yet reigns triumphant, and hat the church of the elect has continued Roble and fleeing,-but only until the

[(1) Psalm xvii. 13, 14. (m) Genesis xxxvii. 19, 20. (n) 2 Peter iii. 2.

Thus our faith sure word of

appointed hour shall toll. has a consolation in the prophecy, whereunto we do well to take heed, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day-star arise. And, far from contemning the efforts of the interpreter, or saying disdainfully with the sons of Jacob, "Behold, this dreamer cometh! we shall see what will become of his dreams," (m) we shall welcome any light that can be shed upon things future; we shall "be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets," (")" inquiring diligently" concerning the grace " and " 'glory which they "ministered not unto themselves but unto us,' ,” “to be brought unto us " at "the end," "at the revelation of Jesus Christ; "() and, like the "noble Bereans," we shall "search the scriptures daily, whether these things are so,”(P)— urged by the apostolic commendation, that "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." (4)

o) 1 Peter i. 10-13. (p) Acts xvii. 11. (a) Romans xv. 4.