they dwell with Him, " and are led by Him to living fountains of waters," to joys pure and eternal; they still depend on the virtue of his sacrifice; they still seek their happiness from him.

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They were redeemed from among men. "Purchased by the blood of the Lamb that was applied to them, and rescued from captivity to sin and Satan.

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They are the first-fruits unto God and the Lamb." Like the first-fruits of the field, and the first-born of the Israelites, consecrated to the Lord; like the firstfruits, an assured pledge of that rich and abundant harvest, which will at last be gathered into hea

ven.

"In their mouth was no guile." Nathaniels, Israelites indeed, they were faithful and upright in their profession of Christ, and in their testimony against the corruptions and idolatry of Antichrist; and free from falsehood and hypocrisy in their general conduct.

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"They are without fault before the throne of God." Perfectly justified by the righteousness of the Redeemer, and sanctified and freed from the very existence of sin, they are "presented to God, blameless and without spot."

After thus exhibiting, for the support of the pious, the blessed state of those who should remain faithful during the period of darkness and error in the church, St. John was shown the mode in which the dominion of Antichrist upon earth should be destroyed. He "beheld another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and kindred, and tongue, and people." I have already remarked, that I do not suppose we are to seek a strictly chronological arrangement of events in this chapter; it is a

bright and consolatory representation of important truths, properly interposed between the gloomy scenes that occur in the preceding and succeeding chapters. I suppose, therefore, that there is no necessity of referring the flight of the angel to the Reformation, or to the efforts of the pious at a preceding period. The vision evidently denotes some wonderful diffusion of the gospel near the termination of the reign of Antichrist, that shall be one principal means of his destruction. Just before the destruction of the beast and the false prophet, the gospel, everlasting in its origin, proceeding from the immutable God, and devised in the counsels of eternity; everlasting in its substance, since it was radically the same in all dispensations; everlasting in its duration, since it will never be utterly lost, and in its effects, which will never cease: this gospel shall rapidly and irresistibly be diffused throughout the world, and through it error and superstition shall be abolished, and the delusions of false religion vanish. Do I err in supposing that this prophecy is remarkably accomplishing at the present moment? Never was such a spectacle exhibited as is now presented by all the Christian world! You must have been, indeed, most inattentive observers of the providence of God, if you have not marked the angel flying; if you have not seen that, by means of Bible and Missionary Societies, the gospel has, in a manner truly wonderful, been proclaimed among numerous nations, who till lately had never heard of it, and been presented with new splendour and glory to many people who had long neglected it, or almost lost the knowledge of it in its purity, through prevailing corruptions. The voice of the angel, his declaration both in the written and preached word,

is," Fear God;" entertain a holy reverence for him, and offend him not by idolatry or sin. "Give glory to him;" humbly adore Him and Him only; seeing the manifestation of his perfections in nature, providence, and redemption, give him the glory due unto his name, and bow not down to saints or idols. "The hour of his judgment is come;" it is brought into clear view, and vengeance will soon be poured out upon his foes. "Worship him then that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." The character of God, as Creator, is with propriety dilated on for the instruction of those, whether the followers of Antichrist or idolaters, to whom the gospel is sent.

Another angel announces by anticipation that destruction of Babylon that is more fully described in the eighteenth chapter: "Babylon is fallen, is fallen : that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath [vv, or of the vehemence] of her fornication." We have seen, and it will more plainly appear in illustrating the seventeenth chapter, that by Babylon is meant the metropolis of the antichristian empire. It is termed Babylon, for its idolatry and haughtiness, and for keeping in captivity the true church. To have said in plain terms, Rome, would have been inconsistent with that degree of obscurity proper for prophesy, and would have been considered in the time of John as a crime against the empire. The reason of her destruction is assigned: she has enticed the nations into that idolatry and corruption which have kindled against them the wrath of God; she has seduced them into practices which bring down upon them the indignation of the Lord.

The terribleness of this indignation is declared by the third angel. Woes are denounced against all who adhere to Antichrist, and forsake the pure gospel, in terms than which none can be more terrible; by figures than which none can be more appalling. Instead of the enchanting cup with which Babylon intoxicated the nations, "they shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation." "In the presence of the holy angels," to whom they will in vain appeal for help or pity;" in the presence of the Lamb" of God, whose gospel they corrupt, whose grace they neglect, and who then will come as their Judge; "they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone." To this agonized pain there shall be neither end nor intermission, for "the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest, day nor night." Thus terribly shall thine enemies perish, O God! Thus shall the followers of Antichrist be destroyed.

Having thus shown by impressive contrast the different states through eternity of the sincere friends and of the enemies of the Redeemer, the apostle adds, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus:" that is, Here is the ground and reason why the saints endure without shrinking the severe trials to which they are exposed under Antichrist; they look forward with confidence to honour, glory, and immortality; and fearing Him who can cast both body and soul into hell, they "fear not those who can only kill the body, and after that have nothing else that they can do." " And here is the reason also why these representations are given before their proper place in the chronological order of these visions, to encourage those who have the mark of

God upon them to be steadfast and immoveable. And this effect is produced: for while so many listen to the beast, "they keep the commandments of God:" conforming in heart and life to his word, as the only rule of faith, practice, and worship; they keep" the faith of Jesus:" believing, maintaining in their purity, professing all the ordinances and institutions of the Redeemer.

But, the believer, who lived in the time of darkness and persecution, might exclaim, Of what avail will it be to me, that Antichrist shall hereafter be destroyed? that at the termination of his reign his votaries will be punished, while the faithful followers of Jesus shall be rewarded? In the mean time, many thousands of us may perish before the deliverance of the church is accomplished. For the full consolation and support of Christians, and as a triumphant answer to this objection, St. John "heard a voice from heaven, saying, Write, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth :" Immediately after death they shall enter into felicity; their happiness shall not be deferred till the destruction of Antichrist, and the appearance of the church in that purity and glory to which it shall attain.

"The

Spirit," who is infallibly true, assures them that "they shall," immediately on their death, "rest from their labours:" from their sufferings for Chsist, from sorrows of every kind, from conflicts with sin, Satan, and the world: " and their works shall follow them :" not preceding them as a meritorious plea, but attending them, as evidences of their sincerity and the measure of the reward of grace. Their works of faith and labour of love will never be forgotten.

While we here pause in our lecture, let us think of ourselves. In one of these worlds, so widely dis