saw Nathaniel coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathaniel saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathaniel answered and said unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."

Now these Scriptures also clearly shew that these disciples had been diligent students of the Prophetic Word; and that in consequence, they were looking out for, and expecting, their Messiah: and they were not disappointed in this expectation. I cannot but think also, from the tenor of Christ's remarks to Nathaniel, that Nathaniel was at this very time, when "under the fig tree," praying for Divine direction on this very subject; and that he not only received an immediate answer to his prayer, in his being thus brought to, and believing in, Jesus; but that he had the farther revelation made to him, of what would take place in the Millennium, at Christ's Second Coming; when the heavens would be opened over Jerusalem; and the angels of God would be seen "ascending and descending," from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth; with an assurance that he himself would be there also, as a happy participant likewise of the glory.2

We see then from these contrasted examples, how deeply

1 John i. 35-51.

2 Isaiah xxiv. 23; Rev. xix. 6-9, 11-16; Matt. xix. 28; Luke xx. 35, 36; 1 John iii. 1-3; John xvii. 24; Col. iii. 3, 4; Phil. iii. 20, 21; Matt. xiii. 43, &c.

important the study of the Prophetic Word is: and as it was at the First Coming of the Lord, so will it be likewise at the Second. Those who are "waiting and watching,' and living a godly life in Christ Jesus, are taught, when they see the things predicted by Jesus "begin to come to pass," "to look up, and to lift up their heads; for" "then" "their redemption draweth nigh." But "as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell," kaonμévovs, literally, "are seated," or settled down "on the face of the earth," and wholly engrossed in its pursuits. "Watch ye therefore," says Jesus," and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.' ""1 And the Prophetic Word has, therefore, been especially given to us as our chart, and guide in this particular, as we learn from 2 Pet. i. 16-21. “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His Majesty. For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed in your hearts," for this is the connexion, and how the passage should be read-“as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star," i.e., Christ Himself," "arise," i.e., come again.

The whole Prophetic Word, therefore, is to be our guide as to "the signs of the times," until Christ comes again. Hence the necessity of a diligent prayerful study of it; that we may be among "the wise," or "understanding" ones, as

1 Luke xxi. 28, 35, 36. See also Rev. iii. 10. 2 Rev. xxii. 16.

B

Daniel has it-for "none of the wicked shall understand”. and thus "know what Israel ought to do." We are, therefore, commanded to "exhort one another: and so much the more, as we see the day approaching:" which clearly implies a correct knowledge of the events that are to precede that day, which cannot of course be attained without such "searching "-" looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God." "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent" also "that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

Now a diligent perusal of the Prophetic Word will shew us, that there are certain Divine axioms, if I may so say, to guide us in such a search; and I will here mention a few of them, as a further help to young Prophetic Students, in their investigation of this subject.

In the first place, as I mentioned in the Preface to my first Volume of "Outlines," it is certain that God must mean what He says, and not something else; and that He must, moreover, have a meaning for everything that He says. This may seem a very trite remark; but it is a very important one: and as man does not always mean what he says, he is apt to treat God's Word, as he would treat the word of his fellow creature. And, therefore, however, simple such a rule may seem; it will be found in practice, profoundly difficult to believe, and act upon. Let me give an example or two by way of illustration. "The vision of Isaiah," the Prophet, is entitled that "which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem :" and it of course refers to this subject; the prophesies relating to other nations and kingdoms, being touched upon only so far as they are connected with Judah and Jerusalem. When Jerusalem, therefore, is mentioned, Jerusalem is meant; and when Zion is mentioned, Zion is meant; and not the Christian Church. The same principle

of course applies to the entire Word; and when the Lord refers to the "heavenly city," he distinguishes it from the earthly one, by such appellations as the "heavenly""Sion," or the "Jerusalem which is above," which "is free."

So when it is said, that "Christ pleased not Himself,”3 it means that He never for a single moment in the whole course of His spotless life did anything whatever to please Himself: for had He done so, this Scripture could not have been true: as the converse in John viii. 29, proves; where Jesus Himself says, "And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him." When men, however, speak of any one not pleasing himself, they mean nothing of the sort: but such a phrase has to be interpreted according to the language of common parlance; that is to say, not in the fulness of its meaning, or integrity; but in a very much lower and qualified sense indeed! Hence the necessity of distinguishing between God's Word and man's; as it is written, "Let God be true, but every man a liar."4

Again, our blessed Lord is sometimes called "Jesus," simply, and sometimes "Christ" simply, in the Divine Word: while in other places He is variously called "Jesus Christ" and "Christ Jesus;" or, "Christ Jesus the Lord," &c. But there is a reason for this. "Jesus means Saviour, and "Christ," anointed. "Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins." "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, Whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." Jesus Christ, therefore, means the Anointed Saviour-"Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all:" for "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: Who went about doing good, and healing

all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him." Jesus, therefore, is the name chiefly of His humiliation; while Christ is the name of His exaltation. "For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God." Jesus, therefore, is the name chiefly used in the Gospels, where it occurs no less than 612 times; while the name of Christ only occurs 56 times, and that chiefly as marking Him out as the Messiah-the Name Christ being the equivalent of the name Messiah. But in the Acts and in the Epistles, the reverse is the case: for there the Name of Christ occurs 256 times, while in the Epistles the name of Jesus only occurs 33 times, and then chiefly in association also with the name of Christ. When, therefore, the name of Jesus is prefixed to the name of Christ, it refers to Him as the humbled One, Who is now exalted-"that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." But when the Name of Christ is prefixed to the name of Jesus, it refers to Him as the exalted One, Who was once humbled-"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him," &c.1

In the next place, we must be very careful not to put our own construction upon the Word of God; but to attend diligently to the principles of interpretation which the Holy