and God HIMSELF shall be with them, and be their God." "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death neither shall there be any more pain;" for the former things (which related to this system,) are passed away, Rev. xxi. 3, 4; and a more permanent state of never ending bliss will succeed it. Here in the fadeless splendor of the mansions of the new Jerusalem, was the revelator invited by an angel to come and see, who said, "Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife," "And he carried me away in the spirit, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” Here in this city will be situated the bride, the Lamb's wife, who will make herself ready, and passing through much tribulation, will rest forever there. And being the children of the resurrection they are to be equal with the angels of God, which is the statement of him who is the resurrection and the life. See Luke xx, 36; if so, then indeed those abodes of the righteous shall be very glorious. It is said they shall have bodies like the glorified body of our Lord; and it may be that at the time of his transfiguration on the mount, was an exhibition of that body as it is now in glory. (See Mark ix. 3.) And his raiment became shining, exceeding whate as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them Again the appearance of angels at the tomb of the risen saviour, is an exhibition of the glory of the heavenly hosts, (Luke xxiv. 4,) two men stood by them in shining garments. Also, the angel who rolled away the stone from the tomb where they had laid the body of our Lord, was glorious to look upon. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment as white as snow, Math. xxviii. 3. If, then, the saints are to be equal with the angels of God, will they not also, be like them in appearance. Of this fact, prophesied Daniel, who foresaw the glory of the saints, says, " And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars, for ever and ever. Dan. xii. 3. The period of the general judgment according to scripture, may be expected to take place not far from eleven hundred and seventy six years from the present, reckoning as follows, from the 1827, till the year of our Lord, 2000, will be 173 years, when the millennium will commence; at which time will be the resurrection of all the "dead in Christ" from whence a thousand years must elapse, which is the term of the millennium, immediately after, Satan is to be loosed, but is to continue "a little season only," suppose three years, when this is accomplished, the last trump shall und, when all the living saints on earth will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and be caught up to God, when the wicked dead will rise, and the judgment set; instantly thereafter, the whole solar system will burst into flames of fire and pass a way with a great noise, when the new creation will doubtless immediately succeed, and the righteous en ter there, to reign with Christ, and to enjoy an eter nal weight of glory. And as descriptive of the cease less flowing and perpetuity of their happiness, the Revelator, says, that the angel, who had showed him the great city, the holy new Jerusalem, (chap xxi. verse 10. 11.) also showed him a river, (chap. xxii. 1,)proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb, clear as crystal. We find Ezekiel, chap. xlvii, has also described a river proceeding from underneath the threshold of the temple, and on its banks we observe, (verse 7,) there were very many trees on the one side, and on the other; which trees doubtless, signify the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles and Preachers of the Gospel. But the difference in those rivers, is, the first belongs to time, and the militant state of the church, but the latter, to glory, and the triumphant state of the church. This latter river proceeding from such a fountain can never cease to flow; it will therefore pour its redundant floods, through all the new creation, without end. God and the Lamb, will never suffer any evil to approach those blessed mansions-will never suffer trial or temptation, again to prove the fealty of his bride. Having received sufficient proof of her affections while she was in her probationary state in the days of mortality, will establish her there in a ceaseless and infallible state of perfection. Round about the throne which the Evangelist saw, (See chap. iv. 3.) there was a glorious rainbow, the token of eternal peace and blessedness towards the saints," And he that sat upon it, was to look upon, Jike a jasper and a Sardine stone;" a beautiful mixture of sea green, with blood red. "And before the tirone there was a sea of glass like unto crystal" (Rev. îv: 6-also, xv. 2, " And I saw a sea of glass as it were : mingled with fire, and they that had gotten the victory, having the harps of God" called golden harps in other places. This sea, or ocean of glass clear as crystal may signify the whole universe of God's works, suspended in the open regions of interminable space. Here in the new creation, from all its parts, from the tall spires and battlements of the new Jerusalem, the triumphal palace of endless rest-the golden city with gates, and walls, and streets, of precious stones; and from the sea of glass, did the evangelist John, in his vision on Patmos, hear those shoutings and loud Hallelujahs, which he has compared to roaring seas and to mighty thunderings, saying with loud acclamations, and the voice of triumph, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb, "Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways thou king of saints." Then when that glorious frame shall into being rise Adorn'd with more than fill'd earth's ancient Paradise ; For this who would not strive, in works of faith and love, To see the face of God, and his image bear.. FINIS. APPENDIX. (A.) [Referred from page 251.] It was an ancient opinion among Christian theologians, that at the time of the first resurrection, there shall none arise from the dead, but such as had actually suffered a violent death as witnesses for the gospel of Christ, and is called the resurrection of the martyrs. This opinion is founded on Rev. xx. 4; "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." But it appears from examination, that this verse does not justify the opinion, because every description of saints are as clearly spoken of, as those who suffer a violent death on account of the true religion. We will review the verse according to its own order. First, And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. Here in the first clause of the verse, is an account of the final glorification of all saints, both before, and after, the Christian dispensation was made known. The thrones upon which the evangelist saw them sitting, signifies the excess of glory and happiness to which the saints shall be exalted in heaven, and is also expressive of their final victory over all their enemies, death, sin, and the devil. This is implied in the following words: and judgment was given unto them; i. e, judgment was given in their favour, but against their enemies. After this first general remark, which relates to all saints, the Revelator proceeds to particularize them according to the several characters or parts which they had sustained, while probationers in a state of suffering. Second, And I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God. The word" beheaded," should be understood as expressive, or as |