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gifts were conferred on the Church. inheritance. The present portion

The feast of tabernacles, instituted, according to the general belief of the Jews, to celebrate the day of creation or in honor of God as King and Creator, (that is of the manifestation of the First person of the Trinity by Christ in his regal character) as yet wants its antitype; but to this completion of all the designs of God which were shadowed forth in the legal dispensation, many of those who are well instructed in the word of God hope to come, (however these hopes may be slighted by others,) assured that not one jot or tittle of either the law or the prophets, commencing with the institutions of Moses and ending with the Revelation of St. John, shall pass away until all be fulfilled.

This declaration, "I am Alpha and Omega," is also from its nature a commencing as well as a terminating text; and, occurring twice subsequently, connects this opening address to the seven churches of the Eastern empire with the conclusion both of the Trumpet history relating to the Eastern empire, Rev. xx1. 6, and of the little open book contain ing the history of the Church, Rev. XXII. 13.

Verse 9. St. John next begins his narrative of the circumstances under which he saw the vision; designating himself as the brother and companion in tribulation" of those whom he was about to address. Having himself been made acquainted with suffering, he was the better prepared to "comfort others with the same comfort wherewith he himself was comforted of God." The kingdom of Jesus Christ, of which he speaks, being connected with patience was one not then manifested; for what a man possesseth, why doth he yet hope for but if he possess it not, then doth he with patience wait for it," as a future

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of the Church is therefore called "the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ."

According to the tradition of the Church, John had virtually suffered martyrdom, by being cast into a cauldron of boiling oil, out of which he was miraculously delivered unhurt; or had been otherwise preserved in life, according to the saying of our Lord concerning him; and he was now suffering banishment in the desert island " that is called Patmos, for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Having already borne faithful testimony in his gospel to the glory and divinity possessed by Jesus Christ in heaven before the world was formed, he was privileged to bear testimony in the Apocalypse to the revelation of that glory upon earth; and having been found faithful in that which he had already received, more was committed unto him. He whose love for his master's cause was so great, that, when he was through age incapable of any other service, he used (it is said) to cause himself to be carried to the place of public worship, and there exhort his people in this short sentence"little children love one another," was now indeed apparently cut off from all means of usefulness. God, who accepts the desires of the heart,-whose ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts-was pleased, even in this place of his solitary banishment, to make him the instrument of conferring upon the Church one of the most valuable gifts they have ever received;;—a book which (though in early times rejected and since much despised, like him whose power and glory it reveals,) must rise in estimation till it shall be acknowledged as altogether lovely. Thus the Christian may often be made the means

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of unexpected usefulness; as we have seen in later times, that it was one in prison, prohibited from the exercise of his public ministry, who pourtrayed for the use of many generations the walk or pilgrimage of the individual christian through "the wilderness of this world."

Verses 10, 11. "On the Lord's day," being that on which he had risen from the dead, and was most wont, even before his ascension, to manifest himself to his Church on earth,—and which has often been experienced by them as a day of peculiar privileges,-St. John, being under the powerful and sensible influence of the Holy Spirit, (like Ezekiel when he saw the visions of the Lord,) heard suddenly behind him the awful voice of Christ, here compared to that of a trumpet (as it is elsewhere compared to "the sound of many waters,") saying, "I am Alpha ' and Omega; the first and the last : 'What thou seest, write in a book, ' and send it to the seven Churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and 'unto Loadicea."

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The vision to which the attention of the prophet was now called, and with which the revelation properly commences, is calculated to impress us with a deep conviction of the glory of Christ for (as in that recorded by the prophet Isaiah, when he saw his glory and testified of him,) it is evident that it is the Lord of Hosts-the Almighty and eternal Jehovah, one with the Father-who speaks, and here graciously directs the apostle to write in a book and to send to the seven Churches in Asia, over which he more immediately presided, an account of the vision.

Verses 12-16. The attention of the apostle being arrested by this

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voice, he turns round and beholds Christ in a priestly garment walking amidst the seven golden candlesticks situated in the holy place of the temple, which represents the true spiritual church on earth; intimating thereby his continued and watchful care over it. The golden girdle probably answers to the embroidered girdle which the High Priest wore. "His head and his hairs white like wool, as white as snow," agrees with the description given in Daniel of Ithe ancient of days," "His eyes as a flame of fire,” piercing through all concealment, and discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart; and "his feet" shining with the splendor of molten brass "as if they burned in a furnace," and the awfulness of his voice being as the sound of the mighty waters of the deep, form altogether a description of the most sublime nature. And as he walks amidst the seven candlesticks, or churches, so he holds in his hand, or keeps under his special protection, "the seven stars," representing the ministers of these churches. While, as THE WORD OF GOD, there goeth forth from his mouth "a sharp twoedged sword;" and his countenance as when he revealed himself to St. Paul journeying towards Damascus,

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was as the sun shining in his strength." The various particulars of this prefatory vision we will not now notice, as they are again introduced in the epistles to the seven Churches, to each of which Christ addresses himself under some one or more peculiar characteristic derived from it.

Verses 17, 18. The apostle, though he had been wont to repose on the bosom of his Lord and master during his humiliation, was so overcome with the glory of the vision, that straightway there remained no more strength in him, and "he fell at his

feet as dead." But our Lord, manifesting the same love and tenderness as he did after his resurrection towards those whom he still termed his brethren, laid his right hand upon him, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last,"-possessing infinite and eternal power; and all that power engaged in behalf of my Church. I am "he that liveth and was dead," who have manifested my love to my Church in that I have died for them; and my power, in that I again live, having overcome death, “and am alive for evermore,” to make intercession for them, and to obtain in them a like victory; "and have the keys of hell and of death;"-all power being given unto me in heaven and in earth, that I may be the author of salvation to all them who believe.

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Verse 19. In the directions given to the apostle, as to what he was to write, we have the first regular division of the book into three parts viz. First-The things which he had seen, or the vision of Christ as described in the preceding verses 9 to 18. Secondly, The things which are" or the epistles to the seven churches which are in Asia, exhorting them to faithfulness and patience under their sufferings during the period of Pagan persecution contained in chaps, II, III. And, thirdly, "The things which shall be hereafter," commencing with chap. IV. (where they are called "things which must be hereafter') and of which the remainder of the volume consists.

And here I cannot but notice the error of the Church in failing to acknowledge the general chronological character of the book, so clearly pointed out in this first designation of it, as consisting of the past introductory vision, the present afflicted state of the persecuted churches, and the future vindication of their cause by Christ. For however numerous

the interpretations which have appeared, there has been no chronological one: no commentator, as far as I am acquainted, having before myself, in the year 1815, nor indeed since, paid any attention to this verse, as describing in regular chronological order the several parts of which the Apocalypse consists. Though they have then failed, as is universally acknowledged, in giving a satisfactory interpretation of the book, I affirm that, humanly speaking, it is solely because they have not sought it according to the clear and simple directions of the text.

Verse 20. In the concluding verse of this chapter, our Lord explains more directly what was designated by the things which the Apostle had seen: namely, the preceding manifestation of himself as walking amidst the seven golden candlesticks, and holding the seven stars in his right hand. And he directs his attention particularly to "the mystery" or hidden signification implied under these visible symbols; namely, the watchful care which he exercises over his churches, and his

power to support and save their ministers, who were naturally more exposed than others to the fury of their pagan adversaries; because such revelation was peculiarly adapted to their present circumstances, as tending to encourage and support them under their trials. Thus does every passage which we have yet considered speak the love and condescension of Christ in a manner calculated to enforce the exhortation of the Apostle, " Rejoice in the Lord alway and again I say, Rejoice." And if the sense of such surpassing glory and of our own exceeding sinfulness and unworthiness should dispose us to adopt the language of Peter— “ Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord;" let us reflect, that the glories of

Christ are manifested by contrast. It is the exceeding height of his glory, condescending to the depth of our humiliation; his infinite holiness contrasted with our depravity; his love, with our ingratitude; his willingness to draw near to us, with our unwillingness to come to him; which alone can display, in any adequate measure, the infinite attributes and perfections of God. Let us then draw near unto him in full assurance of faith, and hear him addressing us also, saying, “Fear not." Or if we hesitate to apply to our

selves words spoken to an inspired Apostle by Christ manifested in his glory, let us consider, that they were also addressed to his Church at an earlier period, when he said, "Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom;" and were again spoken by an angelic messenger to a company of women-"Fear not, I know whom ye seek." Let our conscience only bear us witness, that in all things, but more especially in examining this blessed volume, we seek the Lord Jesus.

JAS. H. FRERE.

SATAN BECOME AN ANGEL OF LIGHT; OR DEVICES
OF THE LAST DAYS.

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No. I.

St. Paul intimates to the Corinthians, that he had made it part of his business "not to be ignorant of the devices of Satan ;"a and warns them to be watchful, in a case wherein they were liable to be deceived by him, lest Satan should get an advantage over them." Their danger was not of an ordinary character; for the wily adversary does not usually tempt the righteous by those means which he employs to entice worldly and ungodly persons; well knowing that they are no longer calculated to succeed with the form

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His object is, to entangle and ensnare them with the specious appearance of what is good; as in the instance alluded to, the Corinthians were, on the one hand, in danger of falling into the devices of Satan, by bearing them which were evil"'b through a false notion of charity; and in danger, on the other hand, of being urged by him, when they

did reprove the evil, of erring through excess of discipline.c

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This warning of the Spirit, by the apostle is of increasing importance in the present day; for at the time of the end the devil not only comes down from heaven having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time;"f but he falls from heaven especially as Lucifer or the light-bearer, the son of the morning ; which seems to intimate that he likewise comes with more than usual subtlety, and “ with all deceivableness of unrighteousness."h For now is Satan himself eminently "transformed into an angel of light;" and "his ministers also are transformed as the ministers of righteousness:"k for the deceivableness of unrighteousness apparently consists in putting on the semblance of righteousness itself, and clothing itself with a glare of spurious light so dazzling, as to de

a 2 Cor. 11. 11. b Rev. 11. 2. c Compare 1 Cor. v. 3-6, 13. g Isaiah XIV. 12. h 2 Thess. II. 10. i 2 Cor. XI. 14.

f Rev. XII. 12. k Ibid. v. 15.

ceive if it were possible the very elect; and really deceiving and blinding the minds of numbers, who, after all, have only "a name to live." Ah! little does the world suspect, that much of what they call charity, and liberality, and mercy, is really the deceivableness of unrighteousness; that the boasted love of liberty, of equality, of knowledge, and the zeal for reform, so often on the tongues of men, is, in the great majority of instances, nothing more than the strong delusion of those, who" while they promise liberty, are themselves the servants of corruption."1

Persuaded then of the importance of great jealousy and watchfulness against the artifices and subtlety of Satan, I purpose in the course of two or three papers to point out what appear to me to be some of the devices which he is so specially practising in these last times; and in regard to the consequences of which, the minds of many do not appear sufficiently impressed.

The first I shall notice is connected with the liberty of the Press; -which is entirely a question of modern times, having arisen out of the invention of printing, to which it is necessarily subsequent in date. Perhaps nothing exercises a more constant and powerful influence upon the moral condition of society, than expressed opinions. Viewed abstractedly, opinions may appear to be harmless and unimportant; but when we come to look at the prac tical working of human nature, and to trace back actions to their original source, we shall find that they are intimately connected with certain first principles and notions from which they generally flow. It is true, that numerous evil actions appear to arise more from the absence of certain principles, than from the distinct presence of opinions of an

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opposite character; as where mankind are found existing in a barbarous, untutored, and unevangelized condition: but even in those cases where they seem to be guided only by brute sense, it is still the wisdom of the flesh" by which they are moved; which wisdom is in most instances more or less varied in its aspect and effects by superadded notions derived from some existing superstition. From the early period at which our notions are imbibed, many are unconscious of the principles which move them; for they have, in most instances, imperceptibly impressed the mind; to say nothing of the fact, that the great majority of mankind live without any observation of what passes daily in their minds, and are still less accustomed to make inquiry into remote causes of action. When indeed some new opinion is first presented to their notice, they cannot help but observe it; because it probably comes into collision with some other notion previously entertained. And it is at such times that the actual power of opinions is made manifest; since those new opinions will either for the moment stir up their minds to resist them, under the impression that they are barren or pernicious; or, if they fall in with their views, they will, in some respect or other, exercise an influence upon the conduct, by giving an increased or a diminished impetus to their energies, as the case may be.

But the most remarkable circumstance connected with the influence of opinion, is the way in which the frequent and allowed expression of sentiments affect the mind, even when those sentiments are at first revolting to the mind. Sometimes men reject an opinion merely because it is the sentiment of some solitary individual, or of a 12 Pet. 11, 19.

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