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into heathen lands. But in a design of such magnitude, the same God, who moved the heart of the first, might move the hearts of others, and yet alt might be unitedly of one spirit, and strengthen each other's hands in the same cause. Hag not this spirit flowed out in dif ferent branches, like streams of water from the same parent spring? From the same spirit have so many Bible Societies arisen in Europe and America.

then for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession. And Pagans and Heathen, Jews and Gentiles, strangers and home-born, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, bond and free, shall be brought to the knowledge and acknowledgment of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ; and the saving knowledge of the Lord shall cover the whole earth; when every knee shall bow before bim; and every tongue shall confess him to be Lord, to the praise-In both countries strong deand glory of God the Father; and all shall be united in one fold under one shepherd, and abundance of peace shall remain so long as the moon endureth.

Then, and not until then, will the angel's work be finished, his services accomplished, and these things completed: when he will cease to fly, and return to dwell with God, in whom all fulness dwells, and from whom flow streams of everlasting joy to all heaven-born souls.

If this be so far a just and natural explanation of these words in the text, "and I saw 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;" where shall be found, or can be, a more natural and exact fulfilment of this prophecy,than in that ardent spirit for missions which now glows in the hearts of so many on this, and the other side of the Atlantic? If it be imagined that it must have its accomplishment in the flight of an individual, let it be the man whose heart was first warmed with this noble and benevolent spirit, and ventured

sires are expressed by their pe cuniary aid and assistance, to translate the holy scriptures into the different languages on earth. There are diversities of opera. tious, but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and the members of each of the different societies may be said to walk in the same spirit, and in the same steps. For all their efforts of this nature do aid and assist those who fly in the spirit of the angel, to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, to all iotelligent beings, of whatever nation, kindred, tongue and people they may be. And perhaps the period is not far distant when the different nations in the east, and the heathen tribes in the west, shall enjoy a day not altogether unlike what was enjoyed on that of Pentecost. When each shall hear the glad tidings of salvation proclaimed in the same language in which he was born. May it not now be said, and will not all, who shall be alive on that glorious, day look back to this, and say with unspeakable joy, that all these human efforts have conspired in the fulfilment of this prophecy? That this divine 'spirit in the missionaries sent

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forth from our own country, and from foreign lands, might be said to fly in the midst of heaven, that is the church, like the angel, and on the same errand; having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and tongue, and kindred, and people. In the next words, the angel presents us with some of the principal things which he taught, saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. This part of our subject is principally narration, and from it may be learned the manner in which those, who go forth in the spirit of the angel, are to execute their important missions. They are to commence their missionary services by presenting to them the being and existence of God, attested from the works of nature. That they might see, that the God, whom they ought to worship and fear, made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waAll their illustrations of the character of God from the gospel should be so interspersed with evidences of this fundainental truth, from the volume of nature which is open before their eyes, that they may perceive the agreement between natural and revealed religion. From these things to lead their minds to a sense of the purity and spirituality of that fear aud worship which he requires of them, and of all his intelligent creatures. That the only religious services, which are acceptable to him, flow voluntarily

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from the heart. Missionaries are to teach their hearers that the fear of God is a filial fear, and arises from love, that all religious worship is founded in love, which is the first and great command in the law, and the gospel.. And the manner in which the gospel is preached, should be solemn and impressive, that hearers may be religiously awaked to the concerns of their souls. And all their preaching is to be inforced with the awful thought, that the hour of God's judgment is come, when he will render vengeance to his enemies, and reward them that hate him. That they might all be persuaded to improve the day of grace, to give glory to God, and escape his wrath.

II. To point out the time when the angel may be said to fly in the midst of heaven.

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If the united spirit and zeal for missions, of such multitudes throughout the protestant world, may be considered as applicable to the flight of the angel, the time is now come. And it may be said to have commenced the moment this spirit made its appearance, by public acts in different societies for purposes of this kind. The angel was one, and the spirit of missions is one. Of the agreement between the type and the antitype every one may form a just opinion, if he will candidly notice the preceding and subsequent circumstances of this angel's flight.

In the FIRST place, let us attend to the preceding circumstances.

From the information given by the inspired John, he looked and lo, a lamb stood on mount Sion, and with him an hundred

and forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. These he tells us were redeemed from among men and they sung as it were a new song which no man else could learn. In their mouth was found no guile. were the pious favorites of hea-lowed another angel saying, Babven. This definite number is put for an indefinite, and only intends very many.

en, that the hour of his judg ment is come. From these expressions it might be concluded, that subsequent to the flying of the angel some grievous judg ments would fall on some part of the world, and we are not These disappointed. And there fol

Can we conceive of a more natural representation of the serious attention to religion, and the revivals in different parts of this country, and in protestant countries previous to what has been considered the flight of the angel. Is there not good reason to believe very many have been born into the spiritual family of Christ, near the close of the last, and the commencement of the present century? and more than ever were before in the compass of twenty years, since the apostolic age ? Were not these glorious seasons of divine grace followed by a universal diffusion of a spirit and zeal for missions, at home and abroad, among Christians of almost every class? Nor does this spirit, and zeal in the least abate. Do not these considerations give us some reason to believe that now is the time, that the angel is flying in the midst of heaven, or the church?

2. We will advert to some of the subsequent circumstances of the angel's flight.

These are such as have taken place after he began to fly, and during his flight, which would continue until he had preached the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

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ylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Babylon in the old testament was a city distinguished by its wickedness and overthrow. In the new testament it is used to represent a city sunk in sins of the most impious and malignant kind. This will naturally suggest the thought, that the angel must intend Papistical Rome, which now may be said to have fallen since the Pope has lost his supremacy. He is now but a vassal of the present Emperor of France, and become the false prophet, who promises good, but behold evil, and will cry safety until utter destruction cometh, and there shall be none to help. A third angel followed them, with a more dreadful sentence against a host of sinners who have joined the secular beast; saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation: and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.

It may be observed, notwithstanding that variety of revivals of religion in this, and other

protestant countries, and the fall of Babylon, the mystery of iniquity is still at work. The grand object of these enemies of God is to destroy the religion of Jesus Christ, and their watch word is, strike, but hide the hand." To accomplish this dark design, an attempt has been made to systematize infidelity, open im piety, and blasphemy against the Son of God, on this basis, that "the end sanctifies the means." Have not these characters the mark of the secular beast? Judge ye.

But against such ungodliness has the Spirit of the Lord lifted up a standard, by inspiring his faithful ministers, the angels of his churches, with boldness, and firmness to proclaim his judgments, and threatenings in time, and eternity, that such as hear may take warning. In what age of the church since the apostolic, were the doctrines, precepts and threatenings in God's holy word more clearly illustra ted, and vindicated on the prinples of Divine benevolence than in the present?

as the time when the angel does fly. From Revelation xi. wé learn what is taught by those expressions of the prophet during which period the saints of the Most High shall be given into the hands of a power, which in prophecy is called a beast.

This period is expressly said to be a thousand two hundred and threescore days, or so many years, as we count time. If it can be ascertained in what year those days coinmenced, it is ea sily found when they will end, according to the present mode of reckoning. The prophet Dan iel has given a sure mark by which this time may be distinguished from all others; and that is, when the saints of the Most Highs hall be given into the hands of this beast-like power. In the year 606, it is said, Phocas, the then emperor of Rome, constituted the bishop of that city the supreme head of the church. Then, and not untik that time the saints were decidedly given into his hands by a public act of civil power.Twelve hundred and sixty years from this, brings us to 1866, when that long period of the

Do not those who have received the mark of the secular beast, or present dominant pow-saint's bondage will expire. Fifers of the Roman empire, now ty-three years from the present. feel the wrath of God as it re-time will terminate the thoulates to this world in the op- sand two hundred and threepressions under their iron grasp ? score days, in which the saints Let all these subsequent circum- of the Most High have been stances be considered in a col-given into his hands; or into lective view, and no more than the hands of the bishop of their just weight allowed them; Rome, and his successors. and must we not allow they in- will not be disputed, but the dicate the present as the time angel must fly previous to the appointed for the angel to fly? close of those days; equally indisputable is it, that he did not begin to fly until a spirit for missions glowed in the hearts of Zion's friends. No event can be

3. From the times and dividing of time mentioned by Daniel, may be gathered another argument in favor of the present

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found, that has taken place in furnished with such knowledge, the church, since the prophecy as is useful and suited to their has been delivered, that will ap-years. All these devices are ply, in all the particulars men- calculated with a view to the tioned in it, and stand connect ed therewith, except it be that spirit for missions which has lately warmed so many hearts. When all these things are con sidered, and how near we are to the end of those unhappy days of the saints of the Most High; are not the arguments strong to prove that the present time is that, in which the angel is flying?

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same object, and to accomplish the same end They aid and assist each other as members of the same benevolent family.There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; there are diversities of administrations, but the same Lord. Hence all those different societies which have been mentioned, worketh that one and the self-same spirit, to send the gospel from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. These societies are like the members of the human body, which are many, and no one can say to another, there is no need of thee, but each in its place conspires in the good of the whole; therefore, each ought to be nourished.

2. This subject suggests to our minds the truth and importance of revelation.

When men read, and reflect on the subject of prophecy, their minds are ready to exclaim, mistery unfathomable. Infidels improve the opportunity to insinuate, that the Christian's faith is folly in the extreme, without a ́ single trace of wisdom, or mark of a great mind. But when it is

In the FIRST place, we may learn from the explanation given of this prophecy, that Missionary Societies, Bible Societies, Religious Tract, and Cent Societies are moved by the same spirit, and unitely promote the same benevolent design. Each of these have the same object in view, and assist each other in their place, to accomplish the the same end. Their object is, those who dwell on the earth, and the end is to give them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But how shall this be done without such societies? Without missionaries, new settlements cannot be supplied, nor the heathenfulfilled before their eyes, except taught the way of life; without bibles distributed among them, religious instruction cannot be enjoyed with lasting benefit by either; without pecuniary aid, the holy scriptures cannot be translated into the various languages of the east and the west; without religious tracts which abound with variety of moral and pious subjects, children and youth cannot have their minds'

they are inveterately fortified agaiust believing the truth on evidence; how will their minds be crouded with tormenting thoughts and awful forebodings, as infidels usually are on their death bed! Thus surrounded with truth on every side,and con science within, the result will be, however unwillingly, there is a God, there is religion, and men, in spite of their Infidelity and

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