The impossibility of salvation without meetness for heaven is not a mystery, like the interpretation of the vision of the four living creatures.

But, reader, remember, while you thank God for this clear teaching in the things essential to salvation, that this very clearness increases your personal responsibility. Take heed, lest, an open door being set before you, any you should fail to enter in by it and be saved.

of

Hearken, every one into whose hands this tract may come, and understand. I give you a plain warning this day. Do not forget it. You may reach heaven without knowing much about the deep things of the Apocalypse, but you will never get there without the saving knowledge of Christ, and a new heart. You must be born again. You must renounce your own righteousness, and acknowledge yourself a sinner. You must wash in the fountain of Christ's blood. You must be clothed in the garment of Christ's righteousYou must take up the cross of Christ and follow

ness. Him.

These are the things absolutely needful. These are the things without which no man, learned or unlearned, high or low, can ever be saved.

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Rest not, rest not till you know these things by experience. Without them you may know the whole list of Apocalyptic commentaries, be familiar with all that Mede, and Brightman, and Cressener, and Daubuz, and Durham, and Cuninghame, and Woodhouse, and Elliot, have written on the subject, and yet rise at the last day a lost soul,-knowing much intellectually, like the devils, but, like the devils, ruined for ever.

2. For another thing, let me entreat all students of the Book of Revelation, to beware of dogmatism and positiveness in expressing and maintaining their views of the meaning of its more mysterious portions.

Nothing, I firmly believe, has brought more discredit on the study of prophecy, than the excessive rashness and overweening confidence, with which many of its advocates have asserted the correctness of their own interpretations, and impugned the expositions of others. Too many have written and talked as if they had a special revelation from heaven, and as if it was impossible for any one to maintain a character for common sense, if he did not see with their eyes.*

Let us all watch our hearts, and be on our guard against this spirit. Dogmatism is a great trap which Satan lays in men's way, when he cannot prevent them studying the Apocalypse. Let us not fall into it. Let us rather pray for a spirit of modesty and humility in offering our solutions of the deep things of symbolical prediction. Let us allow that we may possibly be wrong, and that others may possibly be right. Believe me, we all need this caution. We are unhappily

"Joseph Mede, the most learned and able interpreter of prophecy that this country can name among its divines, was remarkable for his modesty and humility. In a letter of his to Dr. Twiss, speaking of the leisurely and deliberate progress he made in his exposition of Apocalypse, chap. 14, he adds these words, 'I am by nature dilatory in all things, but in this let no man blame me, if I take more pause than ordinary; for it has sunk deeply into my mind, that rashly to be the author of a false interpretation of Scripture is to take God's name in vain in a high degree."— Mede's Works. 1672.

prone to be most positive when we have least warrant for our assertions, simply because our pride whispers that our credit for discernment is at stake, and that having made statements mainly on the authority of our own judgment, we are specially bound to defend them.

Happy is that student of prophecy, who is willing to confess that there are many things of which he is yet ignorant. Happier still, and more uncommon too, is he who is able to use those three hardest words in the English language, "I was mistaken."

3. Finally, let all believers take comfort in the thought that the end to which all things are coming is clear, plain, and unmistakeable. There may yet be judgments in store for the world, of which we know nothing. There may be "distress of nations with perplexity," far exceeding . anything we have yet heard of, read, or seen. There may be more grievous wars, and famines, and pestilences, and persecutions yet to come.

But the end is sure. Yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. The kings of the earth may struggle and contend for their own worldly interests; but sooner or later the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our God, and of His Christ. There shall be an eternal peace. He shall come and take possession whose right it is. The dominion and power shall be given to the saints of the Most High, and of the increase of their peace shall be no end.

Oh! that we may all remember this. In patience let us possess our souls, and in every trying time do as Luther did,-repeat the forty-sixth Psalm :—

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

"Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

"Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

"There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high.

“God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

"The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved; he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

"The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

"Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desclations he hath made in the earth.

"He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

"The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah."

Seeking the Lord Early.

PROVERBS VIII. 17.

"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."

Dear Children,

I am going to talk to you about Jesus Christ, and your souls.

I want to make you happy. But I know that people are never really happy unless their souls are happy; and I am sure that people's souls cannot be happy, unless they love Jesus Christ. And that is the reason why I am going to preach to you now: I want to tell you something about Jesus Christ and your souls.

Try to listen

Dear children, I hope you will all attend, while I talk to you. I pray that the Spirit of God may come into your hearts, and make you able to do so. to me. Try to understand what I say. Try to remember and carry away something in your minds. I wish to do you all a great deal of good. Do not forget I am preaching to you,—not to the grown up people,—but to you, only to you.

Now just think what a pleasant text we have got here. It is said,-"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."