finding the popedom surviving the fall of Rome, and made the subject of subsequent judgment. There appears to be a difference in the dealing with the different members of this confederacy, the beast and false prophet being cast alive into a lake of fire and brimstone, while the others though slain die the common death of all men, and leave their bodies to be devoured by birds of prey.

The instrument in this confederacy being thus disposed of, the great author of evil is then seized and cast into the abyss, into which the devil in the days of our blessed Lord's humiliation besought not to be sent "before the time." Compare Matt. viii. 29; with Luke viii. 31; The word in the latter text rendered "deep," is the same as that rendered, Rev. xx. 1. "bottomless pit." "The time" is now come, and the prince of darkness is shut up there for a thousand years. Here then, and not at our blessed Lord's appearing, commences the period called the millennium. The interval between these two events may be very short indeed, or it may be greatly protracted; this we cannot decide, but it is clear that there is an interval, and that many important events are crowded into that space of time.

When Satan is bound and all enemies trodden down, then the thrones are set on which the saints are placed. Not only those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, but whosoever, for so the word translated "which" may be rendered, whosoever had not worshipped the beast neither his image, neither had received his mark in their foreheads or in their hands, that is all the people of God, lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. They had followed Christ in the day of

tribulation, rebuke and blasphemy, and according to the saying, "If we suffer we shall also reign with Him," they are now made partakers of His lory.

We have seen that Israel as a nation, though not in rebellion was still in unbelief at the time of our Lord's appearing, but that while he came in wrath upon unbelieving Christendom, he came in mercy to Israel and they were brought in at his coming. In this kingdom then they take their place as the first of the nations, a kingdom of priests and an holy eople, and fill the important stations assigned them in Is. Ix. The scattered remains of Israel shall be brought in, ver. 4, 9; and the Gentiles shall then be converted to God, to hold indeed a place far inferior to that given to restored Israel, ver. 12, 14, 16; lxi. 5; but still a place in God's kingdom, so that they shall rejoice in the general joy, ver. 3, 5—9.

The position then of things during the millennium, appears to be this:-First, Christ and his elect church reigning in glory, the saints being in bodies like unto his glorious body. Secondly, the Jewish nation in their natural bodies dwelling round about the Holy City and enjoying peculiar privileges as of old. Thirdly, the Gentiles also in the flesh reconciled to God, and living in peace and holiness under the divine government, and the universal pouring forth of the Spirit. These are the virgins of Ps. xlv; the queens and concubines of the Song of Songs, who wait upon, and are now subject to the glorious and triumphant church composed of those who were partakers of the tribulation of Jesus, and are now partakers of his glory; and these, the Jewish and Gentile churches converted after the coming of Christ,

and therefore remaining in the flesh, are they who constitute the subjects of the millennial reign.

There is one deeply interesting question which presents itself before we leave this subject. Who are the objects of divine vengeance at the time of the Lord's appearing? In the latter part of Rev. xix., we read only of a certain confederacy; but numerous other Scriptures, as 2 Thess. i. 8; Luke xix. 27; Matt. xxiv. 39; Rev. xiv. 9; compared with Rev. xiii. 16, 17; with many others seem to mark a much more extensive judgment. On this subject I cannot attempt to give an opinion; it may be, that the judgment is confined to Armageddon, or to that confederacy with the rulers and leaders of the apostate church, or it may include all apostates whether Romish, Socinian or Infidel or it may, which God avert, include all nominal Christians who are not savingly taught of God. Great and fearful darkness hangs over this part of Revelation; but it is well: were it clearly revealed that a hope remained for those who resisted the gospel, our energies, feeble enough at best, might be slackened and we might cease to warn and protest; were it clearly revealed that all should be involved in one common destruction, who, even though assured of the safety of parent, wife, sister or child, could desire an event that was to sweep into everlasting perdition the vast majority of those with whom he was on terms of daily familiar affectionate intercourse? Most mercifully has a cloud been drawn over the onward prospects of those who are yet strangers to the blessed Saviour, while for those who know him, all the future is clear as it is bright.

It has been frequently taken for granted, that the millennium begins with the appearing of our blessed

Lord, and ends by the attack on the Beloved City. We have seen that the former supposition is erroneous, and the latter seems equally unfounded. The thousand years, whence the name millennium, are only mentioned with respect to the binding and loosing of Satan, therefore they commence when he is bound, and terminate when he is loosed; the former takes place after, we know not by what space of time, but after, our Lord's appearing : and the latter takes place before, we know not by what space of time, but before, the assault on the Beloved City. Now we know that "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, that all shall know him from the least unto the greatest," that such temporal immediate judgment shall fall on the few who remain in disobedience, that they must speedily waste off the face of the earth, (Zech. xiv. 17, 18.) yea, that they shall be rooted out of it. Prov. ii. 22.

We know also that they who believe in Jesus shall never perish, that none can pluck them out of his hand; therefore Satan when loosed shall find none but believers on earth, and all his wiles to seduce them must be vain. All this we know, but we know also that faith is not necessarily hereditary, and that however great may be the encouragements to a believing parent with regard to his offspring, the children of Abraham are living witnesses that the descendants of the most faithful servants of God may be his most bitter enemies. We are therefore constrained to the conclusion that a generation must elapse between the time of Satan's being loosed and his success in again deceiving the nations; but he does succeed. Certain nations are beguiled and

once more gathered together to make war, not now as before, on God himself, but, like the Amalekite in the wilderness, to make war upon the assembly of his saints, dwelling under his manifested shelter. Injury or even fear to them is impossible, they are not called on to make the slightest effort, the fire from God descends, their enemies are destroyed, and Satan cast into the lake of fire. The general resurrection and the general judgment follow, the wicked dead are raised, and with them the faithful who lived and died under the millennial dispensation; they all are judged according to their works, death and hell-hades, where the disembodied spirits slept -are cast into the lake of fire, and all the enemies of God are involved in final ruin; and then appear a new heaven and a new earth, on whose glories we are not now even in prospect permitted to look.

The apostle then turns back to describe more minutely the blessings of the millennial day, but my object being to trace the course of events, not to particularize, it is unnecessary to enter further on the subject. It may however be meet again briefly to recapitulate in their order the events which the Lord leads us to anticipate.

1. The Turkish nation continues to waste away, to allow the return to Palestine of a portion of Israel.

2. About the time that they are returning in an humbled and tractable state of mind, the spirits of Popery, of democracy and of infidelity go forth to deceive the kings of the Latin earth; and about this time also it appears likely that Rome will regain her ascendancy.

3. The kings assemble at Armageddon to fight