It has been said that "in no other portion of the sacred Scripture have interpreters found so much difficulty as in the prophetic part of this book." Yet the name of the book is, The Apocalypse, or, Revelation. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand."1 In the last chapter, John bears record, "And he (one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues) said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true, and THE LORD GOD of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.And he saith unto me, seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand."

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What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."2 When the Scriptures are thus compared, and the word of truth rightly divided, as applied to the thing whereto, as it is written, the Lord hath sent it, it will be seen that true and faithful sayings of this book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ entirely accord with other Scriptures alike faithful and true. In words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, the testimony has light in itself to show the things of which it testified, to the servants of God.

Rev. i. 1-3.

2 Cor. ii. 11-13.

The simplicity that is in Christ, is a reality, not a fiction. There is a common faith for the children of light and of the day. They walk by faith and not by sight. The things that are revealed belong to them. The time cometh when the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared unto his servants the prophets. Of the times of the restitution of all things God hath spoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began. Till then the heavens must receive Christ. The Spirit expressly testifies that the Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead, at his appearing and his kingdom; that he will render indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, and honor, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile; for there is no respect of persons with God; and that the mystery of the will of God, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself, which was made known to the faithful in Christ Jesus from the beginning, is, "that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him."

In all these things, the counsel of his own will" can be known only from the Lord's own word, not from words which man's wisdom teacheth, but that which the Holy Ghost teacheth. The Lord Jesus, to whom the Spirit was not given by measure, taught his disciples to pray unto their Father, and to say, Thy kingdom come: thy will be done in earth, as in heaven. The coming and appearing of the Lord-the judgment he will execute on the Jew and also on the Gentile, on the quick and the deadand the gathering together all things, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, in him—are all gospel truths, the faith of which rests not on any fanciful interpretation of a solitary text; but on manifold express testimonies of the Spirit.

The titles of the several chapters of this volume show

1 Rom. ii. 9, 10; 2 Tim. iv. 1; Eph. i. 10.

what Scriptures are successively compared. The harmony of prophecy is not to be proved by argument. It is to be seen and heard, rather than argued or testified. That the completeness of the harmony may be seen, the testimony concerning each thing recorded has to be viewed in all its fullness, as line upon line unfolds it; and while each part or separate thing has thus its own divine illustration, the combination of them all, as Scripture, too combines them, lays open to view the whole counsel of God concerning the consummation and restitution of all things. The separate paragraphs in the tables show the different things in regard to which the same passages or visions, in their contextual connection, bear a common testimony; and the different sections show their combined evidence respecting each thing successively. These indicate what other Scriptures also show, as they too are compared, vision after vision, or verse by verse.

As new things are thus added to old, the unchanging harmony exacts frequent repetition; and the testimony is thus at once consolidated and enlarged. That word of which not a jot or tittle can fail till all be fulfilled, deserves to be weighed, and to be searched carefully by all who have faith in it, ere the time come when, in the latter days, it shall be considered perfectly. The eye may cast a careless or a cursory glance over tables of texts, of which every word is the Lord's.. But in the appointed time the world has to pass through its prescribed ordeal, and the kings of the earth and of the whole world, and their armies, and all that make war against the King of kings, have yet to do their appointed work, and to fulfill his words, ere the appointed end shall come. Of what time and of what things the prophets speak, the prophets tell. Whether fallible historians ever gave a more clear, express, and concurring testimony to past transactions, than infallible witnesses bear to things that must come to pass, it were well to try, ere a careless eye be cast over their combined testimonies to the same things, or a reckless hand wrest any word of those Scriptures, that came not by the will of

man.

Creeds, though rightly drawn from Scripture to combat with its truths the errors of bygone days, may not, if more restricted than the unstraitened word' of the Lord, be fully adequate to meet the evils which believers have to encounter and overcome in the latter days. The first principles of the gospel are the same in every age. But there is a time when the book of prophecy, before shut, shall be opened; and the judgment of the quick, barely recognized in the olden creeds. the judgment of the world, or of all nations may need to be more fully apprehended from opening Scriptures, by the generation of the faithful that shall see these things of which the Lord and his prophets and apostles have spoken, as heralding his coming and his kingdom, than they were by those who lived ere the days should come in which judgment must begin at the house of God. Shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. And I heard but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

In giving his disciples to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus said, Unto you that hear shall more be given. Let his faithfulness to this promise be tried. He that is of God heareth God's words, said the same Divine witness. The words of God have to be heard by the faithful in Christ Jesus, and the things which He shows to his servants to be believed and known by them, though his judgments have to be accomplished till his wonders shall be fulfilled by unconscious instruments that did choose their own delusions, and are left to them. It is written, "God hath put it in their hearts (of the ten kings) to fulfill his will, and to agree, and to give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” In quoting

the Song of Moses, the Psalms of David, and the prophecies of Isaiah, in proof of what he said, an inspired apostle testifies, Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision FOR THE TRUTH OF GOD to confirm the promises made unto the fathers," &c. These promises must all be fulfilled, whatever judgments yet intervene. The truth of God shall be established

forever. The word of our God shall stand forever. All that the writer asks of the reader, is to hear that word. Let the faith, the prayer, the purpose, and the practice of those who seek to know the truth from the word of truth, be those of the man after God's own heart, who thus spake by the Holy Ghost: The words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.—I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid (before me). I have stuck unto thy testimonies.--Incline my heart unto thy testimonies. Quicken me after thy loving kindness, so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth. Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever. Thy word is true, from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. To choose the way of truth, is to

stick to the testimonies of the Lord.