If this conclusion require confirmation, it may be found, we think, in the fact that however exact may be the points of resemblance between the furniture of the Jewish tabernacle and the supposed materialism of the heaven of this vision, they are, nevertheless, correspondences rather than counterparts: thus, for example, while the throne and the Divine sitter thereon clearly answer to. the mercy-seat with its shekinah, the mercy-seat is not actually a throne upon which a king might sit; and so again, whereas in the tabernacle the cherubim have their place upon, and therefore above,. the propitiatory, in this vision they seem rather to occupy their more normal position under and around the throne-thus forming the chariot of the Divine glory. In like manner the seven "lampsi or" torches" of fire before the throne in the vision, though they correspond to, are certainly not identical with, the one sevenbranched golden candlestick; nor, once more, can the sea of glass like unto crystal,-apparently occupying the whole foreground in the vision between the throne and the seer,*-be regarded as more than bearing some relation to the brazen sea in Solomon's Temple. Now such variation in the objects actually presented to view offerno difficulty if, in either case, they are admitted to be only symbolic; but if both are regarded as actual representations of heaven, the questions may be fairly raised, which of them is the accurate. representation, and how can that which differs from it be so also ?

What has been already said in some measure anticipates and answers the very important inquiry which next presents itself, namely: Can this vision, in its symbolic representation and action, be regarded as ANTICIPATIVE in relation to the following judgments of the seals, trumpets, and vials? In other words, does it represent to us what must actually be realised prior to these judgments, or is it, as some expositors of the historical school maintain, merely a preliminary consolatory vision of what shall be at a period subsequent to the close of the whole series? The answer to this question must depend on the soundness of the view we have adopted as to the structure of the whole book. If we have correctly apprehended that structure, then we have seen that this fourth chapter marks the point of transition from "the things which are" to "the things which must come to pass after these things," and therefore that this vision comes chronologically after the rapture of the church of the firstborn to meet the Lord in the air, which church accordingly is represented as already in heaven before the first sound of judgment breaks upon the ear. But it nevertheless precedes the great tribulation, and the scenes of judicial visitation upon apostate Christendom which immediately follow it, and may indeed be said to proceed from and depend upon it. This follows inevitably, we

* Compare Exod. xxiv. 10, " And they saw the place where the God of Israel stood; and under his feet was as it were a pavement of sapphire, and as it were the firmament of heaven in its purity." (Sept.)

apprehend, from the fact that the present heaven-picture as truly forms an integrant part of "the things which must come to pass after the present church state, as any one of the seals, trumpets, or vials;" which "things" have their end, in relation to the present economy of the world, in the nineteenth chapter, and before the establishment of Christ's millennial kingdom upon earth.

are seen

And this conclusion is amply confirmed by the internal evidence of the book, for the scenery of this vision remains permanent throughout, and forms the background, as it were, of the worldstage upon which the action of the succeeding judgments is carried out. The dread panorama, with its supernatural horsemen, demons from the pit, and wrath-bearing angels, moves along amid blood and fire and vapours of smoke; but behind it all, as unaffected as the cloudless arch of the sky bending over some tragedy of human sin, stands -illuminated by the light of the Divine presence--this vision of the throne, the elders, the cherubim, and the new-slain Lamb. Thus, as each of the first four seals is broken by the Lamb-standing in the midst of the throne, and of the living creatures, and in the midst of the elders-the cherubim, in their order, are heard crying in a voice of thunder, "Come." (vi. 2, 3, 5, 7.) In chap. vii., the great multitude who come out of "the great tribulation, standing "before the throne and the Lamb"-no other throne having been mentioned since the close of this vision-and cry with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thankgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.' And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes ? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest.' And he said to me, These are they which came out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light upon them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them," &c. So again in chapter xii., the "man-child" is caught up "to God, and to his throne;" while in chapter xiv. the whole scenery of the vision is again alluded to: "And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion,* and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice

:

*Mark here the incidental proof that the "Mount Sion, the heavenly Jerusalem" of Hebrew xii. is identical with the heaven of Rev. iv.

of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and before the elders," &c. And once more, in the nineteenth chapter, after the destruction of Babylon has been described, we read : "After these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, 'Alleluia! Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia! And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen, Alleluia!"

Thus, as Mr. Lincoln says:-"These two chapters (iv. and v.) are admirably in their place, according to the church's hope of being caught away to the presence of the Lord at ANY moment, and certainly anterior to the plagues of the last days. Here, we see everything to be perfectly settled in heaven, and the heavenly saints all in the glory with their Lord, ere the world or its sins appear to be remembered at all. In chap. iv., where the throne of God appears to be dressing itself for a judgment, which shall be so universal as to reach to the confines of creation, these are represented as calmly sitting, at such a time, as if nothing thereof could reach up to them. Again, in chap. v., where Christ receives the formal investiture of the kingdom from the hands of God, these are heard instantly to sing, now we shall reign.' Thus the plan of the book assumes the presence of the church of God in heaven, as ITS STARTING POINT. Besides which, observe exactly what they are looking forward tonot to their Lord coming to fetch them. That action is past. The first thing before them then is not identical with the first thing which is yet before us. And why? Because, when chap. v. is enacted, his great promise in John xiv. 3, will have been fulfilled. It is most clear, therefore, that these elders are not in chap. v., that is at the beginning of this book, present only by anticipation; for they are beheld in active service; nor yet again are they dead saints, believers not in the body; for in chap. vi. so me of this class (but slain after the church's rapture) are perfectly contradistinguished from these elders. Let any one read of such departed souls as those in vi. 9-11, and then compare what had been previously stated in v., of the blessedness of those who had kept the word of Christ's patience, and the utter dissimilarity of the two classes is evident."* W. MAUDE.

(To be continued.)

• Lectures on the Book of Revelation, pp. 16-18.

208

MA

TWO WORLD-EMBRACING EPITAPHS.

AN bears but one of two things with him over Jordan, and to the judgment-seat of Christ,-SIN or GRACE. And GOD writes but one of two epitaphs on any of our tombstones,-yea, on every tombstone, and above every mouldering form in Christen dom :

†The sentence passed upon Adam, after the fall,--was "dying, thou shalt die;" and from that moment onwards to the present hour, Adam, and all his seed, entered upon a dying life, morally, spiritually, and physically. Only those who, through faith, have become united to Christ-the second Adamhave "passed from death unto life."

The above verses being metaphorical, must not be pressed too far. They are only intended to present the Scriptural contrast of being in or out of Christ; of those who, on the one hand, believingly accept, and on the other unbelievingly reject HIM, "the way, the truth, and the life." No opinion is expressed concerning such as have never heard the Gospel.

209

THE DEMONS AND THE SWINE.

"And the demons besought him that he would suffer them to enter into the swine; and he suffered them."—LUKE viii. 32.

INTO

NTO the mysterious questions, What are demons? and what is the nature, range, and limit of their power to possess mankind? we do not propose to enter. All Christians are convinced that the Holy Spirit can and does possess human souls, and if good spirit, why not evil spirit ?

It may be that as all flesh has its parasitic enemies,-conspicuous in disease, triumphant in death,-so human spirit diseased and temporarily God-forsaken, may have its parasites, from which nothing but returning health of soul and eternal life can deliver it. We do not, however, purpose to pursue this question, but, accepting the fact, clearly revealed in the Gospels, of a demon-world permitted to afflict mankind, but under the lordship of Christ, we offer a few reflections suggested by the special instance afforded in the passage from which we have quoted, and also by the weighty fact itself.

Imprimis, we dismiss as unworthy of consideration, the notion that demoniacal possession was peculiar to our Lord's time; that it was permitted in order to give occasion for the manifestation of his Divinity as though vials of plagues were poured out upon Judæa prior to the advent song of the angels. Or, that the Great Thaumaturgist could not descend until the stage had been well stocked with the works of the Devil, in order that he might display his victory over them. Those who can believe that Egypt was plagued for the sake of Moses' rod, may believe that self-manifestation and self-glorification are the origin of any of God's judgments; others will dismiss the supposition as wholly unworthy of him who came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

It is undoubtedly marvellous to perceive in what homely, familiar aspects, the ancient world is dressed the moment we enter upon the perusal of the Gospel narrative. In the proud pages of history, the chronic physical evils of human life have little place. The lives of the exalted few fill up the canvas, and the crowd-the "mob"—as they are contemptuously called, are placidly ignored. The heavy groanings of the multitude are unheard, but disappointed ambition has all its griefs portrayed. The great ones of the earth, after living as if the world was made for them alone-possess the page of history, as if that too could admit no others. But when Jesus appears the dramatis persone are completely changed. Fishermen, Magdalens, blind beggars, a woman in a crowd, lepers, a hungry mob, mothers carrying babies, a village family, as well as taxgatherers, centurions, and noblemen, come to the front, and at once rivet the attention of spectators; while upon the dim, unreal outlines of old world life, as ordinary historians depict it, a great stream

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