absent, we may be accepted of him (well pleasing to Him), for we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things (done) in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." This manifestly relates to those who are accepted in the beloved; and must therefore relate to the acceptance not of their persons but their works. Nor can it be for a moment imagined that the indulgence in known sins is here contemplated. He that believeth not is condemned already. He that committeth sin is of the devil. The trial is evidently of works, the works of a believer done in the name of God. The works of a believer must necessarily have most of their bearing on what is called religion; for if our faith overcometh the world, it will lead, in its true course, to that diligence in our Lord's service which shall take us out of the class of the unfaithful and slothful servants, and set us with those who having traded with the grace bestowed, shall hear the welcome of the master, "Well done, good and faithful servants!"

The

Many a work, however, that is intended by the child of God to be religious, and to advance the glory of God, is entirely lost, from the worldly character of the religious Institutions, through which, in the apprehension of most, it is alone possible to labour for God. Believers are often satisfied with the motives in their own mind; but right motive is not enough. Paul had a zeal toward God, though his work was evil. word of the Lord is, "Prove all things: hold fast that which is good." Satan's device, in this day, is to bring the whole array of worldliness and fashion-of worldly means and motives-into connection with objects professedly religious, and, through the object and the motive, to obtain a sanction for every thing that is contrary to the mind of Christ. Let then every believer look well to it whether his "works be wrought in God." Individual responsibility (not isolation of position or effort, save from the WORLD in all its aspects, religious or profane) is that which is continually pressed in the word of God; the merging of all individuality in corporate acts and movements, is now Satan's grand aim, in order to destroy all efficiency in the efforts of the children of God, and to bury in the grave of worldliness whatsoever energies are put forth with a design for the glory of God. It is casting off practically our allegiance to Jesus, when any motive but his glory actuates us in any of our works; and it is following the devices of our own hearts, or the vain wisdom of man in the things of God, when any rule of action is admitted but the discovered will and wisdom of God.

But, in addition to this ground of failure in the works of believers, from the failure of a right apprehension of the position in which they are set, there is also another, arising from not apprehending, with any clearness or vigor, the substantive blessing and power of life which is imparted to all who, by the grace of God, are made the living branches of the true vine. The most that is recognised by many of the children of God is, that through the grace of Jesus, they have new principles and new influences to sway and modify the old nature, which is corrupt, and to subdue it into con. formity to the will of God; but there is not the least idea of that new nature, and new life, which is the only basis on which the spirit of the Lord can act, and which alone can be brought into conformity to his will. "That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Now the only sphere of the action of the indwelling Spirit in the believer is the life of Jesus in the soul-that life into which the soul is brought when born of God. The flesh, or the old nature, re

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mains unchanged in its character; and, instead of being modified by the new principles and influences of the gospel, it is only like a prisoner bound and fettered, because its unhindered action is death to the soul and enmity against God. It is then the resurrection-life of the Lord Jesus, that life which he took after he died upon the cross, flowing into all the members of his body down from their glorified head, which is the true power of service to the child of God in this world. But beyond even this, another cause of failure in the diligent service of God's children is, that the power of the Spirit, as the Sustainer of hope and the Witness of the glory yet to be revealed, is not clearly seen. It is understood that "

every one that believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (in too low a sense however); but the truth is not apprehended which is so blessedly presented in the declaration—" After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of the inheritance, until the redemp tion of the purchased possession." So that no true believer should be without the knowledge of the glory. Not only not without the pledge of glory, which he has in the resurrection of Jesus, but an earnest of the glory, a foretaste of it, an anticipative enjoyment (in degree) of that which shall be the consummation of the "joy which was set before Jesus when he endured the cross and despised the shame;" and which, as to the church, shall be its presentation to God-" a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.

Here, doubtless, has been a chief ground of failure as to a believer's works; for the peculiar principles of his "heavenly calling" are the true dynamics of the spiritual life. Another proximate cause might be mentioned, which is indeed the result of what we have just named, the not apprehending God's design with regard to his children in this world-viz. that they should be conformed to his Son: not only conformed to him in glory, this they assuredly will, and it is the spring of their consolation and joy, but conformed to him in his sufferings and sorrows, and his heavenly course on earth. "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrec tion, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." "Be ye therefore steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." "Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.

Δ.

REMARKS ON THE REVELATION.

FROM CHAPTER vi. 1 TO CHAPTER Viii. 6, INCLUSIVE.

[To the Editor of the Inquirer.]

DEAR SIR-The name of your periodical induces me to communicate the following "Inquiry into the meaning of the Revelation, from chapter vi. 1, to viii. 6." The thoughts expressed in it are those which struck me, some time since, in a prayerful study in solitude of that portion of the word. I do not feel so certified of its correctness, as to feel justified to teach it as the Spirit's interpretation, though I do feel free to communicate it, or any similar remarks, to those who, being established in grace, are, with me, desirous of prayerfully

searching the word of the Lord. Though not written in the form of an INQUIRY, I wish to put it forward simply as such. May God give grace to those that read it to discern what is true and what is false; and if, in any matter, any standard principle of interpretation is touched by it, may they discover, and at once repudiate it. I would only add, that while I desire to hold myself still open to further light upon this and every other part of the word of God, I am not using lightness in thus communicating this view. The substance of it has been upon my mind several years; and the paper is still, to my own mind, the most satisfactory view I have met with.

Before entering upon the consideration of this portion of the Revelation, I would briefly revert to the 4th and 5th chapters. The substance of the instruction I derive from them, in one little word, is this-that the Divine Power has taken another and a new position, in which and from which to exercise itself, separate and distinct from that in which it had revealed itself as connected, properly speaking, with the present dispensation. Such, I conceive, to be the instruction meant to be conveyed by the representation in the fourth chapter; while the purpose and object of this new throne seem taught by the circumstances revealed in connection with it, especially in the fifth chapter-even the bringing in, for Christ and the church in him, of the day of glory: and this brought about by the exercise of the almighty power which created and upholds all things, so over-ruling all things for Christ and the church from this throne. This throne will be found to be the centre, source, and regulator of all the vast machinery and means presented in the sum of the book, as well as the place whence the Lamb revealed to John, for the church, the history of these coming actions of the power of the God of Creation and Providence.

These two things are in themselves, and must be kept by us, very distinct: as connected with the active energy of the former, the Lamb never appears in the character of the Lamb upon the throne throughout the book; the latter being the only circumstances in which, as the Lamb, he acts from this throne; for he is on the throne, and has had this blessed honour and service assigned to him there, thence to reveal to John, for the church, the history of the actions of the power of God as Creator and Sustainer, bringing in the day of his own glory as Redeemer. The doing of this, however, is the work of God, properly speaking, as Creator-unto whom, when in weakness, he, Jesus, "committed himself as unto one that judgeth righteously" (1 Pet. ii. 23); concerning whom he has said- I will put my trust in him" (Heb. ii. 13); and on whose word to take the kingdom and glory he waits. While the Lamb takes no part, as upon the throne,* in the actions subject to it, which are to prepare the way for his coming glory, it is he, pre-eminently, to whose intervention the church is indebted for the knowledge of these coming things. And this gives us, as saints, our confidence in studying what is thus presented to us, it is shown to us by the Lamb himself. It enables us also (since he whose book it was, intended it should be thus revealed by the Lamb from the throne to John) to understand the preparative character of all that precedes

1

* The question is not whether he who is the Lamb does or does not take part in the actions which are presented in the book: without question he does, and that a very prominent part (see chap. viii. 3, chap. x., chap. xiv. 1-1, &c., &c.); but in these, and all his other times of appearing in the book, he is either in some other character than that of the Lamb, or else not upon the throne. This, and the ground assigned for his opening the book (see chap. v.), I believe to be very important, as showing that God, simply as God, is the source and origin of every thing we here read of ;-a question more closely connected with redemption than some are aware of.

the opening of the seventh seal. Till he has opened the seventh seal, the Lamb is seen upon the throne, showing to John, for the saints, things which must shortly come to pass; but, upon the opening of the seventh seal, we see no more of the Lamb upon the throne; but, himself, in the new character of an angel by the altar, gives the signal for its tale of disaster to be told. The object of the first six seals is, I conceive, to prepare the saints' minds for the sum and substance of the seventh: for I cannot, for a moment, admit that the unity of the roll and the consecutive order of its seven parts, is to be set aside by supposing that the revelation, consequent upon the opening of any of the seals preceding the last, leads down to the end, and that a subsequent seal recommences from the beginning. I know some have thought that the seals thus present three courses from the beginning of time to the end; but such an interpretation is to me incorrect and destructive of the internal perfectness and unity of the book. To proceed with the seals, which commence the portion proposed for inquiry. The four first are distinguished from the rest by the call severally, upon the breaking of the seal, of the living creatures, to "come and see;" these four present us with living agents going forth to the earth: the result of the fifth seal is different-John looks under the altar, and learns what is the present state and expectation of the souls of those slain for the word of God, &c., and that their number is to be added to, still, from the earth; during the doing of which they must still wait for the full enjoyment of the white robes then given to them, for the day of vengeance was not yet come.

-but

The sixth introduces a great earthquake, and such as might take place any day, and the thoughts of men about it; thoughts very natural to man, as a fallen being, about such things at all times. Then comes a parenthesis-four angels come forward, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the seathey are withholden from so doing till the servants of God on earth are sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of Israel are then sealed on earth, and from them the eye of the apostle rises to the great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, standing before the throne and the Lamb. They are certified to him to be the heavenly family; and these from among the nations are thus seen at rest before the remnant of Israel gets into trouble.* Then, chapter viii. 1, the Lamb breaks the seventh seal, and the seven trumpet-angels of sorrow and woe take their place. Yet another parenthesis follows, for the first blast is not until upon a signal given by another angel, and he, confessedly, the Mediator. There, at the golden altar, with his golden censer and much incense, having offered up the prayers of all saints, he casts the censer, filled with fire, from the altar to the earth; and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake, and the angels begin to sound of woe. There is something very gracious in these parentheses; the subject-matter of which gives so much repose, as shewing how nothing can touch the disciple of Christ-even the messengers of God's sorrows to the wicked utter not their messages, save as at the command of him who is Mediator to us.

The unity of the book will, I believe, be found to be to many the clue to much of the difficulty; in examining, hereafter, more closely the substance of the book, as a whole, and the exact import of the revelation which follows the breaking of each seal, this will be, I believe, abundantly confirmed and esta

* Observe, when these are shown the Lamb is upon the throne (chap. iv. and v.) and their joy is in him there (chap. vii. 9, 10, 15, 17); when the one hundred and forty-four thousand are afterwards shown they are with him on mount Zion (chap. xiv. 1—4). The song, too, of the latter, who are firstfruits from the earth, is peculiar to them and not that of this heavenly family.

blished; at present I would only say, that so naturally and strongly does unity and consecutiveness of order in the seals, suggest itself upon the first aspect of the matter, that very strong evidence ought to be required from those who would have the contrary received by us. The idea of consecutive order in the seals is more strongly suggested to the mind by the writing being upon a roll, than if in such a thing as a modern book. The order of breaking would be the reverse of that of making the seals. For when the whole was written on both sides, the first seal would be placed after rolling a little of that which, by further rolling for the second seal, would become the roller on which the winding afterwards proceeded. The opening of the seal first made, of course, could not take place till the whole of the outer six seals had been broken. The object of the six first, and of the parenthesis which follows the sixth and precedes the seventh, I conceive to be simply preparative. This parenthesis also seems to be just a commentary on the fifth and sixth seal, as shewing who these brethren and fellow-servants that were yet to be killed are, and why, when the earthquake came, there was only fear from the men of the world, and no joyful shout from the disciples, "Jesus is come!" for this parenthesis tells us a remnant of Jews upon earth were sealed, and the disciples out of the trouble and trial in the heavens-not, however, in the full enjoyment of their glory, for their bridegroom has not taken his own throne; but they rest before him still sitting upon the throne of divine providence. Thus, I find the Lord sitting in rest at the right hand of power, and his sole action (as connected with this throne) the communication of the history of its actings to John; but directly the disciples are housed, and God's purposes as connected with the earth are alone in question, I find him in action (as the emissary of this throne, however, still), till he takes his place definitely on Mount Zion with the one hundred and forty-four thousand redeemed from the earth unto God and himself.

To examine now, more closely, the import of the revelation which follows the breaking of each seal, as was proposed.

The four first seals seem marked off, in some respects, from the rest, by their having, in common to themselves alone, the introduction of the cry from the living creatures, to "come and see," and by the substance of each of them being a horse and a rider going forth in aggressive agency from the throne to the earth.

The living creatures, as I have said, find this throne the place of their support-" for they were in the midst of the throne and round about the throne" (chap. iv. 6), and are, if my interpretation of them is correct, the representative heads of those four classes of creatures which needed and found refuge in the ark, in the deluge, and with whom the covenant to Noah was formed-the wild beast,* the cattle, the fowls of the air, and man; parts of the fifth and sixth day's creation-they are representative heads of all the classes wherein was the breath of life; the rest of creation, as the fish and plants, &c., needed not a refuge from the deluge. From their connection with these four riders, and their works, I judge that there must be some natural and palpable connection between that which the living creatures represent, and that which the riders represent and do: and, more than that, a connection of deep interest to the living creatures, for no sooner do they discern the horses than they cry, "Come and see." If creation, as connected with the Noahic covenant, is what the living creatures represent (as I believe it assuredly is), then creation, as connected with the Noahic covenant, (the signs and marks of which are also pre-eminently stamped upon the throne

* The distinction between wild beast and cattle is from the beginning, and kept up in the beginning of Genesis.