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successively in the Christian age of the world. When the gospel is no longer effectual in drawing men to God, his judgments will then be employed in revealing the wrath of God against all unrighteousness of men. The wine-press dispensation synchronizes with the seventh trumpet age. It is the symbol which gives character or feature to the administration of the divine government in that period of the Christian age a time of severe and pressing judgments. But it does no more; it does not signalize particular events. This the prophet does himself.

Another fact we learn from the prophet is, that this age of judgment is not for the people of God; it is not intended to form the rule of the divine proceeding with respect to the church, and hence he tells us the wine-press was trodden without the city.

City, is a term used to denote Christian institutions ; churches, and even civil governments, or countries whose political institutions are strongly imbued with the doctrines and teachings of Christ and his apostles, are called a city. But still the term does not always imply a church entirely pure in its doctrines and its practice. It may hold the essential truths of the gospel, and yet incorporate in its practice things highly offensive to God. Examples of this occur amongst the seven churches of Asia-that of Thyatira particularly. So that when the prophet speaks of the city, we must look at the peculiar circumstances with which that city stands connected in his vision, in order to ascertain the char-acter of the Christian church he refers to.

As before stated, the judgments and trials of the winepress came in after the gospel or harvest age is over, consequently all those who were brought to God by the gospel, and were enlightened and saved by it, will not require the judgments of the wine-press age.

The wine-press being trodden without the city, can signify nothing else than that its calamities will fall only upon those nations and peor'c who reject the gospel, and upon Christian

churches that hold the truth in unrighteousness, and have, by their worldly spirit and ambition, changed the truth of God into a lie, as the apostle foretold would be done. Such are outside of the city, not holding and practicing the gospel doctrines in their purity. This opinion will be found to coincide with the pictorial representation of the wine-press age, as the prophet saw it, in the next chapter.

CHAPTER XV.

HE SEA OF GLASS.

1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

3. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

4. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

After introducing the seven angels who are appointed to execute the judgments of God in the wine-press age, the prophet gives a description of the first remarkable scene which was disclosed in this vision: And I saw as it were a sea of glass, mingled with fire.

Fire is the emblem of severe and trying affliction-not always in the same form; sometimes it is brought on by wars, which consume nations and overwhelm the people with distress. Pestilence, and famine too, are amongst the calamities of which fire is the most striking emblem.

The fire which mingled with the sea in the prophet's de

scription, is to be regarded in no other light than as judgments, or Divine inflictions, with which he will, in that period of the world visit ungodly nations. So common and universal will they be as to give character to that age; it is spoken of as the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men! So much, by way of explanation, of the fire which mingled with the sea of glass, or what appeared to the prophet to be a sea of glass.

The next enquiry is, what does the sea of glass represent ? I have just said that the fire is emblematical of the judgments of that day; and, we must regard the sea of glass as representing the moral and intellectual state of mankind in that age. It certainly can have no reference to anything physical or natural. The progress and improvement of the human intelligence, even in the present time, is a subject of wonder and astonishment to man himself; and from its state now we may indulge in the largest expectations of what it will be when that age arrives, which will be distinguished by the sea of glass.

In this sense the glass signifies transparency, a clear and quick perception of things; when nothing is in doubt or darkness; the wine-press age will, in respect to the human mind, be a luminous age.

Christ and St. Paul both speak of this period in terms that leave us in no doubt as to the meaning of the sea of glass.

Christ says, to this effect: that which is now spoken in the closet or whispered in the ear: meaning the secret counsels and private schemes of men, which they are generally able to keep to themselves until they have effected their selfish and wicked purposes, will be as fully known on that day as if they were proclaimed upon the house top. Every thought, every secret purpose of the heart will then be made known, by the keen, clear perception of the human mind. Men will not then be able to conceal their evil designs under the cloak of religion; they will not then, as Pollock say: "Steal the

"livery of heaven to serve the devil in," without incurring the hazard of prompt exposure. Nothing that offends or maketh a lie can be secretly contrived in that day; the deceit, falsehood, and hypocricy, by which men now prosper, and deceive their fellow-men, will not then avail anything.

St. Paul, speaking for the church, says of this same period: Now that is, in the present time or gospel age—I know in part, but then I shall know even as also I am known. Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. All things will then be known, and men will comprehend each other's motives and purposes as distinctly as they now see the features in each other's face. This great improvement in the human mind does not imply anything miraculous, it will be the natural result of the expansion of mind by improved modes of instruction. In almost every department of life great and astonishing improvements appear, but in the mode of teaching or imparting knowledge to the mind, the old systems maintain their position. These, probably will all be swept away, and be made to give place to methods of instruction which will rapidly expand the intellect and fill the mind with knowledge, as far above its present attainments as the improvements in the arts and sciences now surpass the uncivilized state of man. This will bring about a state of human intelligence corresponding with what Christ and the apostle, in the above quotations, say respecting it.

The principles and purposes of the Divine government, especially the judgments with which the Almighty will punish unrighteousness, will then be distinctly seen and clearly comprehended by men of that day. In short the age represented by the sea of glass will have none of that darkness, mystery, and uncertainty which now make the ways of Providence obscure and incomprehensible. Everything con

nected with man's moral accountability and God's primitive government will then be made manifest.

There is nothing in the present age of the Christian disVOL. II.-2*