in His glory. If this conclusion land us in Millenarianism, what then? Better be Millenarians, and know the truth of God, than avoid Millenarianism by wrapping ourselves in error. Here we aim not at defending the hope of Christ's pre-millennial advent, but we advocate a principle of interpretation, as possessing Divine authority, and we maintain that this principle should be strictly observed, even though the observance of it do, contrary to all our preconceived opinions, lead to the discovery that Christ's advent will be premillennial. An inveterate prejudice, of whatever kind it be, should not make us afraid to look the truth in the face, even though we should find the truth to be widely different from what we have hitherto supposed.

We proceed now to the other canon of interpretation which we formerly referred to as bearing the stamp of Divine authority. As that, which we have just been considering, is sanctioned by the providence, so this is sanctioned by the Word, of God. It is laid down in 2 Peter i. 19, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed (as unto a light shining in a dark place, till the day dawn, and the daystar arise) in your hearts,knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation; for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Here we are enjoined, in our prophetic inquiries, to bear in mind that no prophecy is of any private, that is, solitary or isolated interpretation. One passage of the prophetic Scriptures must be compared with another, in order that a correct, and, at the same time, a more enlarged and comprehensive view of the predicted future may be obtained. Each separate prediction forms part of a great system of prophetic truth, and therefore cannot be rightly understood except in connexion with other predictions, which exhibit the same subject, though in different points of view, and under a variety of different aspects. Had the numberless prophecies, which are scattered over the Book of Revelation, been merely the effusions of men, they would necessarily have wanted the character which they do possess of intimate concatenation, and systematic development. They would have presented irreconcilable discrepancies, as well as much that was loose, disjointed, and incoherent. "But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Therefore, whatever appearances the prophetic Scriptures may to the untaught eye exhibit of incoherence, isolation, and want of unity, the fact is, that

everything, even to the most minute particulars, is arranged with consummate skill, producing one beautiful and harmonious, though manifold and complicated scheme. Minute observation will enable us to detect in every prophetic passage some articulation, or point of attachment, which joins it either directly or indirectly to every other collateral prediction in the inspired volume. To facilitate inquiry and to ascertain the truth, we must endeavour to find out the articulations referred to, and, so, going from passage to passage, draw from each the additional, or corroborative information, which it communicates on the common subject. An insulated view of the several predictions, which the Scriptures contain, seems to warrant conclusions, which a comparative view of them proves to be utterly groundless. The importance of the principle of interpretation, now before us, will be best illustrated by exemplifying, in one or two instances, the effect of its application:

1. In 2 Peter iii., there is an awful prediction of the destruction of this world. "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein

shall be burnt up.' From the whole tenor of the prophecy, it is manifest that the earth is not to be annihilated at the coming of the Lord, but, under the agency of fire, to undergo a change analogous to, though far more thorough and extensive than, that which was effected upon it by the waters of the flood. The state and character of the new earth are not particularly described, and imagination is ready to supply with its own dreams of what an elysium should be, the want of information. But let us seek farther information from the Scriptures themselves. The thirteenth verse affords a point of transition between this and another prophecy, relating to the same period. "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." The promise of God, here quoted, or referred to, by the apostle, occurs in Isaiah lxv. 17, "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind." Then follows a description of the new order of things: Israel is restored, houses are built, vineyards are planted, prayer is offered, and everything is very far different from what we should naturally picture in our minds as an appropriate sequel to the conflagration of all things described by the apostle. We are thus admonished to beware of measuring the thoughts, or determin

ing the purposes of God by our views of what is right and fitting. The two predictions, considered in their proper connexion, place it beyond all reasonable doubt, that it is only after the coming of the Lord, and the creation of a new world, that the children of Israel are to enter on a career of national prosperity. The new earth is impressed with a resemblance to what the earth was before the fall of man. "I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voice of crying." "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and dust shall be the serpent's meat; they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord." (Ver. 19, 25.) But Israel, though now restored, is not yet glorified, for their condition is spoken of in language descriptive of blessing, not of glory. "They shall build houses and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another inhabit, they shall not plant and another eat, for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." The sequel of the prophecy informs us that some of the Gentiles will also escape from amidst the desolating fires, by which the earth is to be destroyed, and that they, like the Jewish people, shall participate in blessing. After speaking of " the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men, in these words," Behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many:" the prophet proceeds thus,-" It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and see my glory. And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles." "As the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." (Chap. Ixvi. 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23.) This prophecy gives us no information regarding the resurrection of the saints, or their glorification, which we know is to take place on the day of the Lord's advent. But

there is another prophecy regarding the new heavens and the new earth, and in it the condition of the risen and glorified Church is particularly described. "And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God." By means of thus comparing prophecy with prophecy, we arrive at the knowledge of facts, which, if we confined our view to any one of the several contemporaneous predictions to which we have referred, we could not possibly discover. The Lord comes, the earth is destroyed by fire,-new heavens and a new earth are created. These facts we learn from the prediction given by the Apostle Peter. The Israelites are now converted, and established in the land of promise, the blessing of God is on their persons, and on the labour of their hands; those who escape of the Gentiles, share in the Divine blessing; the lower animals are delivered from their former wretched condition,-and Paradise is restored. These facts are revealed in the prophecy of Isaiah. The Church, which before had suffered, is now glorified together with Christ; the glorified Church dwells. with Christ in the heavenly Jerusalem,—it reigns with Him for ever and ever. These facts are made known to us in the Apocalypse. It is then manifest, that when the present world has been destroyed, and a new order of things sprung into existence, there will be seen two different ranks or classes of the redeemed; all the saints, who had previously believed, being now, as the Bride of Christ, the second Eve, seated on the throne of the second Adam, and associated with Him in the government of the world; while those of Israel, and of the Gentile nations who, though not previously converted, do yet escape the fiery vengeance of the Lord at His coming, occupy, on the surface of the renewed earth, a place of inferiority and subordination to the glorified saints.

2. In 1 Cor. xv. 54, it is written, "When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." Nothing is mentioned in this prophecy concerning the events which shall accompany or follow the resurrection of the saints; but we are not left to arbitrary conjecture on the subject. The

quotation of these words, "Death is swallowed up in victory," connects the prophecy before us with another, which occurs in Isaiah, and a comparison of the one with the other enables us to ascertain the fact that the resurrection of the saints is contemporaneous with the restoration of Israel. In Isaiah xxiv., towards the end, the destruction of the Antichristian power is predicted, and the reign of Christ with His saints announced. "It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously." There immediately follows a burst of glad and grateful anticipation, in the midst of which the prophet utters the words, which, as we have already seen, are quoted by Paul as predicting the resurrection of the saints, "He will swallow up death in victory.' (Chap. xxv.) In the following chapter, the resurrection of Christ's body, the Church, is more fully declared, "Thy dead men shall live. My dead body, they shall arise. Awake, and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." (Ver. 19.) The saints now raised from the grave enter into the mansions prepared for their reception, and the Lord straightway executes vengeance on the wicked. "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." (Ver. 20, 21.) Israel now prospers, and is made the channel of blessing to the whole earth. "He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit." (Chap. xxvii. 6.) We thus arrive at precisely the same results as we obtained in the former instance. We again find, on a comparative view of distinct, but parallel and connected prophecies, that the coming of the Lord, the resurrection of the saints, the infliction of punishment on the wicked, the restoration of Israel, and the diffusion of universal blessing over the earth, are events either of simultaneous occurrence, or that follow one another in rapid succession.

3. Let us exemplify, yet in another instance, the principle of interpretation which we are endeavouring to illustrate, and still in connexion with the predicted destinies of