profitable that Christians should inquire for themselves, searching the Scriptures whether these things be so; seeking, through the Spirit of God, the knowledge of his truth in this matter. It is only as they know not the Scriptures, that men do err concerning divine things, and we have a sure word of promise, that he who seeketh shall find. And, moreover, it is written, "If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." The gathering of the Lord's remnant in the flesh, from out of the nations of the earth, has been de scribed in Rev. vii. The four angels, who stand upon the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, are commanded not to hurt the earth till all the servants of God are sealed. But they are not only to be sealed-to receive the Lord's mark of adoption-but they must also be brought forth from the world that lieth in the wicked one, whose end is to be burned. It has been already seen, that when the Son of Man cometh in the clouds of heaven, he shall send forth his angels to gather his elect-his sealed ones. The elect to be thus gathered cannot, therefore, be they who are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, for such will at once form part of his triumphant army. As this prophecy is future, who or what may be the angels who shall be sent forth, remains to be seen in that day. If it might, however, be permitted to hazard a conjecture upon this hidden subject, it might be asked, as matter of inquiry, whether the manner of our Lord's appearance upon earth to his disciples after his resurrection, and before his ascension, might not probably have been ordained to afford us a glimpse of the dispensation, which shall be revealed in that day; either as a type or figure of it; or, as a more clear manifestation of things that shall then be brought to pass. The Lord Jesus arose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion, very early in the morning of the first day of the week, for "it was yet dark.” He spake to Mary Magdalene, by her name "Mary," and revealed himself to her, as she was without the sepulchre; and she "came and told the disciples." And “the same day at evening, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst; and saith unto them, Peace be unto you; and when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side." And upon this occasion, as appears by Luke's gospel, he asked, "Have ye any meat? And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and of an honeycomb, and he took it, and did eat before them." Thomas was not with them when Jesus thus came; he refused to credit their report. But "after eight days again the disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God!" "As two of them went to Emmaus, Jesus drew near and went with them, but their eyes were holden that they should not know him," but afterwards" their eyes were opened,”and "he was known of them in the breaking of bread." The appearance of our Lord upon the occasions just referred to, is not unlike his appearance before his incarnation unto Abraham in the plains of Mamre, with whom he did then eat. He appeared also at other times in the like manner, as related in the Old Testament, and this doubtless was intended to signify to us, amongst other things, the identity of the Word, who was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us; and to shew that he was the same both before and after his incarnation," the same yesterday, to day, and for ever." It is written, when next he "shall appear we shall be like him ;" and if so, the risen saints, made like unto their glorious master, as he shewed himself on the occasions referred to, might well be sent to mix with the children of men who still remain in the flesh, for the purpose of gathering his elect children from amongst the children of the evils one, even "from the four corners of the earth." A passage in Zech. xiii. is, perhaps, not unfavourable to this opi nion. It is there said, "the Lord in that day will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land." "And the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision when he hath prophesied ; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive" or, as in the margin, "a garment of hair to lie." This is a plain intimation that the inventions and commandments of men shall then no longer be allowed to usurp the place of God's truth; but that they who shall then be commissioned to declare that truth, shall not mix it with any human leaven; and it should seem that this could hardly be brought to pass, if the angels sent forth at this time, were only such men as ourselves. A But it is, perhaps, of no great importance to inquire by what instruments the Lord's people shall be gathered to him at this season, for the word angel, as used in the Scriptures in relation to that day, may admit of various interpretations. It is only by the A |