They had been sealed on earth, they are now seen in heaven :-" 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" (Rev. xiv. 1).

One hundred and forty-four thousand is a symbolical number-12 by 12, multiplied by 1000-intended to represent a very large multitude. The definite form conveys another truth, viz., the accuracy and discernment of God's knowledge: "He calleth His own sheep by name."

As a very large multitude their voice is heard praising God:-" And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder; and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps" (ver. 3).

These appear to be a different body from the four beasts and the twenty-four elders; but this is in consequence of the nature of symbols, which is to represent each feature of character by a separate symbol. Here, as a great flock, they are a multitude whose voice is as the sound of many waters; as kings, they are the four beasts reconciled to God and His law; as priests, they are twenty-four elders; as the elect, they are 144,000. They sing a song which none can learn but those who are redeemed from earthly-mindedness. They preserved their chastity to Christ when on earth (2 Cor. xi. 2). In paradise they are following the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. They are a first-fruit to God and to the Lamb, as St James expresses it—a kind of first-fruits of

His creatures. By the renovation of the Spirit they are faultless before God.

This heavenly vision is given here to strengthen the faith and brighten the hopes of those who have to contemplate or to go through the succeeding scenes.

THE HOUR OF JUDGMENT.

Now commences a series of visions which belong to our own time:-" And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" (Rev. xiv. 6).

An angel in mid-heaven întimates great publicity. This angel preaches the everlasting gospel, with an additional announcement, "The hour of His judgment is come." Its universality is described as "those dwelling on the earth "—perhaps the Roman earth, and " every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." All are summoned to give glory to God, and to worship Him alone. It is a solemn warning to Romanism, as well as to heathenism, to give up their idolatries, and to return to the pure worship of God. His forbearance is coming to a close, "The hour of His judgment has come."

The world-wide missionary efforts in our day, and the increased study of the prophetic Word, are the fulfilment of this vision. All Papal countries, as well as the whole

heathen world, are now open to the gospel. It is but for a short time. Our present facilities will soon close, so far as concerns the Latin kingdoms. We have a parallel case in Jeremiah xiii. 15-17:-"Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive."

This angel's message will gather out many for the harvest; its general result, however, will be ripening for judgment.

THE FALL OF BABYLON.

THE second angel announces a far worse condition of things:-"And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" (Rev. xiv. 8).

We learn from chap. xviii. 2 that this is a moral fall. Bad as Rome had been, she was to get into a worse condition. It was to be so bad that no honest mind could mistake its character. Hence the cry, "Come out of her, my people." Her false doctrines are now called the wine of wrath, for the hour of judgment has come.

This fall has already commenced. Recently the Pope, contrary to all early precedent, proclaimed the Immaculate Conception as a dogma of the faith, on his own sole authority. Last year he resorted to the most wicked devices to compel a majority of his council to proclaim his own infallibility. The blasphemous consequences of this latter doctrine, when viewed in the light of the past history of the Popes, are such as to render it impossible for any lover of truth to accept the awful dogma. The unhappy old man is thus digging a pit of damnation for countless souls.

God has given public warning by the voice of this angel.

THE WARNING AGAINST WORSHIPPING THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE.

WHEN Babylon's fall was so loudly proclaimed it remained impossible for any child of God to do homage to Rome as a teacher of divine truth, or to "worship” the secular power:-" And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and

they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name" (Rev. xiv. 9-11).

In examining this awful warning, we must clearly ascertain what is meant by worshipping the beast. The Lord's faithful ones may serve earthly powers, and even seek promotion in political office, and yet not "worship" earthly power. Daniel certainly is one of those who did not worship the beast and his image (Rev. xv. 2, 3), and yet he acted as a prime minister, and sought promotion for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan. ii. 49). In the New Testament, Erastus accompanied Paul for some time, and afterwards acted as Chamberlain of Corinth (Rom. xvi. 23). It is the love of the world, and not the lawful use of the world, which constitutes worshipping the beast. In the same manner, in religious affairs, many members of the Romish communion do not worship the image of the beast. Various considerations keep them in the communion without being involved in its spirit. They are in Romanism without being of Romanism. Their position is an unhappy one. Making these abatements, there remains the awful warning, "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night

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