her ruin. The East had become of predominant importance, which led to Constantine's changing the ancient city of Byzantium into a new Rome. The effect was prodigious. The The power of the empire circulated around Constantinople, Italy gradually became a mere province. The removal of the imperial court to Constantinople necessarily removed also the great officers of state. The West became more and more neglected, and the whole face of society was altered. This change is described in the following words ;-" And I beheld, when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind: and the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places and the kings of the earth and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev. vi. 12–17).

In order to understand this imagery, we must study parallel passages in the Old Testament. Of these we have two remarkable ones (Isa. xiii. 9-22, and xxxiv. 1-15). The incipiency of the former change was simply

the taking of Babylon by Cyrus, and the consequent change of dynasty. Similar observations will apply to Idumea. In the same way the incipiency of the Italian change was the removal of the capital to Constantinople. Italy became gradually exposed to all that is here symbolically described. All classes of society were equally exposed to danger, and equally trembled.

THE SEALED ONES AND THE SAINTS IN PARADISE.

BEFORE the seventh seal is opened, there are two things presented to our view:-1. The sealing of the Lord's people on earth; 2. The sight of the Lord's people in paradise.

The first is thus described :-" And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Judah Of the tribe of Reuben

were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand" (Rev. vii. 1-8).

The parallel passage to this, in the Old Testament, is Ezekiel ix. The circumstances of the two visions had one remarkable similarity. The sealed ones in Ezekiel's time were Jews distinguished from Jews: the sealed ones in this apocalyptic vision are Christians, distinguished from Christians. The sealing and unction in our dispensation is that which especially characterises that grace of the Holy Ghost, which we get from the Incarnate Son. That Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified (John vii. 39). That sealing is within: this one is on the forehead. It is also by [probably] human instrumentality: "Till we have sealed the servants of our God." In Ezekiel's time the faithful servants were the men that sighed and cried for surrounding abominations in Jerusalem. The character of the witnesses in chap. xi. is similar. The sighing is parallel with "clothed in sackcloth ;" and the crying with being faithful witnesses. The coming judgments are upon guilty Christendom, and therefore the necessity of marking the true

Christians who were preserved, as were Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others in their time.

During the times of the Gentiles "the Israel of God" are the Gentiles who are called by His name (Acts xv. 17), and here they are specified as the tribes of Israel, with the symbolical number 12,000 out of each. Why Dan is omitted is not easy to say. In the Old Testament the tribes are enumerated fifteen times, and only in one or two cases is the enumeration identical.

Having given this precious view of the safety of the Lord's faithful ones in guilty Christendom, an additional vision is given of the blessed in paradise :-" After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the

throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Rev. vii. 9-17).

The view here given of paradise is most instructive and encouraging. The blessed do not forget their earthly origin: "Out of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples and tongues." Jesus is praised as the Lamb. The saints are seen in their priestly and their regal character. The symbols are two, but the people designated are one. They have come out of great tribulation. Some have erroneously rendered this "the great tribulation.” The mistake has originated from confounding the Greek definite article with the English one. In consequence they have supposed that in this vision only a very small portion of the blessed dead were seen; whereas the vision is given to show to the suffering saints on earth the blessedness of all those "who through faith and patience are inheriting the promises" (Heb. vi. 12).

THE SEVENTH SEAL.

THE opening of the seventh seal is announced with great emphasis, in order to call our especial attention to it. The inhabitants of heaven await with reverence the next dealing of God with earth: "And when he