tion. And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion. And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion. And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a portion. And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion. And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea. This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord God." The particular truth illustrated in this passage is in the 28th verse, which teaches that many shall inherit the promised land who left this world as polluted as Tamar, and as murmuring and discontented as the Israelites at Meribah-Kadesh. Still they possessed virgin spirits, their conscience never having been enlightened by the Spirit of God, they had not the knowledge of good and evil, in that spiritual sense which reprobates a man if he continue disobedient, and regenerates him if he be willing to do God's will. They shall be raised from the dead and quickened by God's Spirit; but they shall know nothing experimentally of Jehovah until taught in glory, and then they must grow progressively in knowledge and in glory. They shall be always immeasurably beneath the attainments of those who by faith overcame in the present world; but they shall be perfectly happy, and shall give glory to God in the highest, and serve and praise Him continually in His temple to the full measure of their "And he said unto me, These say

individual ability.

ings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy

prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God." (Rev. xxii. 6—9.) And this do all to whom these things are now shown, for remember, God only is entitled to be worshipped; this is the Lord's doing: it is marvellous in our eyes.

Rev. xxii. 10-15. "And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand." The mystery of God is about to be finished; the seventh angel has begun to sound; therefore, make known to all men what thou hast seen and heard, for the time is at hand. "And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God, I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel

say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, There shall none of my words be prolonged any more; but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God." (Ezek. xii. 21-28.) " He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." The hour of God's judgment is come; "and now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matt. iii. 10-12.) "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." This is the second warning of the near approach of the Lord of glory. He shall come as a thief. Blessed are they that watch and pray, lest they enter into temptation. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city." Christ's commandments are not grievous; all He asks is, that we believe in Him, and love our brethren as we love Himself. These are the commandments of Jesus, and blessed are they that do them; they shall receive the gift of God's Spirit, as a Spirit of life,

love, peace, and joy; and their whole spirit, soul, and body, being wholly sanctified, they shall come from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south, and entering in by the gates on either side of the city, they shall sit down with Abraham in the kingdom of God, and the Lord Himself shall be for ever in their midst. "And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures. And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun. At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there." (Ezek. xlviii. 30-35.) "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Without, in the state of the impenitent, are unbelievers and deceivers, and they whose spirits are rebellious, working what is unseemly in themselves; they who have tyrannized over others, destroying that freedom of will which God gave to every man; they who have worshipped the creature rather than the Creator; they who received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; but who, in opposition to the strivings of God's Spirit, and the remonstrances of conscience, persisted in the doing of what was wrong,

loving a lie, and making a lie with which to deceive others; pharisees and hypocrites, whose judgment is just.

Ver. 16-20. "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches." It is the Lord Himself who now speaks unto men from heaven, through the man He has appointed; see that ye refuse not him that speaketh. "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." Jesus is the root of David: "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." (Isa. xi. 10-12.) He is also the offspring of David, for out of the family of David, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all

ever.

men

24, 31, 32.) "He is the

unto me." (John xii. 23, bright and the morning

star;" the Lord of angels. "And the Spirit and the