but after they had left it, as appears from chap. vi. 9-11, of this book, where, on the opening of the fifth Seal, are seen "under the altar the souls of them that

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were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony "which they held and they cried with a loud voice, "saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou "not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on "the earth?" thus joining their prayers with that of the Church on earth-"Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven:" a prayer, in its scriptural acceptation, for the Lord's coming, and not till then to be answered. As also from the joy in Heaven at the near prospect of it: chs. xi. 15-18; xii. 10; xix. 1, 2.

But chiefly will the influence of this expectation at all periods of the interval appear from considering that there should come first the Anti-Christ, "with all the deceivableness of unrighteousness," who should put to the severest test the fidelity of Christ's disciples; in reference to which ensnaring apostacy they are again and again warned to see that, as faithful and wise servants, they be found by their Lord watching, whether his coming to them be "at midnight, at cock-crow, or in the morning." When this consummation of iniquity should be revealed they were not told, but only that "the mystery of iniquity" which should lead to it was already at work, and that soon after its revelation in "the Man of Sin" would He also be revealed who should "destroy him with the brightness of his coming." In this view it is in the view of the events to happen before it-that the expectation of the Lord's advent is, indeed,

important and practical, and also attention to "the sayings of this Book :" because the Lord's coming will be for judgment or salvation, according as we are found implicated or not in the apostacy which it is the object of this book to describe and to warn us against. It is said that the first Christians were under a mistake in looking for the advent of their Lord as near. Yea, truly, when they looked for the Lord to come, and overlooked the "falling away" which should " first come," they not only were mistaken, but lost sight, moreover, of the chief practical consideration connected with it: the fact, in the instance of the Church at Thessalonica, which called forth from the Apostle this prophecy of it: (See 2 Thess. ii. 1-3). But as for the rest, well had it been for the Christian Church that it were always so mistakenthat it had cherished the delusion that "the coming of the Lord draweth nigh!" Well that the Christian soldier had never ungirt his armour, nor stood down from the watch-tower, nor betaken him to sleep even for one hour of the fast-passing night of this world, till he saw "the day dawn and the day-star arise!" Then would the first advances of the enemy have been repelled: then would we not have "given place to the devil:" then would apostacy, in the various forms in which we now see it, have had no entrance: then would His household the Church have been in circumstances to hail and welcome their Lord at His coming! But, alas! it is we who have been mistaken: we who have erred, in saying we had no concern with these predictions-with the coming of our Lord, which we say "he delayeth"-with warnings and

promises, such as those of this Book, which are our safeguard and preservative, but which we either heed not, or explain away as referring to other times and to events that are past. (Q.)

III. But, lastly, and above all, we have the study of this book commended to us by a sanction which supersedes all reasoning and on which I shall say nothing; I mean the blessing of God pronounced here at its close, as before at its commencement, on him who hears and reads-At the close,

"BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY BLESSED IS HE THAT 66 KEEPETH THE SAYINGS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK; (chap. xxii. 7). And at the commencement,

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"BLESSED IS HE THAT READETH, AND THEY THAT HEAR

THE WORDS OF THIS PROPHECY, AND KEEP THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN THEREIN, FOR THE TIME IS AT "HAND" (chap. i. 3).

In conclusion:-The twofold bearing of this event-— the coming of the Lord, which is thus again declared to be the scope of this Book—on the believing and unbelieving is now repeated with awful solemnity: "He "that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, "let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, "him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and 'my reward is with me to give to every man according "as his work shall be" (ver. 11, 12). It will be the

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day of decision. Fearful to the ungodly, who will have no more opportunity of repentance! But welcome to the faithful who will be confirmed in blessedness as having "a right to the tree of life," and being free of the heavenly "city" (ver. 14); who accordingly eagerly anticipate it" And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come, &c. (ver. 17.)

And as these judgments and these promises are specially revealed in "the Book of this Prophecy," there is added the awful denunciation already noticed against those who should either “add unto" or "take from" its words (ver. 18, 19): which they who read as well as they who expound it should equally bear in mind, lest they be found explaining away or making void its sayings in any respect; praying, as oft as they open it, that the Spirit by whom it was indited would give them light to understand and faith to believe what is written.

Again-" He which testifieth these things saith, "SURELY, I COME QUICKLY."

May God grant us grace to respond as here"AMEN. EVEN SO COME, LORD JESUS."

APPENDIX.

(A.) Page 3.

ON THE TITLE OF THE APOCALYPSE.

In addition to this the obvious import of the title of this Book of Scripture, there is another truth conveyed by it no less important, though generally overlooked, and, indeed, completely obscured by the title which it bears in our Bibles. The title in most editions and versions is The Revelation of St. John the Divine,' or 'of St. John the Apostle,' to which some add 'and Evangelist:' whereas the title given by inspiration is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ;" so that, if the Apostle be named, it should be 'The Revelation to (not of) St. John,' being made by Jesus Christ" the Revelation which God 66 gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly 66 'come to pass"-and only "signified by his angel unto his servant "John, who bare record of (or “testified”) the word of God, and "the testimony of Jesus Christ, and all things that he saw :" verse 1.

The Author of the book is thus emphatically "the Lord Jesus Christ," and he, not speaking by inspiration as the several authors of the other books of Scripture, but himself "revealing" and "shewing" the things in it; and this in the discharge of the office which he bears in relation to his Church since his ascension, and in