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assembled together with one accord on the day of Pentecost, they then witnessed that most extraordinary manifestation of divine power, the visible effusion of the Holy Spirit, followed by the miraculous gift of tongues. On this great occasion did St. Peter declare, that the prophecy of Joel was therein fulfilled; which had foretold that in the latter days 'the spirit of God should be poured out upon all flesh.'

He then went on to shew how Joel had also foretold, that this great and notable day,' of which they were then witnesses, would be preceded by the darknening of the heavenly luminaries, or the apparent extinction of the Messiah's kingdom; an event which they had also recently seen at his crucifixion. And more distinctly to mark his crucifixion as the event alluded to by Joel, in the darkening of the heavenly luminaries; St. Peter not only specifies that event, but also proceeds to expound another prophecy, respecting our Lord's death and resurrection, spoken by David, as if of himself, but as St. Peter shews, applicable only to Christ.

Clear as is the fulfilment of this remarkable prophecy, and distinct as is St. Peter's interpretation, yet is that great and notable day' by many supposed to refer to the fall of Jerusalem, or to the day of judgment; but without any sufficient reason that the writer has been able to discover; for if' that day' mean the day of judgment, how could St. Peter apply it to the day of Pentecost? or if

the fall of Jerusalem be alluded to by the darkening of the sun and moon, how could this be pointed out as preceding the events of the day of Pentecost, when it did not happen till forty years after?

KINGDOM OF THIS WORLD, OR OF ANTI

CHRIST.

The meaning of the phrase kingdom of Heaven is rendered, if possible, still more obvious by its being contrasted in the Apocalypse, as we frequently find it in other parts of the New Testament, with 'the kingdom of this world.' As the former is called either the kingdom of Heaven or of Christ, so the latter is styled the kingdom of this world or of Antichrist; being founded on principles which are ever at war with the feelings of true Christianity, namely, pride, ambition, avarice, the love of temporal power, and earthly grandeur, with the unrestrained indulgence of all the appetites and passions. That this is the true kingdom of Antichrist, and not exclusively the usurped dominion of the pope or of Mahomet, appears from the declaration, that Antichrist was in being even in the days of the apostles: papacy and Mahommedism are only the revival and open manifestation of that power, which reigns inwardly in the heart of man, whenever worldly feelings predominate over those of true religion. This acceptation of the phrase,

K

*kingdom of this world,' as distinguished from the kingdom of Heaven, in the language of our Saviour and his apostles, may be shewn by reference to numerous passages in the New Testament. For instance, our Lord, when interpreting his parable of the sower, which is an illustration of the two kingdoms at once, says, Matt. Ch. 13. V. 37.

He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil.' &c.

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Here we have the two kingdoms contrasted, and both explained as referring to the present, and not to a future life; the field is the world.' And in the parable of the unjust steward, our Lord again contrasts the two kingdoms, when he says, Luke, Ch. 16. V. 8.

The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.'

that is,more zeal and ardour, more skill and cunning in pursuit of their object,are displayed by the worldly, than by the heavenly minded; the former styled, the children of this world, and the latter the children of light, or of the kingdom of the Messiah. In his prayer for his apostles, Christ says, John, Ch, 17, V. 14.

They are not of this world, as I am not of this world.' that is, not devoted to worldly objects and pur suits; and St. John, in his first Epistle states, that

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'He is Antichrist who denieth the Father and the Son.' and that there were at that time, many Antichrists,' (John, 1st Ep. 2. 18.) Thus the kingdoms

of Christ and of Antichrist are distinctly contrasted, and the meaning of both is rendered sufficiently clear; and when once this is understood, and the spiritual exposition clearly established, there will be little occasion to dwell on the subordinate symbols. With most of these the reader of scripture will be already acquainted, and needs only be told that they are used in the Apocalypse, as elsewhere in the New Testament, in their ordinary and familiar acceptation.

For the convenience, however, of those who may be less conversant with the figurative language of scripture, the following are subjoined.

THE DRAGON AND THE BEAST.

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As the Messiah is represented under the symbol of a Lamb slain for the sins of the world,' after the type of the Paschal lamb,—so Antichrist personified, is symbolised by a fire-coloured dragon, borrowed from his prototype the devil.

His empire is typified by two beasts, one with seven heads and ten horns, signifying the Roman empire; and the other having two horns like a lamb, but speaking like a dragon, and supposed to signify the Romish hierarchy, or the Latin church.

LIFE AND DEATH.

The terms, life and death, are constantly used in the spiritual sense by our Saviour and his apostles, and obviously have the same import in the Apocalypse; life, signifying the life which is in Christ,' that is, the belief in him, with the practice of his religion; and death, the death unto righteousness,' or, the disbelief in him, with the unrestrained indulgence of the passions, consequent to that disbelief. As in Matt. Ch. 16. V. 25.

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For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life, for my sake, shall find it.'

Spiritual is here evidently contrasted with natural life. And again in John, Ch. 6. V. 63.

The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.'

TREES AND GRASS.

These symbols are used by Christ to denote the converts to his religion, as in the parable of the

sower,

The good seed are the children of the kingdom.'

So also in Matt. Ch. 3. V. 10.

'Therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire.'

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And again, Ch. 15. V. 13.

Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.'

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