for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb." The protestant British nation are here stated to have been redeemed, or separated and brought out from amongst the men of the papal Earth, previously to the time of this vision, that is, at the period of the Reformation, when by the labours and instructions of the Fathers of our Church, and through the purity of the doctrine they inculcated, they were presented as chaste virgins unto Christ (2 Cor. xi. 2). Acknowledging also no rule of faith but the word of God às contained in the Scriptures, they are said to "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth," and to have thus become a kind of "first-fruits" unto God and unto the Lamb, i. e. the anticipation of that abundant harvest which shall make glad the earth, and be gathered in during the millennial day, when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover it universally as the waters cover all the channels of the deep.

"And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God." For God, regarding them as his chosen people in Christ, seeth no fault in them. As it was said of that stubborn and stiff-necked nation, whose place they now occupy, God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. It was therefore of this nation we may believe that our Lord especially spake when he made the declaration to the Jews that the gospel of the kingdom should be taken away from them, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And we have been indeed, in our national capacity, as the first-fruits unto God and unto the Lamb, as the first ripe grapes (Hos. ix. 10); though we may be now becoming in his sight, through our authorized infidel amalgamation with the

Papacy, altogether, "as the vine of Sodom and the field of Gomorrah."

But Christ when he visits us with judgments will remember his loving kindnesses which have been ever of old, and will distinguish, as we shall see in the sequel of this chapter, between those who serve him, and those who serve him not. Neither let any one through inconsi derateness, or a mistaken shew of humility, reject the idea that we have been thus specially protected and favoured by God for as he changeth not, though the form of. his dispensations may, why should we not believe that they are still calculated to shew, as in ancient times, that he is rich in mercy towards those that fear him; and on the other hand, awful as is the thought, and incapable as finite minds must be of embracing and reconciling all the various attributes of their Creator, are we not simply to believe, on the plain declaration of an inspired apostle, that they are likewise calculated to make his glory and his power known, while he endureth with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction.

"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; saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: And worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." The first of those works of the Church which are designed as a preparation to the world for the great judgment of Armageddon, is here represented to be the universal preaching of the everlasting gospel, and this with peculiar reference to the dissemination of the scriptures, through the instrumentality of the British and Foreign Bible Society; by whom they have been trans

lated into almost all the languages of the known world, and as widely and profusely dispersed; which great work took place within the period of the thirty years of Daniel, and of the first six vials.

The angel being described as flying in the midst of heaven, intimates the conspicuous station which this Society occupies, like the sun in the firmanent, whose voice goeth out into all lands, and his words into the ends of the world. A corresponding description may be found in the prophecy of the two witnesses of Rev. xi. 3—12, which represents, in chronological order, the concealment and degradation of the two testaments during the 1260 years dominance of the papacy, under the figure of these witnesses prophecying clothed in sackcloth ;-the total denial of their authority, and the consequent abolition of public worship in infidel France for the three years and a half which succeeded to the papal period; described as their being slain, and lying dead in the great infidel city for three symbolical days and a half;-and the legal revival of that authority, and consequent re-establishment of public worship in France, at the expiration of this last period; symbolized by the spirit of life entering into them, and their again standing on their feet; when "they hear a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither and they ascend up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies behold them :" which beautiful figure of the ascent of the two witnesses in an illuminated cloud of glory, in the sight of all their enemies, represents, like the conspicuous flight of the angel, " in. the midst of heaven," the splendid station which has been occupied, and is still occupied by the Bible Society, and the exaltation of the Scriptures of the Two Testaments, through their instrumentality, in the sight of all the papal and infidel nations of the Continent.

The description given of the angel "having (as a visible word) the everlasting gospel to preach," singularly accords with the work and object of the Bible Society in the distribution of the Scriptures; and his proclamation may be considered as revealing the contents and designed effect of the volume. So suitable, indeed, is the representation given in the text to that work in the Church. which it is designed to prefigure, that frequent references have been made to it by the members of the British and Foreign Bible Society, as well as by its late secretary, and historian of its "Rise and Progress," who made choice of it as the motto to his work.

But though the British and Foreign Bible Society possesses a peculiar interest in this symbolical imagery, which agreeably to the definite character of prophecy is meant to describe some definite and visible object, yet, as it is to be considered as thus distinguished only as affording by its acts one of the most prominent and striking indications of the universal spirit for diffusing his word of truth, with which God was pleased at this time especially to endue his Church; and which prevailing characteristic of these times the prophet Daniel refers to, when he says, "They that understand among the people shall instruct many;" all other Bible Societies, and the various Missionary Societies acting with a similar object, may, I conceive, be regarded as virtually, though not actually,

included herein.

The announcement of the angel that the hour of God's judgment is come, and his calling on all nations to glorify him, is an evidence that this preaching of the everlasting gospel is designed as a preparation for those awful events which are coming upon them; to lead to the repentance of some, and to be a witness against others, who continuing in hardened impenitence, shall bring upon themselves swift destruction. For the same end did our Lord

send forth his disciples when he declared unto them "Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of Man be come." And again, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come," (Mat. x. 23, xxiv. 14): both of which passages, from the analogy of the termination of the Jewish and Gentile dispensations, of which the one was the anticipation and type of the other, may be considered as having a joint reference to the times preceding the destruction of Jerusalem, and to the present universal preaching of the gospel to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people through the means of the favoured British nation, previously to the approaching destruction of all those his enemies, who have shewn, by their deeds and by their idolatries, that they will not have him to rule over them.

"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.” The proclamation made by this angel describes, as the second work of the Church, the sending forth the prophetic announcement of the judgments about to be inflicted upon the Papacy: and its period will be found to be that of the forty-five years of Daniel, or of the seventh vial, commencing in the year 1823, under which great Babylon comes in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath (Rev. xvi. 19); for the same declaration," Babylon is fallen, is fallen," &c., again occurs (Rev. xviii. 1—3) in the vision of "the judgment of the great Babylon that sitteth upon many waters," (Rev. xvii. 1, to xix. 3), which contains a more detailed account of the period of this vial, and is shewn to St. John by the angel who pours it out.

The words of the announcement agree with those of