according to those signs which are given for that end in the word of God. This frame of mind is well represented in the sealed company (xiv. 1, xv. 2), "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.....and in their mouth was no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God.....Who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name; and who sing, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest." The events of this last period of the Christian dispensation, extending from the conclusion of the Papal period of twelve hundred and sixty days to" the time of the end," are given thrice: first, as signs to the church, taken from the seasons of the year; secondly, as signs to the world, in political events; thirdly, as signs to the apostasy, in the history of its downfall. These three series, and their mutual relations, I have given at some length, both in the Structure in Morning Watch No. III. and in a paper read before the Society for the Investigation of Prophecy, and printed in their Transactions. I will not therefore unnecessarily lengthen this paper, by going over the same ground, but merely mention the points of parallelism which I endeavoured in those papers to establish: xiv. 1—5 is parallel with vii. 1-8, xv. 2—4; xiv. 6, 7, with xi. 12, xv. 4 ; xiv. 8, with xi. 13, xviii. 2; xiv. 9, with xviii. 4; xiv. 10, with xviii. 6; xiv. 11, with xviii. 8-18 ; xiv. 12, with xi. 15, xiii. 10, xvi. 17; xiv. 13, with xviii. 20, xix. 1—10; xiv. 14, with xi. 19; xiv. 15, with xi. 19, xvi. 18; xiv. 18, with xvi. 14; xiv. 19, with xvii. 13, xix. 18, 19; xiv. 20, with xix. 15; xvii. 14, with xix. 16.

But in those papers I did not sufficiently examine the last events to occur in the present age-i. e. those which are now beginning, and shall be terminated by the beast and false prophet being cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, by the remnant being slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse (xix. 20, 21), and by the binding of Satan for a thousand years (xx. 1-3). This time of vengeance is called the "treading of the wine-press, xiv. 20, xix. 15: and before the act of vengeance, "the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies are gathered" (xix. 19), the vine of the earth is gathered (xiv. 19), the kings of the earth and of the whole world are gathered to the battle of that great day of God Almighty (xvi. 14). The elect of God have their gathering; beginning at the same time; completed in the "wise virgins," or those who are "looking for and hasting to the coming of our Lord," at the end of harvest (Matt. xiii. 43; Rev. xiv. 12, 15); and completed in all the body of Christ before the treading of the wine-press, or

at all events before the feast of tabernacles (Rev. vii. 9, xx. 4). The note of preparation for this gathering of both parties is under the sixth vial; where " Behold, I come as a thief," is the note of preparation for the church; while three unclean sprits at the same time prepare for the great day of God Almighty, when his enemies shall be "gathered into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." The etymology of Armageddon has much been disputed, and is difficult, from its being a compound Hebrew word written in Greek characters; which two languages differ so greatly, that scarcely any one letter of the Hebrew alphabet can be adequately represented by any Greek character. Our only safe method of investigating the etymology, in such cases, is to ascertain the ideas which must necessarily be conveyed, and to seek for words which convey these ideas. Armageddon is a place of gathering, issuing in excision or concision (Joel iii. 11); and it has its type in Gideon's slaughter of the Midianites; and I think that which bids fairest for being the true etymology is a compound of to gather, and Gideon, derived from Y to cut off. Armageddon will thus mean "a gathering for excision," and the place will probably be the valley of Jehoshaphat. This gathering is spoken of frequently by the Prophets: as Joeliii. 11; "Assemble yourselves and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about.....Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision" [concision, or threshing, marg.] It is also paralleled with Gideon's destruction of the Midianites (Psalm lxxxiii. 9; Isa. ix. 3, 5): in which last passage, be it observed, the joy is "according to the joy of harvest;""the rod of the oppressor is broken, as in the day of Midian;" and "the battle is with burning and fuel of fire." Now taking these things together, we have a gathering beginning under the sixth vial, making head and receiving a tremendous overthrow at the end of harvest, and yet continuing till vintage, when every member of the gathered host shall be destroyed; the whole time, from threshing to treading the wine-press, being one unbroken day of wrath on that crew which the three unclean spirits have gathered. The whole range of judgments are brought together in Joel iii. 13: "Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, get ye down; for the press is full, the vats overflow." The two acts of judgment too are interlaced in Rev. xiv. 16--18; where "the angel having power over fire" (ver. 18) belongs to the burning of stubble and tares after harvest, while ver. 17 belongs to the vintage. By the confession of all, we are now living in the time included in the sixth vial (xvi. 12-16). The effects of this vial are, 1st, The drying-up of the Euphrates; which every one, friend and foe, is now ready to admit as fulfilled in the complete exhaustion of the Turkish empire: 2d, The gathering of a revolutionary

host under the three unclean spirits of despotism, superstition, and radicalism; which every one, whether friend or foe, is equally ready to grant is now begun, and in rapid progress: 3d, The warning to the church," Behold, I come as a thief;" which every one must admit has been given, and of which the existence of this Journal adds another to the many proofs. These are all the signs given under the vials: these are all in such state of progress that no man can be sure that the concluding vial may not be poured out immediately, and every attentive student must be convinced that it cannot long tarry. Oh that I could communicate to others part of the feeling of paramount, imperative necessity which presses upon my soul to study these things now, while we have a breathing-time, while the Lord delays his coming; thus to prepare ourselves to welcome him with joy, and not to be overwhelmed with surprise and terror when he comes as a thief in the night! To one who has studied the subject, it is clear to demonstration that we are very near the crisis of the church: for it may be proved that the seventh vial and seventh trumpet are synchronous; and that the last trump (1 Cor. xv. 52; Zech. ix. 14; Matt. xxiv. 31; 1 Thess. iv. 16) is the seventh trumpet, at whose commencement the mystery of God shall be finished-the "mystery" which St. Paul shews 1 Cor. xv. 51-even the mystery of the dead being raised incorruptible, and the living being changed; when Christ shall give reward to his servants the prophets, and to the saints; and destroy them which destroy the earth" (Rev. xi. 18); and when a great voice shall come out of the temple of heaven from the Throne, saying, "It is done" (xvi. 17). On the translation of the saints, the dire judgments on Babylon immediately ensue : "Shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth" (xi. 18); "great Babylon came in remembrance before God" (xvi. 19). In the harvest the saints are gathered as wheat into the barn (Matt. xiii. 30; Rev. xiv. 14): the tares are left in bundles on the field. Babylon is threshed and burnt as chaff after harvest (Isai.xxi. 10; Jer. li. 33; Mal. iv. 1). "Whose fan is in his hand, and he shall throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable' (Luke iii. 17). The "threshing" includes the earthquake and hail, or northern invasion (xi. 19, xvi. 21); and the "burning" which ensues, is utter destruction : "She shall be utterly burnt with fire" (xviii. 8). "For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion....The land thereof shall become burning pitch: it shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever" (Isai. xxxiv. 8-10). Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes" (Jer. xlix. 13). These judgments on

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Bozrah (Isai. xxxiv. 6) are, in Isai. lxiii. 1, brought into immediate connection with the wine-press: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?....I have trodden the wine-press alone....and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment." We also find, that before the final destruction of all his enemies (Rev. xix. 17, 21), he was "clothed in a vesture dipped in blood" (ver. 13). The burning also is represented as beginning symbolically (xvii. 16) before it begins literally; while xix. 17 couples the concluding judgment with Ezek. xxxix. 17, and with Isai. xiv. 25, Dan. xi. 45. From the whole of which I gather, that all the several acts of threshing, winnowing, burning, gathering the grapes, treading the wine-press, and supper of the great God, are contemplated in Scripture as "one great day of the Lord, which shall come as a destruction from the Almighty" (Isai. xiii. 6). This I think is manifestly the same with "the day of the Lord," 2 Pet. iii. 10; the conflagration, being the same with Isai. xxxiv., and the "new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness" being the same with Rev. xxi., which is the new Jerusalem. In Christendom has the glory of God in the salvation of man been most fully preached; and not only has the Gospel been most obstinately rejected, but the name of God has been most frequently blasphemed, and human nature been most basely degraded, in this quarter of the earth. Here, therefore, shall the severest judgments of God fall; and here also, I think, shall the New Jerusalem be planted; that the area on which the truth of God has been displayed may at once exhibit its glorious results to those who have received it, in the new Jerusalem; and its fearful condemnation to those who have rejected it, in the worm that dieth not, and fire that shall not be quenched (Isai. Ixvi. 24).

These judgments upon the wicked being finished, Chap. XX. is a preface to the Millennium, which is described at large in Chaps. XXI. XXII. Satan is first bound fer a thousand years, and then the Apostle "saw thrones, and they (i. e. the armies in heaven, xix. 14) sat upon them; and judgment was given unto them (avrois, dative); and I saw the souls (vxas, accusative) of them that were beheaded," &c. These martyrs are therefore a second company, being that multitude represented (vii. 9) coming in at the feast of tabernacles with palms in their hands, “which came out of great tribulation" (vii. 14). I think these answer to the foolish virgins in the parable (Matt. xxv.), who are excluded from the marriage supper, but, though not provided with oil or knowledge to attain the privilege of the day-star resurrection, have still faith to die for their Lord, and by martyrdom attain a place in the Millennium. When the thousand years are expired, Satan is loosed, numbers are deceived by

him, and together with him are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are. Then is seen a great white throne; the final judgment takes place, and the eternal state begins. The narration returns in chap. xxi. to describe the New Jerusalem; which, succeeding to the "first heaven," is necessarily identified with the "new heavens and new earth" (2 Pet. iii. 13); and, being prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (xxi. 2, 9), is also identified with xix. 7-14, xx. 4. At this joyful time "the tabernacle of God is with men" (xxi. 3); identifying it with Ezek. xliii. 4, when the Shekinah returns to the temple, no more to be withdrawn. But in the New Jerusalem it is to be taken in a higher sense: for God himself shall be with its blessed inhabitants, "and be their God, and wipe away all tears from their eyes; and to them there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.... And he that sat upon the throne, said, Behold, I make all things new"-Not only new heavenly Jerusalem, but new earthly Jerusalem (Isai. lxv. 17); new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah (Jer. xxxi. 31, xxxii. 40); new heart and new spirit (Ezek. xxxvi. 26, xi. 19, Jer. xxiv. 7); and a new creation (Isai. lxvi. 25, xi. 6-9, Rom. viii. 9-23). On the description of the New Jerusalem which follows in xxi. 10, xxii. 5, I have nothing to say, further than observing that it takes matter in the purest and least corruptible and most resplendent form we at present know, to form a fit habitation for the incorruptible and glorious bodies of the risen saints: "The great city, the holy Jerusalem, is seen descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasperstone, clear as crystal: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass; having a pure river of the water of life, and the tree of life, and the throne of God." The earthly Jerusalem described by Ezekiel xlvii., and which co-exists at the same time, in many respects agrees with this description; having only the same kind of difference as there shall be between the inhabitants of the two cities; the saints in their glorified bodies, the restored and converted Jews in flesh and blood. The earthly Jerusalem has a temple, which the Shekinah, or glory of the Lord, shall fill; the heavenly Jerusalem has no temple, for God and the Lamb are its temple and its glory. Healing waters issue from the eastern threshold of Ezekiel's temple; the New Jerusalem is watered by the river of life proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. By the river in Ezekiel" shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary;