passed away; a long, unobstructed vista opening far down the future discloses the coming kingdom, and he stands and gazes upon it with thrilling delight, and watches its onward progress. And hence, graphically he describes its coming, the attending magnificent pomp, its unrivalled greatness, its unclouded glory, its unsuffering blessedness, and its endless perpetuity. He, too, represents Jesus the King occupying its lofty and glorious throne; swaying his peaceful sceptre over its far extending domains; subduing all things unto himself; and all in blissful obedience serving himfalling down, joyfully and sincerely worshipping him.

It was the angel Gabriel, so peculiarly instructed in the mysteries of this kingdom, that explained to Daniel his symbolical dream, and those full of trouble visions of his head which he had upon his bed. He informed him, a prince of dreamers, who understood not the visions which passed before his view, nor saw in them a revelation of events, and scenes reaching far into the future, deeply affecting the interests of men and the glory of God, that the four great beasts which he saw were four great kings or kingdoms, which should rise in succession out of the earth, out of this world, out of the wisdom, policy, and prowess of men, and successively destroy each other. He told him, that in the last, or fourth kingdom, which combined in it some of the polity of all the preceding, and which was to be by far the mightiest-" a horn," or emblem of power, "that had eyes and a mouth speaking great things,'

which is Popery, would arise, and in its antichrist spirit make increasing war with the saints, and prevail against them. That it would manifest towards them burning hatred, and ever thirst for their blood until the Ancient of Days come to destroy this persecuting one, and judgment be given to the persecuted people of the saints of the Most High; and the time come when the saints, being delivered from his power, and he utterly destroyed, shall possess the kingdom erected by the Lord Jesus Christ upon the ruins of his—upon the earth.

This same angel, so profoundly instructed in Messiah's pre-eminent regal dignity and authority; his kingdom and government yet to be ushered in to the redemption and joy of the whole earth, also explained to Daniel his vision of the ram and the goat. He showed him, that the beasts which appeared in that vision, were symbolical of earthly powers and kingdoms. Thus the last and greatest, the Roman, the antichristian, the papal, combining in it all the evils of popery, and concentrating all its powers of hostility, would engage in conflict with its far superior, the Prince of Peace, and that he would utterly consume and destroy it. That conflict, however, so terrible and destructive in its nature, would not take place till the time of the end. Antichrist would retain possession. of his kingdom; and as the time of its duration drew nearer a close, he would have recourse to cunning, deceptive devices, and crafty stratagems, which would

prove successful for extending his dominion, and increasing his power over the hearts and souls of men. He intimated that that power would increase, and with its growing ascendency over the power that kept it in check, would become more bloodthirsty and persecuting, and would, with more unrelenting cruelty, put to death the saints of the Most High. This power, not to be controlled nor changed by the agency of men, would continue till the Son of Man or the Prince of princes came to this earth to consume it by the breath of his mouth-to give it, and them who exercise it, to devouring flame.

Closely connected with all this, and as forming a part of the glorious whole, Gabriel may be viewed as revealing to Daniel the mystery of the resurrection of the body. He showed him the saints sleeping in the earth, reposing in their clay cold beds, waiting the days of their appointed time for their coming change, awaking from its long repose their dust, which had been trodden under the feet of many generations, and nations unnoticed and unknown, becoming instinct with new and immortal life, and hastening together under the strange and wonder-working wisdom and power of God, and forming magnificent structures, fashioned like unto the glorious humanity of Immanuel. Nor do his glorious visions terminate here. The graves of the saints not only appear despoiled of their treasures, and the holy ones who slept therein, alive and enrobed in the righteousness of their Redeemer, but the

curtain is lifted, and a scene is disclosed far more magnificent than that which presented itself to the eye of Moses, when he surveyed the Holy Land from the top of Pisgah; or to the eye of Balaam, when he looked upon the goodly tents of Jacob, and the tabernacles of Israel. Messiah's kingdom appears, with the king himself, and his many crowns upon his head, occupying the throne, surrounded by his redeemed ones; his bride supremely happy in the abounding joys of his presence. This magnificent climax-the dawning of a far more glorious dispensation than any that has blessed the earth, since the dark hour that Adam's disobedience blighted and forfeited the joys of Edenconcludes the Book of Daniel, and Gabriel's interpretations and revelations to him.

This great expounder of Daniel's dreams and visions, so far as inspired testimony is concerned, returned to the pavilion of eternity and the presence of his God, and there remained for ages and centuries. For a season at least his labours seemed to be done. No spirit favoured with divine dreams and visions seems to have appeared wrestling before God for an interpreter to expound these; and, consequently, no command was given by Jehovah for Gabriel to fly swiftly to earth as an expounder of such. Centuries rolled on during which Gabriel appears standing before the throne waiting with all eagerness to have his commission renewed, and be sent by God upon errands of prophetic revelation. His eye seems full of earnest

watchfulness; his ear open and listening to catch the very first word of any message that may be intrusted to him; his ready wing quivers with impatience to fulfil the pleasure of God, in whose presence he stands. The moment at last comes for him to resume his labours; he is commissioned to earth to the temple at Jerusalem, to Zacharias ministering before the altar of incense, to assure him that his prayer was heard, and that he should have a son, notwithstanding he and his wife were well stricken in years, and instruct him to call his child's name John.

Six months after this God sends him forth again. From the throne of the Eternal he speeds his flight to the obscure city of Nazareth, little known among the cities of the earth; and to the Virgin Mary of the seed of David, yet less known and renowned among the distinguished and honourable women of the land. To this obscure woman, little if at all known beyond her family circle, though Isaiah had sung of her seven hundred years before, in prophetic rapturous song, Gabriel hastened. He had a message from God, a momentous message, to her and all the world. The few words of that message involved the glorious and momentous burden of all the visions and dreams of Daniel which he explained to him. It announced to Mary the conception, the birth, the name, the future greatness, of the Son of the Highest; the extent, the glory, and the perpetuity of his kingdom.

The part of the angelic message and prophecy refer