church, as now contrasted with the church of the firstborn written in heaven, had drank deeply of the cup of the fornications of the mystic Babylon, "the mother of harlots." As we read before, those that were written in the Lamb's book of life had not, like all the world besides, wondered after the beast:

"These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."

"Through honour and dishonour, through good report and ill report," &c. It has been remarked that there is, in this place, an allusion to the oath of the Roman soldiers, part of which was to follow their generals wheresoever they should lead :

"These are redeemed"— or, " purchased”men."

" from among

A plain declaration that the people of God owe their salvation to a special and particular redemption in the blood of Christ" being the first-fruits unto God and the Lamb." That is to say, God's consecrated portion of the human race, while the rest are left to common purposes: Of his own will begat he us, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures."

5. "In their mouth was found no guile,”—or, no lie," "for they were without fault before the throne of God,"— or rather," for they were without spot.”2

They were uncontaminated with those damnable delusions which had desolated the visible church, and which had reigned triumphant during the pilgrimage of many of them on earth.

6. " 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 water."

A new era seems to be here pointed out in the history of the true and spiritual church-among those who belong to the Jerusalem that is above, an era marked by the more universal proclamation of the everlasting Gospel, not only to the nations of the professed church, but to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. No doubt, in thus extending the preaching of his Gospel, the usual design of God will be accomplished, in gathering, individually, the number of his elect; but we seem to have here pointed out two public purposes, if we may so speak, in this general proclamation. First, to prepare all nations for the hour of God's judgment, which is fast approaching the long predicted judgment of God on the apostate churches of the west and on the Roman or fourth empire. Secondly, that the heathen may be called to worship their Creator, and be prepared for the coming of his kingdom, into which, as nations, they are to be gathered, at the coming of the great King, agreeably with the predictions of our Lord himself: "and the Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all nations, and then shall the end come."

And when we consider the extensive means and abundant provision now made by Bible and Missionary societies for the evangelizing of the heathen nations of the earth, all which mighty instruments of good have sprang up, as it were, on a sudden, within our memory,

and are, at this present time, spreading the knowledge of revelation to a wider extent than has ever yet taken place, who can forbear to exclaim, Behold a remarkable sign of the coming of Christ, and of the end of the present dispensation!

8. "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."

Evidently a prophecy of the destruction of Rome. It may be of the city itself, as the next angel seems to make a distinct judgment of her votaries :

9. "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark on his forehead or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest, day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

If the city of Rome itself be first an object of vengeance, the whole Roman world, still bearing the marks of her dominion and superstition, or of some fruits of her apostasy, is soon involved in her doom. "I beheld then," says Daniel, "because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame."

12. "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

That is, this is the grand judgment of the adversaries, for which the people of God have been directed to wait, in every age" patiently committing themselves to God in well doing."

13. "And I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."

We have seen, from the oracles of God all along, that the resurrection of the just is part of the business of the second advent. Thus it was intimated above, when the songs of heaven offered congratulations at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, that "the time of the dead was come, that they should be judged, and that God should give reward unto his servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear his name, small and great."

It is to this blessed resurrection that the proclaiming voice we now hear has reference: "Write, Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord; yea assuredly, saith the Spirit, when they rest from their labours :" that is, this matter the word of inspiration has already declared, namely, that the dead who sleep in Jesus are blessed,— but more," and their works do follow them." They lose not the fruits of their labours, who, patiently waiting for their Lord, and diligently occupying till he should come, have fallen asleep in death before that day arrived. They now appear, and stand before their Master with all the talents they have gained, the labourers in the vineyard to receive the reckoning, the builders to have their work examined-as to their personal claims upon their Lord on its account,-whether it be of wood, hay, stubble, or whether it be of gold, and silver, and precious

stones, that each man "( may receive his own reward according to his own work."

I cannot, indeed, but hold it to be unscriptural and erroneous to say, that there is a judgment of works whereby the character of God's people, as such, is to be ascertained at the day of his coming, or by which God's justice is to be vindicated in the rewarding of his people, as some speak. Because the blessed dead were, long before, ascertained to belong to Christ; ay, and the living servants of Christ too, who had made their calling and election sure, and were sealed by the Spirit. In the case of those, indeed, who shall survive to the coming of Christ, a public declaration that divides them from unsound professors, is to be expected,― according as their work shall be true or false will this declaration be. But God's justice, in the gift of eternal life unto his elect, is not justified by their good works, but by the sacrifice and merits of the death of Christ, made sin for them, that they might be made the righteousness of God in him.

But although, I humbly conceive, in all the transactions of awarding eternal life and glory-even full conformity in body and soul to the only begotten of the Father the reward is reckoned simply and solely "of grace," and "no more of works;" yet I think it clear from Scripture, that there is a rewarding of certain services besides, at the resurrection of the just, of certain services which particular persons have been called to perform for Christ and his cause. The service of the ministry is particularly pointed out, "with promise" of some peculiar reward, in many parts of Scripture. And analogy leads us to add, other gifted servants of Christ, who, foregoing their private interests for their Master's