chaste virgins who were espoused to love Christ, were faithful and obedient to him, deemed themselves his alone, and watched for the completion of their sacred union to him: they therefore preferred sufferings and death to that spiritual fornication and adultery to which the antichristian church was given up.

Secondly, this holy assembly is described by the course they pursued: "they followed the Lamb "whithersoever he went."-They accompanied him through evil report and good report. The Lord Jesus, in his doctrine, worship, afflictions,, spirit, purity, and love, was their great example. They not only depended upon the atonement of his blood, and the efficacy of his righteousness, for their pardon and acceptance; but also followed the example of his humility and patience. True Christians will not only look to Christ as their great example, but will also follow the path into which he leads them by his providence. They will not, indeed, carelessly run into trials and dangers, nor voluntarily court persecution; yet they will willingly bear his reproach, and, when called to it, will readily part with property, reputation, liberty, or even life itself, rather than deny Christ, give up their attachment to his cause, and renounce their hopes of salvation from him. Under the strongest temptations, to forsake him, they would exclaim in the language of Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words "of eternal life."

Thirdly, they are marked by the distinguished blessings conferred on them: "they were redeemed "from among men, being the first fruit unto God "and to the Lamb."-They were the travail of the Redeemer's soul, with which he was satisfied, being actually interested in the atonement of his blood. As an evidence of this, they had been delivered by the providence and grace of the Redeemer from the power and superstition of idolatry, with which they

were surrounded in the antichristian church and the world. Like the first-fruits in the Jewish church, they were moreover consecrated to God and to the Lamb, as an earnest and assurance of a plentiful harvest that in time was to follow.

Fourthly, they are distinguished by their sincerity: for" in their mouth was found no guile."They were faithful and upright in their profession of Christ; they were sincere in their repentance, faith, and love; and they preached the true doctrines of the Gospel in simplicity and godly sincerity. Like Nathanael, they were Israelites indeed, in whom was no guile. They were sincere in their attachment to Christ, and true and faithful in their conduct towards men.

Finally, they were characterized by their purity; for "they are without fault before the throne of "God." However their characters were misunderstood or misrepresented by men, however they were traduced as fanatics, or condemned as heretics, they were declared faultless before the throne of their Judge. They had not trusted in the merits of saints either real or supposed, nor had they attempted to obtain indulgences and pardons procured by money; but they had fixed their hopes solely on the merits and grace of the great Redeemer. Hence they were pardoned, accepted, and justified: for "who shall "lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is "God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? "It is Christ that died; yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right-hand of God, who "also maketh intercession for us." But their justification had also been accompanied with the consequent and necessary adjunct of sanctification. They had been taught by that "grace of God which "bringeth salvation, to deny ungodliness and worldly "lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, "in this present evil world:" and they had been "blameless and harmless, the sons of God without

"rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse "nation."

How delightful and cheering is the view here given us of Christ, as the Lamb on Mount Sion surrounded with the holy assembly of his redeemed; and how animating is the representation of their singing in loud and melodious strains, the praises of redeeming love! May we follow the example of these happy saints, that our voices and our harps may be tuned to join in the same songs! Infinitely blessed are those, who, through the power and grace of Christ, have been redeemed from among men, and have humbly traced the steps of his purity on earth; for in heaven they shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes. May it then be our great concern to receive the Lord Jesus as our prophet, priest, and king; and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world! May we walk worthy of our hopes and expectations, and at length be found blameless in the presence of God and the Lamb! Amen.

SECTION VII.

The Proclamation of the Angels on the Preaching the everlasting Gospel; on the Fall of Babylon; and on the Vengeance of God upon the Beast. The Blessedness of the Dead which die in the Lord.

Chap. xiv. 6-13.

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, 7. 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.

It is generally agreed among many of the most judicious interpreters of this book, that the three angels, mentioned in these and the following verses, were emblematical heralds of the progressive reformation from Popery, and of the destruction that awaits it. Some modern commentators, indeed, refer the subjects predicted by the first angel to later times, and suppose they relate to events of the present and future periods. But this exposition, viewed exclusively, seems too much to derange the chronology of the prophecy; for, though the chronological order of the little book be not so direct and regularly successive as that contained in the former series of predictions under the seals and trumpets, yet it is by no means arbitrary; nor is it to be thrown out of its position without evident necessity, arising from its synchronisms with the direct series of predictions contained in the first part of the book, or from other satisfactory internal evidence. I shall, therefore, here give the outline of what has been considered the exposition of this prophecy by some of the most able and judicious commentators, who seem to have directed us to the clue which is most likely to lead us in safety through the mazes of this mysterious book.--The extent and prevalence of the power of the ecclesiastical beast having been predicted in the preceding chapter, the diminution and the weakening of it, as introductory to its complete destruction, is foretold in this. The angel which the Apostle saw, flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the "earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," seems especially to symbolize the men who first erected the standard of reformation, and who contended for the everlasting Gospel of Christ in opposition to all the usurpations and innovations of the beast and his image. The Gospel,

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which is here characterized by the epithet everlasting, like its divine Author, is "the same yesterday, to"day, and for ever." It will never be altered nor abolished till it issue in eternal life. A considerable part of the honour here predicted, seems to belong to the Waldenses and Albigenses, who had the true Gospel among them, avowed its everlasting obligation and excellency, and opposed it to the authority of popes, councils, and persecuting princes. These faithful witnesses declared the Pope to be Antichrist, propagated the Gospel with zeal and success, and multiplied into a vast number of churches. After immense slaughter had been made of them by persecutions and bloody wars, they still retained their tenets; and being dispersed into other countries, they rapidly carried the everlasting Gospel with them (as an angel, a messenger of peace to men, flying through the midst of heaven); so that the Lollards in England, the Bohemians in Germany, and many others, in different places and countries, seem to have learned the Gospel from them. In fact, the Reformation itself appears to have sprung from the seed which they sowed, and watered with rivers of their blood. So exact was this prophecy in its commencement, that these witnesses had the everlasting Gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth. They loudly called on men to fear and glorify God, and to worship the Creator of all things as revealed in the Gospel, because the hour of his judgment was at hand.-Some commentators explain these two verses almost exclusively of Luther; and suppose that many things in his situation, character, and testimony, remarkably answered to the prophecy. But one can hardly imagine that the previous testimony against the beast would be entirely passed over; or that any individual, however eminent, should occupy so conspicuous a place in this concise prophecy. Others suppose that more modern events, and particularly the zeal which has