upon her head a crown of twelve stars; she also being the number or measure of perfection. The Lord then showed Michael the vessels of the spiritual house which had been built, and there appeared those saints who had suffered unto death, these were vessels of gold. There also appeared those saints who had come out of great tribulation, but had not tasted of death; these were vessels of silver. There also appeared those who never suffered for well-doing; these were vessels of wood. And there also appeared those who resisted the Spirit of God, and died impenitent; these were vessels of earth. All the vessels were useful for the house, some to honour, and some to dishonour. The Lord then showed Michael the glory of the everlasting kingdom, ere it was delivered up by the Son to the Father. In heaven, the state of angels, all things were subject unto Him, for God's will was the will of all in heaven; God was sovereign, and all were willingly obedient. On earth, the state of redeemed men, all things were reconciled by the Son unto the Father, and God's will was done on earth, as in heaven; God was sovereign, and every man was willingly obedient. In the state of fallen angels and impenitent men, all things were made subject to the will of God; each individual, while a spiritual slave, was in the state of his own choice-a choice adhered to with great obstinacy of spirit-their punishment being all self-inflicted; here, in particular, was manifested the benignity, and mercy, and justice, and manifold wisdom of the Lord's Christ, in the moral government of the universe. Every condemned creature is self-condemned; the fire in which each burns is his own kindling; the torment of each is self-inflicted; the Lord interposes His power, and ameliorates their condi

tion, by the total suppression of wickedness, and overrules their state, making it glorifying to Himself, and greatly conducive to the happiness of the saints. In this state there will be witnessed an everlasting testimony to the perfect freedom of the will of every creature in the state of probation; and also an abiding evidence of the sovereign will of God, in the perfect, although compulsory, subjection of rebellious angels and men. The Lord Jesus then delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, and having subdued all things unto Him, the Son Himself became subject unto Him, that put all things under Him, and God was all in all. Michael then fell down and worshipped, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Then was heard a great voice in heaven, as the voice of many waters-and as the voice of a great thunder-and the voice of harpers harping with their harps; and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts and the elders. After this, lo, a great multitude was seen, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and about the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces and worshipped God, saying, Amen, Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might be unto our God for ever and ever, Amen. And every creature which is in heaven,

and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, was heard saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

CHAPTER XXVII.

So

EZEK. chap. xliii. ver. 1-6. "Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east; and, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east; and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the house, by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me." The gate toward the east is the beginning, and Christ is the beginning; so he brought him to Christ; and, behold, the glory of the Lord came from the way of the east. God appears in His glory by revealing the mystery of all He has done in Christ from the beginning. His voice is like a noise of many waters; when the mighty angel cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth, the seven thunders uttered their voices. "The earth shined with his glory:" when the angel came down from heaven having great

power, the earth was lightened with his glory. It was according to the appearance of the vision which "I saw when I came to destroy the city; and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar." This vision is recorded in the first chapter of the prophecy of Ezekiel, and relates to the opening of the sealed book, and the complete fulfilment of all that is written in Scripture.

Them that destroy the earth shall be consumed with the Spirit of the Lord's mouth, and destroyed with the brightness of His coming; the righteous shall lift up their heads and look up, for their redemption draweth nigh. "I fell upon my face;" Ezekiel's act indicates the unprecedented nature of what was to happen in these times. "The glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east;" the way of the gate is the Word of God made flesh, and dwelling among men; the gate is Christ, the eternal Son of God; the way of the gate is His being made man. The eternal Son will not be made man a second time, but a man will be made like unto the Son of God by the power of an endless life; so that "by the way," or in a manner similar to His first advent, the Lord of glory will appear in His temple; and when the Spirit is outpoured upon all men, the world shall have entered into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord shall fill the house. Ezekiel heard a voice speaking unto him out of the house, and the man in Christ stood by him.

Ver. 7-9." And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their