is, and which was, and which is to come; the Source and Giver of life; "The Lord is his name.' But how is the Blessing to be obtained? How are the Seals to be opened? How the Book to be unclosed, in the reading of which the blessing is more especially promised? It is neither by indolent waiting, nor by anxious study, of the word itself; and far less, the writings of fallible men. The Lord hath prescribed the way. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee." There must be equally an earnest calling unto the Lord, and a careful attention to the answer he vouchsafes, in whatever way He is pleased to speak. There must be simplicity of mind in seeking, first, the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. So will he fulfil his word, "and shew thee great and mighty," or hidden, "things, which thou knowest not." We must be convinced of our own previous ignorance if we would really have the teaching of God; and of our own weakness, if we would see the might of God put forth in our deliverance and blessing. "The meek will he guide in judgment, the meek will he teach his way."

What immediately follows appears to be in the order of the Seven Seals already dwelt upon, pages 25—56.

In order to enter into the mystery of Divine Providence, and see the appropriateness of the language used in divine revelation, it is necessary to understand, how God might be the God of Israel, even when destroying the Jews: who had magnified themselves against Israel, rejoiced in their expulsion from the land, and exclusion from the covenant mercy promised to the fathers. Let us clearly distinguish between Israel and Judah (the inhabitants of Jerusalem) when we read such words as these: "For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the Kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword. They come to fight with the Chaldeans; but it is to fill them with the dead bodies

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of men, whom I have slain in mine anger, and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city." Thus, in the appointment of God, the city, as possessed by the Jews, was given to the spoil, and the people to the sword. And this destruction came upon it in their hands, not only from the Babylonians, but still more cruelly from the Romans, whose sovereignty they preferred to that of their rightful King, whom they delivered up to be crucified.

But as truly as all the threatened judgment hath come upon the Jews, will God, as the God of Israel, accomplish the promise to Jerusalem, ver. 6: "Behold I will bring it health and cure." He, the good Physician, hath come, and been rejected of Jerusalem; but he is not to be turned back from his purpose. He died that we might live; and he is exalted, "to give repentance to Israel and the remission of sins:" and through Him, the great Redeemer, our most gracious Saviour, the Salvation shall he enjoyed by his people Israel, and this will he manifested even in Jerusalem. The Lord will do it, as He hath said, " And I will cure them." Then will the vail which hath been spread over all nations be removed—then will the book be opened, as here it is said, " And I will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth." Then will be the time of Israel's Salvation: of which Salvation He who hath come to wash us from our sins in his own blood, and to make us unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, will be seen, as indeed the cause. This is written in his very name Jesus—He shall save his people from their sins.--(Compare herewith the First Seal, pages 25—29.)

Second—The return of Israel's captivity is recognised to be to the enjoyment of peace, ver. 7, as before intimated in the Second Seal. Had only the captivity of Judah been spoken of, the promise might, by some, have been regarded as fulfilled in the Jews' return from Babylon. But

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even granting that then was the return of the captivity of Judah, that was not the return of Israel's captivity, as here distinctly marked, “ And I will cause the captivity of Judah, and the captivity of Israel, to return." And surely this has never been fulfilled—" And will build them as at the first." The glory of the kingdom of David and Solomon never has been restored to Jerusalem; but more than this is promised—when the Lord will take, of backsliding Israel, one of a city, and two of a family, and bring them to Zion; when the Lord will restore her judges as at the first, and her counsellors as at the beginning.— Then the abundance of the seas shall he converted unto her, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto her; then she is to see peace.—(See Second Seal, pages 29—32).

Third—The contrast of Israel's case with that of other nations, which was dwelt upon under the third Seal, is again adverted to here, v. 8, 9. All has happened that they might be prepared, as a people, to shew forth the praises of the Lord, when his goodness shall be bestowed upon them, to the degree of making all the nations of the earth to fear and to tremble:which well may he, were they his own United People, in the holiness and favour here described—" And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me." Jerusalem then will he holy, and there will the Lord command the blessing: "And it shall he to me a name of joy:"—no longer a name of reproach, which it was painful to hear, because of the numberless evils with which it was associated. In the sight of all the nations, it hath been lying in desolation and the deepest degradation. Not so now: it shall be "a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them."This may well be: the people contemplated in the blessing, having al

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ready intimate connection with all the great families of mankind, and having such unprecedented facilities for publishing the Lord's goodness over all the earth. Then shall Jerusalem tremble no more under the rod—nay, under the feet of the oppressor. The cup of trembling shall be taken out of her hand, and put into that of her enemies:—" And they shall fear and tremble, for all the goodness, and for all the prosperity, that I procure unto it." This contrast of Israel's case with that of other nations, compare with the Third Seal, pages 33—35.The contrast will not he tho less striking in the land, than it has been out of it.

Fourth—The case of Jerusalem as utterly helpless in itself, and the recovery by the Lord of that which was lost (the captivity of the laud), is next adverted to, ver. 10, 11: "Thus saith the Lord, Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate, without man, and without beast." The place is sufficiently identified:- "Even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; that are desolate without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast." There, even in the streets of Jerusalem, shall he heard a very different sound from what at this time prevails there," The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness -the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride." Social and domestic happiness are there to abound; and, equally, that of holy worship;— the expression of grateful praise to the Giver of all good, who will have granted deliverance to Israel, who will abundantly have blessed the people of his choice. There, accordingly, will be heard "The voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of Hosts" -the Lord, not of a remnant merely, but the Lord of Hosts. "For the Lord is good"—He will be found presently blessing his people, and they, looking back upon all the way in which he hath led them; and seeing how he hath been ever following them with his covenant mercy, and is now known by them as their covenant God

not be ashamed of their devotion to the Lord. There, in the streets of Jerusalem, will be heard tho joyful voice of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. And all this, " For I will cause to return the captivity," not of a fragment of the people, but "of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord."—(Compare with Fourth Seal, pages 36—40.)

Fifth—The contrast of Israel's case in the laud, with the desolation of the land as possessed by other nations, appears to be clearly intimated, ver. 12, 13: "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Again in this place, which is desolate, without man, and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds, causing their flocks to lie down."—" In the cities of the mountains" as of Lebanon and Bashan at the northern extremity of the Laud; "And in the cities of the vale "of Jezreel more southward; "and in the cities of the south," where were the portions of Simeon and Dan: These belonged to the kingdom of Israel. "And in the land of Benjamin," the most northern portion of the kingdom of Judah; "And in the places about Jerusalem; and in the cities of Judah," the most northern portion of this latter kingdom.

It may be noticed that the same threefold division of the portions of Israel and Judah was made before, xxxii. 44, only that the three divisions of the land belonging to Judah, which were there given first, are here mentioned last.

Over the whole land, both of Israel and Judah, shall be peace and plenty. Then "shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them."—This contrast to the desolation, which hath overspread the whole land, remains yet to be given. He who hath made the case of the nations that have come of Jacob, so much in contrast to that of the nations among whom they have come, will equally make their condition in the land a contrast to that of the nations who

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have spoiled it. The Lord hath promised, and He will perform.-(See the Fifth Seal, pages 41—44.)

Sixth—The Return of Israel and Judah, to the fulness of the Blessing, is here again assured, ver. 14, " Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel, and to the house of Judah." The good which is promised to be given, upon the Restoration of both the houses of Israel, must at least include righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost; that full cup of joy which the Lord intends to put into the hands of his people—the joy of the harvest, as contrasted with that of the first fruits of the Spirit, bestowed on the day of Pentecost.

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Then will be seen the truth of Jacob's words in blessing him, upon whose Head the fulness of the blessing was to come, Gen. xlix. 22. Joseph is a fruitful bough—a fruitful bough by a well;—branches run over the wall." Although not found within the wall, which was to be broken down, Eph. ii. 14—18, it will be seen that he hath grown up into that fulness of nations, unto whom the promises were to be sure, when in uncircumcision, was our father Abraham when he received the promises, Rom. iv. 8—18. The words will be fulfilled: "In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David "that is, unto the Beloved, the King," And he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land." The Lord, the King, will put forth power, by the people of his choice—a people who shall be willing in the day of his power, and by whom He will cleanse the Land. Then, when the first-born Ephraim has grown up unto the fulness of the stature of a man in Christ Jesus, and when he can be used, in the hand of the Lord, for the

purpose designed, "In those days Judah shall be saved, and" Israel, now called " Jerusalem, shall dwell safely; and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, the Lord our

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Righteousness."—(Compare herewith Jer. xxiii. 6.)—It is the name of her Husband that is put upon her, even the name of Him in whom all fulness of blessing is to be found. Israel is to be known by the name of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem is to be known by the name of her Lord—" the Lord our Righteousness."—(Compare with the Sixth Seal, pages 44—49).

Seventh- The Cause of Israel's salvation, Christ, their King or Governor, their all-prevailing Intercessor, the Man who can approach the eternal Majesty, with acceptance, in behalf of his people, and procure for them the promised blessing, is here again adverted to: "For thus saith the Lord, David shall never want a man," or there shall not be cut off from David, "A Man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel." It is true that the Man, Christ Jesus, was to appearance cut off, but not for Himself. It was in order that he might more fully accomplish the work which was given Him to do, in behalf of the people who were to be united unto Him for ever. He was not only to reign over them as a King, but represent them as a Priest. He was first to go unto the Father, before being manifested in his great power, as the Governor who should rule His

people Israel. He who was, in Bethlehem, born of the seed of David, hath

approached the Father for us. He hath gone to procure for Israel a preparation for the promised blessing. And the Father hath said to Him, "Sit at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Then He, who is in reserve for the throne of his father David, will condescend to sit upon that throne, as truly as He condescended to take unto Him our very nature from the Virgin's womb. He is our Melchizedek. "He shall sit as a Priest upon his throne." He hath an everlasting priesthood: and so it is here said, "Neither shall the Priests, the Levites, want a man, before me, to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually." This is He who continueth ever—who hath by one offering for ever perfected them that are sanctified: so that there needeth no more sacrifice for sin. His sacrifice is of perpetual efficacy; and upon the ground thereof, will there be offered the sacrifices of prayer and praise continually; and such other sacrifices as are well pleasing unto God, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. One, even the Son of David, is not only our King, but our Priest, for ever. His sacrifice is sufficient. His intercession all prevailing. He hath prevailed to open the Book, and to loose the Seven Seals thereof.—(Compare this with the Seventh Seal, pages 50—56.)

Jesus, as to their spiritual life, is a Father to the numerous posterity promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was shown from the very beginning that the being merely the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh, did not avail The children of promise were counted for the seed. Else why

should Isaac be chosen, to the rejection of both his elder brother, Ishmael, and his younger brethren, the children of Keturah? Else why should Jacob be chosen to the rejection of Esau, his elder brother, the son of the same mother as well as father, and produced even at the same birth?-