mysteries? St. Paul terms the first "The mystery of Christ," wherein of twain He is to make in Himself "One New Man" (Eph. ii., iii.). "A mystery-making in Himself of twain, One New Man." These verily are dark words, but St. John reveals their meaning most fully in his "unveiling." Again, St. Paul with similar brevity introduces us to another great mystery. He terms it "the mystery of Iniquity;" and he briefly, and almost fitfully, refers to certain "principalities and powers" as forming some of its elements, and to a certain "Man of Sin" as its offspring or offshoot. But there he stops, as if remembering his Master's words, "Ye cannot bear them now." Not so St. John. He would have deprived the Church of a most necessary armour, and would have left her unforewarned and unarmed, had he not, along with "the mystery of Christ," also revealed its dread antagonist -the mystery of Antichrist. This he does with similar fulness of detail, tracing this dread Adversary of Christ and his Church ab ovo (in the second, third, and fourth seals) throughout his unholy career down to the second death. St. Paul had told us that "the mystery of Iniquity" did already work, but adds that its last development as Antichrist had yet to be "revealed" (2 Thess. ii. 8). This promised revelation St. John gives, and it is to these two great militant mysteries that his entire book is devoted. In it the "mystery of godliness" advances into its final phase," the mystery of Christ:" and the "mystery of Iniquity" into its last phase, the mystery of Antichrist; while both are finally and fully detailed by the Seer, through all their changing phases, and in all their varying fulness and power. St. John authenticates this view by using St. Paul's very language, for he says, "In the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God shall be finished;" while the last head of iniquity is named "mystery." And many parities are traceable between St. John's two mysteries and St. Paul's. as well as the book itself, closes with precious promises of reward to "him that overcometh." Let us here note other salient features of the Apocalypse. First, its vast sweep. It opens with Paradise lost; it closes with Paradise restored. The words Alpha and Omega repeatedly recur, as if to warn us that such is the scope of the book. Hence springs one of the great difficulties of Revelation. Our vision is so narrow and its compass so vast! All the old prophecies are revived in this book. There is scarcely a symbol, type, figure, prophecy, or event in previous Holy Writ that has not its final issue in Revelation. Hence its infinite value to us all. It is so thoroughly interwoven with all Scripture, that to study it is to study all the inspired books. No book so fully proves the intimate re lations and perfect unity of all Holy Writ. It rehearses, summarises, amplifies, and adds all that had been omitted by the previous writers. The book, moreover, is thoroughly œcumenical. It is full of fulness; seven pervades it. All the allusions in the Apocalypse are wholly Biblical. Such being the case, should not its interpretation be so also? When history is selected by the Holy Spirit, it is that it may bear an ulterior and distant lesson, and an angelic commentator usually explains it. Whereas the spiritual interpretation being already afforded throughout Holy Writ (though seemingly to our view in a scattered and broken manner), needs no interpreter. Now in the two great mysteries of St. Paul, as well as throughout Revelation, we find two spiritual agencies at work; and, subordinated to them, peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. Scripture terms these agencies, "The Spirit of Truth" and "The Spirit of Error." And amid the many wondrous features of Revelation there is none more remarkable than the sustained contrast and duality of these two Spirits and their subordinates that run throughout. For every act of Truth, Error has a counteract, and where he can a counterfeit. Let us take only a very few examples :— On the side of Godliness we have The Mystery of Christ. I have said that these two mysteries are militant. And observe how conspicuous war is throughout Revelation. St. John is the Apostle of love, but he is also "the Son of Thunder," and he brings more vividly to light than any other writer in Holy Writ the The Man of God. militant phase of the Church. There is war in heaven, war in the seals, war in the trumpets, war in the vials; while each of the seven exhortations to the seven churches, The Throne of Righteous ness. The Mother of Churches. The two Witnesses or lamblike Prophets. The Redeemer of Man, in his fourfold Character. On the side of Iniquity we have The Mystery of Antichrist. The Mother of Harlots. 66 Elijah; the great Earthquake of Zechariah, and other prophets, his flying Roll, "the curse that goeth over the face of the whole earth;" his chariots and his horses-resembling St. John's even in colour; his "Woman Wickedness," and her Land of Shinar, or Babylon; Joel's Day of darkness, wherein his armies cause the earth to quake and heaven to tremble, the sun and moon to be dark, and all faces to gather blackness;" the siege of Jericho, the doom of Babylon; the great tribulation of our Lord; the Sabbatism of St. Paul; in a word, all the earliest and all the latest prophecies of Holy Writ, thus making revelation what Scripture terms it, "The effect of every vision." It would almost seem as if The Prosperous Rider, at this stage of his career, gathered up into his wounded palm all the tangled reins of Scripture-tightening them into that Gordian knot of Holy Writ, the Seven Seals again expand, unravel, and re-arrange them on the face of the Roll, and thereby conduct each thread of Scripture, clearly and separately, to its destined issue. Certain it is that all the threads of Scripture are re-arranged upon the Roll with all the precision of the woof and warp, and are there worked-albeit with wounded palm-into the golden texture of Holy Writ. And it becomes man's pleasant task, nay, his imperative duty, not to read Scripture in fragments, but to trace these Lines from their source in Genesis to their final issue in the Day of the Lamb's Wrath. Thus only shall we fully understand the perfect unity of Holy Writ. Indeed, just as the great work of Christ, with all its constituent elements, and in all its varying phases, runs throughout Revelation, from its first appearance in the cherubim at the gates of Eden down to the removal-only that he might the more methodically of the curse and the marriage supper of the Lamb; so does the great counterfeit and antagonistic work of his Enemies run parallel therewith. All their insidious designs, all their mysterious strategy, all their protean forms, and powers, and phases, together with the throne of Iniquity" itself, masked in the garb of righteousness, are unveiled to us. Now these two spiritual mysteries of Truth and Error so thoroughly pervade Scripture from first to last, that we might expect St. John when he unveils them to give us in some measure a brief rehearsal of Scripture. And it is precisely such a rehearsal that we have in Revelation, for we find in it the tree of paradise; that old Serpent the Devil; the Cherubim and flaming Sword of Eden; the ten plagues of Egypt; the bondage and oppression, the wilderness and warfare, of the early Church; the Song of Moses; Enoch's ten thousand saints; Judah's Lion; Job's marine monsters, his Leviathan, his Accuser; David's Prosperous Rider, and "The Oppressor" He is "to break in pieces;" his "Throne of Iniquity," and "the Law whereby that throne frameth mischief;" his triumphant Bride and Bridegroom, and his marriage songs; Daniel's Images and his four Kingdoms, his ten horns, his wilful king, his many times and seasons, his Lion, Leopard, Bear, and little horn; Isaiah's "Dragon that is in the sea," and his spiritual Sodom; Jeremiah's Babylon, "a dwelling for Dragons," and his great City; Ezekiel's Cherubim and Temple; his four sore judgments, and his Roll, with "Pharaoh, "the great Dragon, in the midst of his rivers;" the ascension of Enoch and If St. John does not briefly rehearse Scripture in order to depict its two all-pervading mysteries, that is, if his glance be not retrospective as well as prospective, how comes he to reverse Daniel's kingdoms? Daniel looking forward gives one order, St. John looking back exactly inverts that order. Each gives the true and correct order from his point of view. So much for the salient features of Revelation; but there is a very important scriptural fact connected with the seven seals, which the consecutive historic schemes must of necessity ignore. Admit it, and their schemes at once fall to pieces. It is this the seven seals are clearly a full and compendious outline of the entire Apocalypse. This their own language and the whole bearing of Scripture clearly proves. This view was held by the Church before historic interpretation obtained sway, and we must return to it if we are to interpret revelation by Scrip ture. This fact greatly simplifies the study of revelation, because when we have arrived at the scope and burden of the seven seals, we have attained to the scope and burden of Revelation. I need hardly say that it is consistent with the frequent practice and structure of Holy Writ, where important matter is to be revealed, first briefly to preintimate or outline, and subsequently to enlarge and amplify again and again, line upon line, precept upon precept, until the whole matter is fully detailed. Let me recapitulate that we may see our exact position. St. John takes up the Scripture narrative precisely where St. Paul left off. St. Paul briefly preintimated two great mysteries-that of Christ, and its counterfeit, that of Iniquity. St. John resumes the broken narrative and unveils these two great mysteries. Thus the seven Epistles prepare the seven Churches, and through them,the Church universal, by a compendious and godlike exhortation for her warfare.* This in the region of events. Then heaven opens, and we are shown the region of influence. An endless, complicated, and godlike mechanism is required to conduct the vast train of earth's events to their destined issue: hence we have unveiled to us the Moving Spring of all creation.† Then the first four seals, with their common war horse, depict the battle-field, and marshal the contending hosts under their several "leaders and commanders." Their riders, we learn from Scripture, are "the Spirits of the heavens," their horses are militant human hosts.‡ The first rides forth because of Truth, and is subsequently called the Faithful and True Witness. The next three riders form what David calls "the throne of Iniquity," and ride forth in behalf of Error, "placing a bridle in the jaws of the people and causing them to err." With the opening of the first four seals, the language of symbol ceases. The battlefield and contending hosts having been depicted, we are in the fifth seal shown all the personal, and in the sixth seal all the political, results of this great battle-field down to the great day of the Lamb's wrath. Then amid this wreck of earth and wrath of the Lamb, we are shown "the hiding-place of His power." We see a vast multitude: they are sealed, that "the destroyer may not smite them," they are the "elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matt. xxiv. 31). They are the "sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. iv. 30). They are the palm-bearing host rejoicing in the day of "very great gladness "(Neh. viii. 17); for the harvest and vintage are done, and all their labours are o'er, and it is "the last day, the great day of the feast" (John vii. 37) of tabernacles. It is the wellknown type of the great Sabbatism, the millennial rest, the marriage supper of the Lamb. And lest we mistake the antitype, it is named "Silence," initium æternæ quietis, while it is added, God tabernacles with men. Such is the outline of the seven seals, and they contain in brief the sum and substance of the Apocalypse. We may now see why the closing book of Scripture is appropriately entitled "the unveiling." It lifts the veil from off two great militant mysteries, narrates their long and arduous strife, the ultimate triumph of the one and the complete subjugation of the other. And without Revelation the Bible narrative is a broken and unfinished story. Next in importance to the seals stands the roll. The seals give the outline, purport, and substance of Revelation. The roll gives us its structure. It furnishes the framework or scaffolding+ of the whole Apocalypse, puts it into shape and adjusts every vision. As we peruse the apocalyptic narrative, we are carried by rapid transition from vision to vision: the thread of each is constantly broken and as constantly resumed, the language seems as changeful and dazzling as the visions, the whole web appears entangled, and we involuntarily exclaim, "Who shall adjust the visions?" In this dilemma, felt by all who approach Revelation, God has not left us without a guide. He tells us that these seemingly scattered and unconnected visions are contained in a roll, written within and without. The form laid down for our guidance that of a title-deed of inheritance, or purchased possession, which the heir alone could openleaves no room for adjusting the several visions at will, or according to any human theory. It admits of one, and only one construction or form, and that form is definite, specific, and cogent, for it forces us into one fixed arrangement and admits of no other. Consequently, so soon as the seemingly tangled visions of St. John are placed in their prescribed form of a roll, they at once assume adjustment and coherency, while harmony takes the place of seeming confu sion. Another singular result ensues. No sooner is Revelation placed on the roll than it is found to contain a "Second Exodus," form ing an exact parallel with "the First Exodus" in its ten plagues, and agreeing therewith in number, in substance, in character, in order, in letter, and in spirit! What marvellous testimony to inspiration have we here! Moses clearly gave us, in exact and precise miniature, the entire Apocalypse of St. John many centuries before St. John wrote. The roll is a heaven-sent interpreter of Revelation! I beseech you study it! Hitherto it has been wholly overlooked. The views of Revelation thus briefly given are based on evidence of a fourfold nature.* 1. The intrinsic evidence afforded by a detailed verbal examination of the symbols, figures, and language of the seven seals. 2. The evidence deducible from the subsequent chapters of the Apocalypse. This evidence is given in extenso in "The Seals and Roll of St. John." 3. The evidence afforded by all previous Holy Writ. 4. The process of induction briefly sketched in this paper. Thus viewed, St. John completes, confirms, and seals the whole scheme of doctrine dimly delivered by patriarchs and prophets, by our Lord and his apostles, and this gives us a consistent scheme of Scriptural interpretation. Having thus first deciphered Revelation through the light of Scripture, we shall have no difficulty in determining when, how, and where it should be applied to history. I hope, before the seven papers proposed on this subject close, to show that a true scriptural view of prophecy greatly harmonises all the existing systems; and that the excuse their diversities have hitherto afforded to so many for their neglect of Revelation is groundless and untrue. We must, however, first obtain the meaning of Scripture from Scripture: having done this, we can apply it to history (personal or national) ad libitum, each according to his own views of scriptural application and his knowledge of history. But the historic schools of interpretation should remember that multitudes who read the Bible take no interest in historic theories, and those who do usually prefer their own. C. E. FRASER-TYTLER. HE PERFECT PEACE. EIR of sorrow, child of dust, Depths of horror yawn below Listen! how the hungry pack Cursed Mentor! get thee hence; Falls the Giant of Despair; Bear my sinking head on high; God be praised-I shall not die! It is written, lions wild. Feared to harm God's faithful child, When the Lord has closed the door, GEORGE S. OUTRAM, A DAY WITH CHRIST. 1. THE HEALING OF THE PARALYTIC. Luke viii. 40; v. 17-26: Matt. ii. 1-12: Mark ix. 1-8. WE read the Sacred Narrative so dis- only an imperfect record. It was a day which jointedly, taking now a few verses from this Scripture, and now a few verses from that, that we often fail to get any clear and large conception of what our Lord's life was like. We do not link on word to word, event to event, and study them in their true sequence; and hence we do not see how they illustrate each other, and, above all, how full of gracious activity his life was from whom we have our life. If we could learn all that He said and did in a single day, and were patiently to search out the meaning of every deed and every word; and if we were then to take that one day as a fair sample of all his days on earth, we should be astonished to find how full his life was, how rich in instruction, how replete with works of healing and grace. We should no longer marvel at St. John's hyperbole, but should feel with him that, if all the things which Jesus did were to be written every one, it would take a book bigger than the world itself to hold them. It is quite impossible for us to recover the complete history of even a single day of our Lord's earthly ministry. But there are days in it of which we have a more complete story than we commonly suppose. It cannot but be helpful and instructive to us that we should study the events of one such day in their connection with each other, and endeavour to form as vivid and complete a conception of them as we can. And if our conception of this day is to help us to imagine what the life of Christ was like, obviously we must not select a day crowded above most with momentous incident, or distinguished by the utterance of his profoundest discourses. For exceptional days such as these, days of which we have the fullest record, because they were signalized by their wealth of event, we must turn to the last week of his ministry in Jerusalem. No day in that sacred week, however, could be taken as fairly representing the "days of the Son of Man on the earth." For these representative days we must revert to an early period of his ministry; we must note how he spent the hours in Galilee, where most of his life was passed, and while the catastrophe of the Cross was yet distant. Accordingly I have selected a day from his life in Galilee, during the first year of his manifestation to Israel, a day like many others, and of which, as of others, we have he spent in "his own city," the morning and night of which He spent in his own housea day, therefore, on which He was emphatically at home. And where else could we hope to see Him more clearly in his true character, in his habit as He lived? We join Him, then, in his own house very early in the morning. Here He receives the greetings and welcome of his neighbours on his return from the other shore of Gennesaret; He "speaks the word to them," and, as He was teaching, "the power of the Lord wrought in Him to heal:" He gives of his saving health to a paralytic, who is let down by his neighbours through the broken roof: He " disputes " with the doctors who had "come out of every town of Galilee and Judea," and even "from Jerusalem" itself, to hear and ask Him questions. Then, He goes out into the streets of Capernaum; and as He passes "the receipt of custom," He calls his cousin Matthew, a publican, to rise and follow Him. Matthew rises, and bidding his fellow-publicans to dine with him that evening, goes after the Friend of publicans and sinners. Christ passes through the streets of the city to the shore of the Lake, and once more teaches the multitude, who once more gather round Him. Toward evening-sunset being the dinner-hour of the Jews-He enters Matthew's house, to partake the "great feast" which Matthew has made in his honour, to join the "great company of publicans and of others" whom Matthew has invited to meet Him. The Pharisees of Capernaum gather round the room, and are amazed to see a prophet in such vile company; and to these grave censors Jesus addresses words than which few are more dear to the Christian heart, telling them that He has come to heal, not the hale, but the sick; to call, not righteous men, but sinners to repentance. The disciples of John the Baptist are also present; and these are amazed, not at the company He keeps, but at his occupation. They think a prophet should "fast" rather than "feast." And to them Jesus utters the three exquisite parables about the children of the bride-chamber, the old garment with the new patch, the new wine put into old wine-skins. As the feast and talk go on, a singular and pathetic interruption occurs. Jairus, the chief man of the city, the ruler of the syna |