grace will still rescue many thousands of my brethren from eternal ruin, as he meets with so important a numher in the then living generation. This idea is so pleas ing and comfortable, that it would be happiness to pursue it, but we must proceed. Let the reader compare the passages chap. XI, 15. 17. XII, 10. which also allude to this new degree of exaltation in the Redeemer's kingdom; and the more detailed account of this establishment verse 11. 12. 13.

This period will probably be crowned with great revivals of religion every where among Christians, and by numerous conversions among Jews and Gentiles. The morn ing dawn of millennian day will begin to pour its blessed and soul refreshing beams, over the highest mountains, and the children of God will feel encouraged from various indications and gracious signs, to look with ardent desire for the appearance of their Lord and king. The beast from the bottomless pit will begin to rage with great fury; but the measure of grace in believers, will be commensurate to the day of trial. However, the fol lowers of Jesus will yet awhile wipe the sweat from their brows, and the tears from their cheeks, under the pressure of the beast ; and also continue to report heartcheering news, when they meet each other, of the glorious preparations the Lord is still making for the introduction of his kingdom. They will exhort one another, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him, for the manifestation of his marvellous power and grace in his Church. For the illumination and Gospel blessings will be equally as great among believers in those days, as the darkness is dense in the minds of the followers of the beast.

Verse 7. For the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. The second subject of great rejoicings among the believers of those days, is the marriage of the Lamb. For after the great harlot is judged, the wife of the Lamb will step forth from the

wilderness, and begin to prepare herself for that day of unspeakable joy and glory, when she is to be united to her heavenly spouse, and to celebrate a union never experienced before. Christ espouses every individual member of his Church, when they first forsake the world, sin and Satan, and turn unto him by a thorough change of heart, upon which they receive many tokens of his loving kindness. These cords however are drawn still closer, and their union becomes more intimate, as they progress in holiness, and discover his spiritual beauties; until they are fully established and fortified, by gospel blessings peculiar to this state in grace, and consisting in a more spiritual union, enlarged knowledge and fruition of Christ their friend and their God. But the subject of this prophecy here, is not properly the spiritual union of Christ with individual believers; it is the celebration of his nuptials with his Church, and in the character of a Church, at the commencement of his Millennian reign.

Here again we enter on holy ground with diffidence. For this is a very mysterious subject, on which I shall offer no more than supposition to the indulgent readers which, no doubt, will be found very inadequate on the day of completion. But some pious friend, perhaps, will object, that I should rather drop the subject, than venture to offer uncertain conjectures? To which I answer, I çan make some observations on this important subject, to rectify errours committed by former expositors, who explained it as referring more immediately to the conversion of the Jews, to the adoption of the Bohemian-Moravian-Brethren, or some other religious community exclusively; and may throw light on some points for the better understanding of the whole.

The great outpouring of the spirit already upon the general Church of Christ, will divide all Christians into two classes; such as are in a state to receive that grace, and are thereby animated to coincide with the purposes

of the Lord, and such as resist it, and remain reprobates. Add to this, the fiery ordeal of persecution during the reign of the beast from the bottomless pit, where all within the power of the beast, shall be severely tested, and proven by great affliction. These powerful means will, no doubt, produce a great separation in Christendom; where one part will enlist under the banners of the beast, and the other remain faithful to their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Those who then embrace the Redeemers cause among all denominations, will forget their trifling disputes, and unite in one holy bond of brotherhood, and no longer refuse communion with such, as have stood the day which tried "men's souls." During this time of much grace, and of great affliction, some one of the Protestants powers in Europe will commence a political reformation, upon principles of the New Testament, and offer an asylum to the oppressed; where those surviving and approved champions of the cross, shall meet from all parts, and prepare to receive their Lord and king. Some occurrence like this, will probably be the first foundation of the kingdom of Christ on earth, and the manifestation of the manly Son, chap. x11, 5; who since his birth, has been brought up at the feet of Providence, to this day of peril and joy.

During these great events upon the theatre of Europe, the Church of Christ, animated by the spirit of her hea venly bridegroom, will make mighty movements in all other parts of the world, and lift up her head, by an abundant harvest everywhere among the Pagans. For her coming forth from the wilderness does not indicate a change of abode; the meaning is, that she will become conspicuous by the conversion of those nations among whom she sojourned, to the Christian faith. However, in some instances there also may occur considerable migrations, for the accomplishment of divine purposes in the personal kingdom of the Lord.

The bride of the Lamb then, is not the whole visible Church of Christ; nor any particular sect, party, or religious community in the world; nor even all who possess vital godlines and experimental religion see ver. 9. It is a great number of a certain christian character, selected from all churches, who are particularly qualified for the Lord's secret and special purposes. This chosen number of saints are the bride, who is said to have prepared herself for her husband; which probably may be an allusion to a custom of the ancient Asiatic princes, whose brides, after they were chosen, had seven days to prepare themselves by perfumes and precious ointments, after which they adorned themselves with their wedding-garments, to join the company of their Lords. In a spiritual sense this figure may indicate the faithful and loving endeavours of the bride of the Lamb, to revive and exercise all her christian graces, in confident expectation of the Lord's second Advent, that she may be acceptable in his sight.

Verse 8. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

9. And he said unto me, write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb. And he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

The wedding-garment of the bride is very different from the attire of the harlot. The original here rendered fine linen, is Bussivo", and neither signifies flax, nor silk, but a sort of cotton more precious than both, and only found in the East. There are two sorts of byssus; that of Elis in Achaia, and that of Judea, which last appears to be far superior to the first. This last sort was considered of equal value with gold, and only worn by persons of high dignity, and by the Jewish and Egyptian priests in ancient time.t

Byssinam vestem Judæis sacerdotibus familiarem fuisse Joseph. L. VI. de B. Jud. testatur. Vide Plin. L. XIX. c. 1.

Its colour is compared to that of silver, white, and having a soft splendour, which gives it a magnificent appearan ce in the sun. With this elegant garment she will be furnished by her husband, previous to the day of her espousals, in order that she may appear worthy of his acceptance. It now only remains to inquire into its spiritual meaning which St. John suspected would not be easy for us to find, and therefore adds a note of his own, by way of illustration, in the following words, "the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." Some authors have explained this as referring to the robe of Christ's righteousness, imputed to us by faith, which is in some passages of scripture represented as the spiritual garment of the soul, Isa. LXI, 10. But this cannot be the true sense here. For we may suppose, that all who are here numbered with the bride of the Lamb, are truely experienced Christians, advanced in holiness, who had long enjoyed the righteousness of Christ; and not novices in grace, who only then obtained that heavenly blessing. But something is spoken of in this text, as furnished immediately before the solemnization of her nuptials. And how can the righteousness of Christ be given to a whole multitude, or Church at once? Moreover, she was considered the bride of the Lamb, even before she received her wedding-garment, which she would not have been indeed, without having enjoyed his righteousness. Neither can this word refer to their own righteousness, or the good works of saints, which may not adorn us before him, or ensure pardon and acceptance. The truth is, these authors have mistaken the true sense of the whole passage, and explained it in reference to individuals, where they should have considered the text as speaking of a whole community in one body, under the character of a Church.

Let us now see what the wedding-garment of the bride of the Lamb may signify. The word here rendered righteousness is dixiμata, the plural of dixaiana,