law of interpretation as imperative in all cases, will concede that the next resurrection-scene, described only four verses after, in connection with the day of judgment, is also to be taken in a symbolical, and not a literal sense. They who lay down the law for others, must necessarily abide thereby themselves; and if it is doing violence to every principle of interpretation, as is so positively asserted, to understand the first resurrection-scene literally, there is no less violence done in putting the same literal construction on the one immediately following. And if the latter can be taken as a bona fide resurrection of the dead, we insist that there is no law to forbid such meaning to the former. Our principles of interpretation must be consistent, and not self-destructive. When, therefore, those who insist upon an exclusively spiritual sense, will carry such a system of interpretation out in its application to the last resurrection, we may admit that there is some force to their argument. But while they take one resurrection-scene in a spiritual, and another immediately following in a literal sense, we cannot but think that they sufficiently refute themselves, and that they have no fixed principles of interpretation by which to guide them. Neither does it become such to designate others as "Literalists," as if they were par excellence Symbolists. The truth is, there is no class of men who universally interpret the book of Revelation in a symbolical sense. All are compelled, at times, to adopt a literal meaning. There is no escape from it. And the only question is to determine when it shall be, and by what principle we shall be guided in so doing. The principle is, when the nature of the subject forbids symbolization. There are a few things that cannot be set in symbol, and must therefore be described literally. The sleeping saints and wicked dead-the resurrection-death and hell-Satan and Christ-belong to this class. They are accordingly so

represented. They are, by their own nature, exceptions to the general features of the book, and need not be misunderstood. This principle relieves all the difficulty, and makes the way of the interpreter plain and consistent.

Beyond this, however, the author of the Revelation puts his own interpretation upon both these scenes, by the categorical statements, "This is the first resurrection," and "This is the second death." That settles the question; and it is wonderful that theologians and commentators will still go behind this authoritative, Divine interpretation, to find some other to suit their own theory. They might as well seek to find, some better explanation of "the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks," than that which Christ himself has given. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches, Rev. i. 20; or go behind the interpretation of Rev. xvii. 15: And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues; or yet again, Rev. xx. 2: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan. So it is presumptuous in us to ignore the inspired interpretation, "This is the first resurrection." That decides what, and when, the first resurrection is. It is the resurrection of the saints at the second coming of Christ, that they may live and reign with Him the thousand years. In consistency, too, with this at the final judgment, when the rest of the dead are raised, no mention is made of the righteous, or their reward. The wicked dead alone appear as actors in that drama, and are judged out of the books, and according to the things written therein.

We may now see, from this unfolding of Divine revelation, what God's dealings and designs toward the wicked

are.

We have gone over the history of the past, and shown how each dispensation has ended, and how broadly God has drawn the line between the righteous and the wicked, saving the one and destroying the other. He began by suspending the execution of the death-penalty against disobedience, and introduced an economy of grace, or remedial system for human recovery, announcing the way by which sinners might be justified; and pointing men forward with faith and hope to the coming One, who should achieve the promised redemption. A few believed God, and heartily accepted His methods of grace. But the unbelieving multitude, willing enough to take the assurance of salvation and claim the Divine favor, cleaved to their sins, and insisted on being saved in their own way. And here, at this point, the conflict has been waged between God and an unbelieving world. He has insisted on saving the penitent and believing, while the wicked have demanded an equal title to the kingdom. God early raised up His prophets, to whom He revealed the truth on this subject, and who preached that Christ would come to bring His saints with Him, and at the same time execute judgment on the ungodly. But when they paid no heed, He gave a more solemn and impressive lesson in the overwhelming waters of the Deluge, making this very distinction, in the most sublime manner, between the righteous and the wicked. God demonstrated that the former, though so few as to be contained in a single household, were of more account, in His sight, than a world of sinners. And for these few He provided an ark of refuge, while He swept away with a stroke the unbelieving multitude.

This lesson God repeated again and again, under circumstances calculated to make the truth still more clear. There were His own people, redeemed out of Egypt with a mighty hand, whom He carried through the sea, dry

shod, and fed in the desert with bread from heaven. Surely they shall be brought into their inheritance. Yet God would show that their faith and obedience were essential, and that, if wanting, the same judgment would overtake them to their destruction. They expected and demanded the fulfilment of all God's promises in their unbelief. His decisive answer was their overthrow. They perished in the wilderness, while a remnant only entered in. So was it, again, with the nation at the coming of their Messiah. They expected the promised salvation, priding themselves on being eminently meet for the kingdom; but it was according to their own ideas of fitness, while they raged and blasphemed against the Lord's Anointed, and the Holy Ghost. Again would He teach the great lesson, and He ground that covenant nation to powder, taking out a remnant of believing ones, who would receive His testimony.

Now, also, is He testing the Gentile nations on the same point, to see whether they will receive Christ and bow to His sceptre; the end whereof, as we are abundantly assured, will be with judgment and terrible overthrow ; while the people of God, who have long waited and believed, shall lift up their heads with joy, and behold the salvation for which they have looked. Then, too, shall the sleeping saints, who have died in the faith, awake from the dust; and as they come forth in their incorruptible forms, to live and reign with Christ, the demonstration will be complete that these, in very deed, are the sous of God, for whom the kingdom and reward have been prepared from the foundation of the world. The word of promise will have been fulfilled to those who have humbly believed and accepted Christ as their righteousness and salvation. But for the wicked and unbelieving is reserved that final day when the judgment shall be set; and they, too, shall be awaked, but to shame and everlast

ing contempt. That resurrection shall be their own, the righteous having been gathered long before, and manifested forth as the sons of God, shining as the brightness of the firmament. To be found among these ignominious. dead on this last day will be evidence enough that there is no part in Christ, no inheritance in His promises. They are "judged every man according to his works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life, was cast into the lake of fire." That closes the drama. There is no record of any dispensation of mercy beyond; and those who hope for such, have no authority for it from the Scriptures. They have the same wretched, destroying delusion, which the wicked have always entertained-for which they have been contending through all the dispensations of the past, but which God has so terribly rebuked again and again with His fiercest wrath. Yet, while wickedness and unbelief continue, we may expect that men will pervert and misinterpret these great truths, and treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and righteous revelation of God.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

HEAVEN.

We have already alluded to the fact that some have questioned whether the doctrine of immortality and the future life was revealed in the Old Testament; and have shown that such doubts proved only our ignorance of the Scriptures, and of the method of instruction which God adopted for the early education of the race. Not only was the doctrine of immortality taught, but also the