name. There will "in that day" be a fountain open for sin "to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem," and the destroying angel will allow the third of those among God's covenanted people who had been deceived by Antichrist, to live. They will be left amongst the remnant whom the Lord will spare, to people the millennial earth.

Another great event is brought before us in connection with the Saviour's Advent, namely, THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON" "THE MYSTERY." The exact position of Great Babylon's overthrow with respect to the time of Israel's trouble and the Advent of the Lord is, I think, clear. It will be immediately upon the manifestation of Antichrist as the great idolater, and the persecutor of God's people. That is to say-it will be only three years and a half at most before the Lord's descent upon the Earth. But we must dwell upon this

stroke of desolation for an instant.

In the fourteenth chapter of the REVELATION We find "the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb" brought before us assembled together with Christ on Mount Zion, and following Him withersoever He goeth.1 Then we have the word of exhortation uttered by an angel's voice to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and

1 See The Book of Revelation in Diagram. Note upon "The Orders

of Saints."

people, "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come," which we have before alluded to as having probable reference to a great revival of religion following immediately upon the removal of the Lord's people from the Earth. In the next verse we find the statement-"And there followed another angel, saying, 'BABYLON IS FALLEN, IS FALLEN, THAT GREAT CITY, BECAUSE SHE MADE ALL NATIONS DRINK OF THE WINE OF THE WRATH OF HER FORNICATION.' Then another angel follows, saying with a loud voice-"If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God." The proclamation concerning the fall of Babylon, coming, as it does, after the intimations of the first resurrection and the revival of religion—and before the solemn warning respecting the beast and his image, suggests that although the overthrow of the great city will take place at the beginning of Antichrist's reign, it will be before or immediately upon, the full development of his true character; and about synchronize with the commencement of Israel's great tribulation.

But the eighteenth chapter affords more exact particulars about this overthrow. We find there a warning voice from heaven-"Come out of her (i.e., Babylon), My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that

ye receive not of her plagues.

....

Her plagues shall come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine : and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. . . In one hour is thy judgment come. . . Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all... And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." So does the word of prophecy foretel the sudden and entire overthrow of "Babylon the Great," which we have shown, I think, beyond all doubt, is ROME.1 Whether by what is said we are to understand that ROME-THE ACTUAL CITY—will be suddenly destroyed by fire; or whether the iniquitous POWER OF THE PAPACY which has its rule in this city as its great centre, is referred to, is not perhaps quite clear. But there is sufficient evidence to afford strong probability that the destruction of the actual city is intended: for if we refer to the account given of the overthrow of the Papacy, in the seventeenth chapter of Revelation,2 we find that the overthrow of the city," in the light of a power" which reigneth over the

1 See Chapter III.

2 Rev. xvii. 15-16.

kings of the earth," will be a gradual work brought about by the hatred of Antichrist and his ten kings; whereas this destruction is to be sudden-the work of "one hour," —and "the kings of the earth" who were brought before us as the DESTROYERS in the former case, are declared in this latter to BEWAIL her, and LAMENT for her, when they see the smoke of her burning.1 Surely, moreover, there was a fulness of meaning when the "mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers and musicians shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee;

and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee." Reason would that we should conclude almost positively, since we have such a word as this, that when, through the hatred of Antichrist and his ten kings, the Papal power shall have been overthrown, the Lord Himself will take the judgment of the CITY into His own hand, and with a flood of fire DESTROY IT UTTERLY,

The work of judgment on THE CITY OF SUCH BITTER PERSECUTIONS AND EXCEEDING WRONGS, will not pass

1 Rev. xviii. 9, 10.

unobserved by those who are IN HEAVEN. The risen Saints with Christ will see, and utter praise immediately. For mark how the next chapter opens-" And after these things, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God; for true and righteous are His judgments; for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia; and her smoke rose up for ever and ever."1

But they have more to witness yet, ere they descend from the expanse above, with the Almighty Judge, to earth. There must be more judgments on the wicked: and the last great tribulation of the Church of that brief dispensation and of Israel also, must receive the completion of its measure, that their cup of sorrow may be filled unto repentance.

Again: When the great Harlot City Babylon is fallen, and the warning voice is uttered by the angel, "If any man worship the beast or his image. . . . he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, . . . and . . be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb;”. then the Saints who yet adorn the earth are spoken of:

1 Rev. xix. 1-3.

I