clearly distinguished from the beast, and which nevertheless stamps it with his character, and is peculiarly connected at the same time at the end with the Jewish people, though hating what was heavenly. I refer to Dan. vii., where a distinct horn rises after all the others, different from them, subduing three-a horn always as such distinct from the beast, but which brings judgment on it, and whose actings at the end make it morally the grand affair. Here we have many characteristics of the first beast's actings, attributed to him in Rev. xiii. We see the horn to be the active agent here, for the horn is looked at as part of the beast here, his general secular or Gentile totality being the point of view in which it is considered. Still the little horn is evidently a distinct agent. If it be thought that the horn is really, though locally only, possessing the territory of three, the virtual head of the whole empire as a chief, besides his own territory, and hence that he would correspond rather to the first beast of Rev. xiii., where the general character of the beast itself only is given, I should have nothing that I am aware of to object. The other point would remain untouched. The moral points of union are evident: the two beasts play into each other's hands; one, as we have seen, holding the public authority and throne, the other exercising the energy of Satan. It had even occurred to me that 2 Thess. ii. 3, 4, and 8, might distinctively denote them; but I pursue the study of the passage. This horn had the intelligence and foresight of thought and purpose, which was more than power and conquest, design and consideration, place and haughty pretensions avowed: he brings judgment on the beast. Three things are attributed to him, "speaking great words against the Most High",-this is more than the Ancient of days; it is the supremacy of God as above all; he wears out the saints of the high places, and he thinks to change times and laws, Jewish order and ordinances, and they are delivered into his hand: so that we find atheistical pretensions, a persecution of any saints who are connected with heaven, and a perversion of the order of Jewish polity as outward ordinances. This lasts for three years and a half; he is directly, therefore, in

connection with the Jewish order of things. If there are saints who look to higher blessings, he wears them out. That there will be those there who shall have a heavenly position in the reign, Rev. xv. and xx. assure us: his dominion is taken away in connexion with the final judgment on earth. It is the horn who is here considered, who wields it in Palestine (though the beast be destroyed, as is noted in the general history before the explanations). Here then is a distinct power acting in Palestine and subverting Jewish order and ordinances, the beast being distinct, yet judged because of what this power spoke. The pretensions of Is. xiv. 12—14. have this same character. Reigning in Zion is here one of his pretensions.

I would now turn to the first beast. The first thing I would remark is, that it is characterised by the royalty of the ten horns; they are crowned. This is characteristic historically three fall, but it is, as far as unity subsists, a federate power. The beast implies corporate unity in some measure, as the Roman empire was (whatever its state) a certain known thing, whatever its head, heads, or form of government; and this corporate existence is the meaning of a beast,-a bond which enables it to be spoken of as one in relation to those outside it. There is a wounded and healed head, but it is not in any prominence here, save that it is after this that the wondering takes place. It is the beast which is in prominence, and in its general corporate state is characterised by its blasphemy and war with the saints. It is well to remember that the devil is cast out of heaven, and that the heavens and the dwellers there now rejoice; and the dwellers upon earth, and earth itself, are the scene of his power. The healing of the head is all that is noticed; it is the beast itself which is in scene. Satan, as god of this world, gives him his throne and his power; and its man is thus set up, while he turns to act, as we have seen, in sustaining it in the second beast. A woman may ride this beast; but it is the kings who commit fornication with her but, I suppose, whether from xiii. or xvii., there will be some uniting form of government; but it is the corporate or common existence which gives its life

and character to the beast. The kings make war; the kings hate the whore and the beast, not any head. If the comparison of Dan. vii., and the light thrown on that passage show that the little horn is the same as the head, of which I should feel doubtful, I have nothing to object. It is not my subject at this moment; what I question is, the civil head of empire being the AntiChrist, which seems to me to have a much more religious character-a consideration which has much importance in the study of scripture. There are several difficulties and questions which present themselves in connection with this; as, for example, the placing or displacing of the influence of Babylon, in xvii., and the second beast of xiii., which I leave for further inquiry. But I cannot doubt that there will be a civil-religious power in Palestine having the energy of Satan, and exercising the power of the beast, to whom Satan has given his authority; and this, I much suspect, is much more properly the AntiChrist, though there be many. But I present this, specifically and avowedly as a subject of inquiry for the saints, and those content to learn and follow any increasing light our God in His goodness may see good to give; and certainly He will give all that may be truly profitable to His church.

D.

FROM THE PORTFOLIO.-It is hard to read, in Hebrew, some passages in which a series of proper names occurs, without being struck with the sense produced, if the words are looked at, not as proper names, but expressive of meanings, and then strung together.

Thus, 1 Chron. i. 1-4. The ten first names

אדם שת אנוש קינן מהללאל ירד חנוך מתושלח למך נח

has thus been translated:

Adam man, Sheth having become, or being appointed or constituted, Enosh wretched, Kenan mourner, Mahalaleel the blessed— God, Jered came down, Henoch consecrated, Methuselah his death -to send, Lamech to the poor, Noah comfort.

Man [being] placed as a wretched mourner, the blessed God came down :-[when] consecrated, his death sent comfort to the

poor.

M.

No. XV.

THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER.

WHEN the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son. Never had intercourse been so fraught with healing and joy to publicans and sinners. The Son of man had power on earth to forgive sins. He was come to save what was lost. Never had saints of God listened to such words of sweetness whereby was disclosed to them the bosom of His Father, which He, the only begotten Son, knew so well. "The Word was made flesh," one of them could say, "and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." In the simple tale of the Gospels, we have the blessedness of the disciples in the presence of the Lord. There is no distance nor reserve. He speaks to them face to face; He calls them and treats them as His friends. And O what a friend was He! Blessed pattern of all meekness, of lowliness unknown, of patience that could not be wearied, of grace that flowed out the more, the more He was wounded in the house of His friends, like a sweet herb that breathes fragrance when trodden by the heedless foot of man! It was true that this presence rendered more conspicuous the infirmities, the dangers, the sins, and the enemies of God's people. But never did murmur break from His lips who had undertaken their cause- God's cause. Notwithstanding their unbelief, their pride, their insensibility, and their perverseness,never did He complain, "Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? Wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?" Instead of saying-"Have I conceived all this people? Have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?"-Jesus, the good shepherd, looks onward through the vista of His sufferings to the day when He

could say, "Behold I and the children which God hath given me." Instead of saying "Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people ?"-He, and He alone, could say, "The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

It was, indeed, a crisis when Jesus appeared. God had given His law, but holy, just and good, as the commandment was, it could not better, and was not meant to better, the heart of man. It detected and condemned what issued thence, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Prophets, too, had been sent by the Lord God of their fathers. But what could they avail save to show the importunate love of Him who rose up betimes and sent them, because he had compassion on His people and on His dwelling-place? They mocked and misused His prophets "until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy." In this state of things He appeared. Truly we may say that in the person of Jesus, God brought himself nigh to the sinner. But in vain. Jesus must suffer for sins; the just for the unjust. He must bring us to God. All might bear Him witness and wonder at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth; and surely had there been one pure thought in the heart of man, one feeling undepraved by sin, Jesus must have drawn it forth. But there was none-nothing Godward. His presence, therefore, could but demonstrate that the carnal mind is enmity against God. "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth Me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both Me and my Father."

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Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain; whom God hath raised up." The grand basis of blessing was laid. God's righteousness was declared not only at this time, but for the passing over of sins that were past in His forbearance.

Still, while in that death, all the past dealings of God were divinely vindicated, Christ himself, in anticipating