can only be served by rlgheeoul'MH, Bo It witneeeea against all immoralitieR of rites and ceremonies. III. THE GOBPEL-WITNEBS IS A WITNEBS CIONOBRl!IING HEN. Preach it, and the "thoughts of many heartl will be revealed." It will prove everywhere a "discerner of the thought. and intents of the heart." What is strange ie that, wherever the gospel is preached, men are discovered to themselves, and know that they are smmrs. '£hat is the beginning of the goepel-mission.-R. T. Ver. 24.-The mischiefs wrought 'bg a;ntichrlst,. "For there shall arise Cabe Christe," i.e. false Messiahs. In the period between our Lord's ascension and the :destruction of Jerusalem many so-called prophets arose who claimed Divine authority. It is not clear that they claimed to be the Messiah; but after the fa.II of Jerusalem one ·appeared who called himselfBarchochebas, the" Son of a star," and claimed to be Messiah, and deceived many. If we can get a proper meaning to the term "antichrist," we shall see that such have appeared in every age, and repeated in every age the same mischief-ma.king. An "antichrist" is any man or any woman who, in any sphere, undoes or resists the work of Christ, or compels men to think unworthy thoughts of Christ. Fitting introductory matter would be an account of the social and religious mischiefs wrought by the antichrists of the first century, especially of Ilarchocheba.s. L THE ANTIOHRIST OPPOSES THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST. That authority is not only absolute and supreme in Christ's Church, it is also in constant, immediate, and direct administration; to it the Church can always appeal. Antichrist (1) withdraws us from the Divine authority; (2) criticizes the Divine authority; (3) substitutes something for the Divine authority. Antichrist comes between the soul and Christ. II. THE ANTICHRIST OPPOSES THE PURITY OF CHRIST. Tbe sinless Christ has it as his supreme aim to make sinless disciples, and present his Church perfect even as he is perfect. Purity, therefore, is the great aim of Christ's Church; and to it purity is a high ideal. Any one whose influence tends to sully the Church's purity, or to lower the Church's standard, is an antichrist. There are those who teach a liberty which is licentiousness, and a self-indulgence which is disloyalty. "Ye are called unto holiness : " this will test all antichrists. III. THE ANTICHRIST OPPOSES THE UNITY OF CHRIST. Sectarianism is the exalta- tion of opinion over truth. The Church could be one if it were only based on loyalty, love, and obedience to the Lord Jesus. The Church is broken up into sections, ever- multiplying sections, by the particular opinions of men, who presume to declare Divine authority for their opinions. Christ is one with the Father by his loyalty to him; and that is the way in which we must be one in Christ. IV. THE ANTICHRIST OPPOSES THE OH.AllITY OF CHRIST, Tbis may be opened in two ways. 1. There is the selfishness which shuts men up to what is called the "enjoyment" of religion, heedless of the ministry the world needs. 2. There is tb e bitterness of the heresy-cry against those who do not happen to think exactly as we do.-R.T,
Ver. 29.-Sky-signs. The figurative character of this verse is apparent. It does not describe actual events. It belongs to astrological rather than to astronomical asso- ciations. There is no literal interpretation of these words possible. Isaiah uses similar symbols in prophesying the Divine judgments on Babylon (Isa. xiii 10), aud we may reasonably think that such a scriptural passage suggested our Lord's statement. "Even the common speech of men describes a time of tribulation as one in which 'the skies are dark,' and the ' sun of a nation's glory sets in gloom.'" The verse is plainly poetical and pictorial, but what it pictures is the series of terrible civil calamities and commotions and distresses which attended the Roman siege of JerUBalem. It is not necessary to suppose any allusion to a future breaking-up of the framework of the earth in the last times. Of that no man really knows; and no precise description has been or could be given. I. SKY-SIGNS THAT TEACH Gon's WORKING IN THE WORLD. Men might be dis• posed, even those disciples might be disposed, to look upon the events of the siego of Jerusalem as just ordinary national incidents. Jesus therefore used figures in relation to them which lifted them to a higher plane, and made the disciples thHJk about them, 4-70 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. MA.T'.lHEW. [ar.:xnv.1-11,