in thunder, and shed their blood for the right. The vision here suggest.a th,:ee ~ conilerning these defenders of the right. 1, They <lo IMir work i'A ~ - "Clothed in .sackcloth." To fight for the right has never been an easy work, and perhape never will be. They fight not in radiant robes, but in sackcloth. It is not a light work to atand up against a corrupt world and struggle against an age grinning with selfishness, senBU&hty, and cupidity. 2. They contributti Divine light. "These are the two olive treee, and the two candlesticks." Language borrowed from the Book of Ezekiel. The olive trees fed the lamp, and the candlesticks diffused &be light. Were it not for the Divine defenders of the right, grand heroes in moral history, all the lamps <r truth would go out, and the whole race would be mantled in midnight. They are the lights of t~ world. 3. They exert tremendoua potMr', "If any man will (desire to] hurt them, fireyroceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt Lshall desire to hurt] them, he must in this manner be killed," etc. (see vers. 5, 6). The true defenders of the right are invested with a terrible power. Their words flash devouring flames, BO shake the corrupt moral firmament under which their con- temporaries are living, that the very heavens seem shut up and the rolling streams of life seem turned into blood. It is said that Moaes turned the Nile into blood, that Elijah prevented rain descending on the earth for the space of three -years. 'l'he true defenders of the cause of riitht are the organs of ODUlipotence; their words are mighty through God. To them is committed the work of causing the moral heavens to melt with fervent heat, and spreading out •• a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness." Ill THAT THE CAUBJ!I or BIGHT ON THE EARTH HAS ITS TERRJBLJ!I ANTAGONISTS. "When ther. shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomle81! pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them," etc. (vera. 7-10). 1, The a,ntagonists ef the righl an, malignant. They not only murder, but tbey exult in their cruelty. They are "wild beasts" that fight and kill; they 8t'ise from the abyss of depravity. The spirit of persecution is an infernal virus that gallops through the vein& of the intolerant persecutor, and physical violence is the weapon. Not only did their malignity destroy, but revelled in the cruelty and destruction : "8hall rejoice over them, and make merry." Their feet are " swift to shed blood ; " like savage beasts of prey, they revel in the tortures of their victims. Who oan study martyrology without being astounded at the ruthless cruelty that runs in the blood of those that hate the right? 'l'hey rent .the heavens with the ory, "Away with him t. away with him ! " 2. These antagonist& ef the right .twe ever fruatrated. It is aaid, "After three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet," eoo. (ver. 11). Obaerve: (1) Their victims were diTIILely reanimated. If the bodies of the two which lay crushed upon the " street" were not reanimated, their spirit, which was Divine, appeared in others. The bodies of good men fall to the dust, but the spirit that animated them lives in others. The spirit of Elijah enters John the Baptist in the wilderness. The spirit of truth and goodneBS is a rea~-spirit; it enters those who.are in the graves of sin, and they start to life and stand forth a mighty army to defend the right. Such a resurrection may well alarm the persecutors. "A great fear fell upon them which saw them." (2) Their victims ascended to heaven. "And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud" (ver. 12). Heaven is ever open to welcome and receive the faithful defenders of the right. With their ascension terrible calamities befall the earth. "And the same [that] hour was there a great earthquake" (ver, 13). The eternal hour of retri- bution towards their persecutors moves on; the earth quakes, and thousands are engulfed in ruin. "Be sure your sin will find you out." · JV. TJu.T THB CAU8ll 01!' RIGHT ON THE lill.TH I8 DEl!'l'INED TO TIUUHPR, - After the passing of the first two woes there is yet another to Come, and after the close of the:1ixth trumpet the blast of the seventh is heard. "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were [followedl great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms [kingdom] of this [the1 world arefis] oecome the kingdoms [kingdom] of our Lord,and of hia Ohrut; and fie aLail reign for ever and ever" (ver.15). 'l'wo things seem now to OO()ur. 1. TAe rapture ancl adoration qf the goo<l. Sainted men and angels are represent.ad as rising from their seats, falling on their facea and worshipping, and the reason of their worship ii that the kingdoms of this world have passed into the actual po!llMIUion d CJL xn. 1-17.] THE REVELATION OF ST.. JORN THE DIVINB. 809
Obrist. ".The kingdoms of this world." What have they been? What are they now? Hellish mimicries of eternal right and power. Like muddy bubbles on the great stream of life, they have broken int.o the clear and fathomless river of rectitude, and will appear no more, and this will continue "for ever and ever "-"unto the ages of the ages." Well, then, might the righteous worship and thank God. "We give thee tha~R, 0 Lord God Almighty, whioh art, and wast, and a.rt to come," etc. (ver. 17). 2. TM increased accessibility of heiwen, "And the temple of God was opened in heaven" (ver. 19). When right shall become universally triumphant, heaven will come near to man. The holy Jerusalem will come down from heaven; heaven and earth will become one. CoNOLUBION. Suspect not the failure of right; have faith in its winning power. It has life in it, indestructible life, life that will germinate in every land, which will multiply and cover all parts of this globe. "'l'he kingdoms of this world 'shall become the kingdoms of ow- Lord." "'rhere shall be a handful of oom in the earth upon the t.op of the mountains ; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall ftouriah like gl'IIIIS of the eat·th."-D. T.
EXPOSITION.