Emperor Julian. And Constantine confessed the eame, and Rome bowed to Cbtwt. 4,. By fhe aonaenl 'II ronacie,ia,,Blessed be God, there ill a better self in th41 wont of men, and the appeal io that betl er self in men, though drowned by many a l'i1e clamour for • long Ume, will yet be beard and· obeyed. And Christ by his gospel made euch appeal, Ii. By Che gra« M imparled to hw peopl& "Their patient continU&D.De in well-doing put to silence• all their .foes. Rome looked on a& these Christiana and wondered, and, after a while. gave way and worshi"pped with them. For not alone in and by himself does the Lamb overcome, but: 6; JtJ M, peoplt1, "They that are with him.n The Revised Ver11lon rightly renders St. John's words, "They also shall over- come that are with him, called, ehosen, faithful." St. John does not teach that· the Lamb was indebted to them for this victory, as a general is indebted to his army. That, thongh the Authorized Version seems to lend countenance to such idea, is very far from the truth. But what is meant is that, like their l,ord, " they that are with him • overcome. '"The noble army of martyrs praise thee." In them he ·repeats· and reptoouces his victory. It is, therefore, of great interest· and importance to know who they are that are " with him." For the conditions . of victory are the same to-day as tliey were of old. The enemy has not changed in reality, though he has in form. And would we overcome, we must be as they of old who overcame. Well, then; see how they are described. They are: (1) Ualled, We answer to that descripJion. So far so good. We, the avowed Christian people of our day, have been called by God's providence, by hie Spirit, through hill Word, his ministers, and by his manifold means of grace, and we an) in his Church OC'CaUBe of it. (2) (J/wlim. Are we tliisf It does uot at all follow that we are ilo because we are called. All the chosen are called, but not all the called are chosen. 14 .Many are called, and few," etc. How, th-:m, may we Jtn!)W if we are elect, chOlll!n? Not by frames and feelings, fitful emotions of the mind, which come and go like the clouds. Not by position and office. Vie may be recognized ootn- municants and pastors, teachers, or aught else of the kind. God forbid that we should BllY all this counts for nothing as evidence of our Christian sta.ndingl It does count for something, but in itself ia by no means sufficient evidence aa to whether we be Sod's chosen or not. And not by Church or creed. We may prefer our, own and feel per- suaded that we are in the right. But Ohurcha. and creed& other than our own have fllfnished many of Christ's elect, and not all oura are certainly chosen, But .thus we may know if we be chosen : (3) If we be of those who are /aitliful. Called we are; chosen we may be. If faithful, then we are of the chOBeD too; and this, and this only, is the proof. They of old through the Lamb OV«!rcame. It is they who to-day through bim alone overcome. May we not, then, hear the apostolic word addressed to ua. .. My brethren, give all diligence to make yotl6' calling and election IUl'e" ?-8. 0.
Ver, 1-eh. xviiL 2'--Babylon. We read her name, "BABTLOlf THB GRll:AT1 TBa • JIOTHEB OJ' THE BA.llLOTB ANJ> OP THE ABOJIINATIONB OP TlIB JU.BTB." Now, the whole idt:a of the sinful opposition to God is gathered together in a unit, U is a city; lt ii a woman. We muat forsake all guides, and declare OW' conviction that Babylon means neither Christian nor heathen Rome, nor any other city, kingdom, or state in parlicvlar; but the one kingdom of evil manifeBting itself in many kingdom& and systems, both political and ecclesiastical, and equally independent of either. The essential idea ia the Babylon of evil aa lt atands in antithesis to the holy Jerusalem-the pure, ihe bride, the Lamb's wife. Two chief division, will comprehend the teaohing concerning 11 BabJlun:" (1) Jta damption; (2) it, de,truction. L Troe DESCRIPTIOl!I oJ' BABYLOlf. L Its corrupt character. All before the prophet& were ,.mlse" and the spirita were "unclean," and stood opposed to God; ao now harlotry,· fornication, drunkenness, bla&phemy, abomination.., luxury, persecnting Tiolence. sorcery, submission to the beaat, warring against the Lamb. are the term■ employed to describe or indicate the exeesBive fonlneas and corruption of the faithlesa city. This is "the woman," having in her band .. • golden cup full of abominations even the unok.m things or her fornication." Thia ihe "Babylon the gre&~",wbioh ia liecome " a habitation of devil■, a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold <,( every ®clean and hat.eful bird.• S. Virulent antagoni11111 to the good, even to the .loftiest ideals of goodneBB. " War against the Lamb; " "blasphemed the God of heaven ; • • gather together nnto the war of the great day or God," "poured out the blood of ·ae THE REVELATION OP ST. JOHB THE DIVINE. [Oil. :l:VU. 1....1&